Newbie question

[CoSkillet]

I am new to brewing and a friend gave me a Mr beer kit. It was the classic American light. Today makes 8 days in the fermentor. I tried a taste test sample and have a delightful tasting flat beer. I discovered I had a leak around the spigot though and had to open the fermentor and fix the spigot. I'm afraid that I might have infected the beer since I had to open the fermentor and stick my hand in it. Should I bottle now? What's the chances I ruined my beer?

 

[FirstAidBrewing]

Did you sanitize your hand before dunking it in? If not there's a good probability there's some bugs in your beer. Maybe not enough to create a visible infection, but possibly enough to create an odd taste.

 

[CamG]

Yes sanitizing your hand first would have been a really good idea.
Hopefully after 8 days there might be enough alcolol in there to fight off any of those bugs.

Only time will tell now. Just wait until your FG tells you its finihsed then bottle.

Chances are it will be fine. I do believe I read on here once someone dropped a dog toy in thier fermentor and it turned out ok

 

[55x11]

I am new to brewing and a friend gave me a Mr beer kit. It was the classic American light. Today makes 8 days in the fermentor. I tried a taste test sample and have a delightful tasting flat beer. I discovered I had a leak around the spigot though and had to open the fermentor and fix the spigot. I'm afraid that I might have infected the beer since I had to open the fermentor and stick my hand in it. Should I bottle now? What's the chances I ruined my beer?

don't do it again but chances are - your beer will be fine. Low pH and high alcohol content (absence of sugars) should make it more difficult for wild bugs to propagate in the beer.

 

[CoSkillet]

I didn't use sanitizer on my hand but washed my hands in the bathroom sink with soap and dried really well. I had lost a half gallon of beer so I need to fix quick. I don't have a hydrometer yet so I'm shooting in the wind with when to bottle. It has a delightful flat beer taste and a strong alcohol smell.

 

[CoSkillet]

I bottled on bottle after fixing the spigot. Been in fermentor 8 days. I'm going to bottle the rest at the 2 week mark and see how things turn out.

 

[Brownalemikie]

I bottled on bottle after fixing the spigot. Been in fermentor 8 days. I'm going to bottle the rest at the 2 week mark and see how things turn out.

Just curious if you added a "fizz tab" or sugar cube for carbonation before bottling, otherwise your beer will still be flat.

 

[CoSkillet]

I used two carb drops and bottled in a 740ml pet bottle that came with kit.

 

[TexasDroughtBrewery]

Let us know how it turned out when you pop the top.

 

[CoSkillet]

Will do.

 

[CoSkillet]

My wife tasted a sample today and said it tasted like a flat Miller light. So I will be botteling this weekend after 14 days in fermentor.

 

[TexasDroughtBrewery]

Yeah, things should be done after 14 days. Sounds like your had a successful round one after all.

 

[CamG]

My wife tasted a sample today and said it tasted like a flat Miller light. So I will be botteling this weekend after 14 days in fermentor.

Ok You did not just make your wife taste it first incase it was infected did you ?

Glad it worked out for you.....

 

[TexasDroughtBrewery]

Hahahahahhaha!!! That has to be one of the funniest things ive seen on this forum in awhile.

 

[ziggurat]

Good to hear things worked out.

I had a similar problem when I still used my Mr. Beer Keg. I found adding a second O-ring helped prevent leaking in subsequent batches.

 

[CoSkillet]

I didn't not make my wife taste test first. I taste tested yesterday after having to work on the spigot.

 

[neverfadeaway86]

this kit was my first brew, I brewed it back in January. The beer came out tasting better than miller lite IMO and I waited 2 weeks before bottling, and waited till the plastic bottles were firm and had no give before drinking. I'd say they went between 9-14 days before the bottles were carbed up. I was happy with this as my first brew and it tasted better than a regular BMC light style beer.

 

[CoSkillet]

I bottled today after 12 days in fermentor. I got 9 of the 740ml pet bottles that came with the kit. Per instructions I used two carb drops per bottle. Looking forward to trying the 1st bottle in about 14 days.

 

[CoSkillet]

Cracked open the first bottle tonight. Used two carb drops per instructions and it's a little over carbonated. Beer is clear and see through. Taste like a domestic. Goes down smooth.