Infection possibility????

I finally used washed yeast for the first time and was excited about this. Now I'm worried that the batch could be ruined.

After cooling the wort with my chiller, I poured the wort into the primary to get an OG reading and then pitch the yeast. I was looking for my turkey baster so I could sanitize it and get the sample for the OG. While I'm looking for the baster, my brewing buddy (first time brewing) decided to take the hydrometer tube which was sanitized and put it in the primary with his unsanitized fingers/hand and get a sample.

I almost died. He thought he was going to be smart and get the sample before I got back with the baster.

My question: How high of a chance do I have that I will get an infection from this ordeal?

 

Very little chance. That's how I take my readings before pitching yeast. Haven't had a batch go bad yet.

 

Things to know about brewing:

1. Your first batch is always "infected".

 

People have put arms, fingers, hands, measuring tapes... probably even legs and hot dogs into their wort without infection. I even took a sip from a sanitized spoon and forgot to re-sanitize before taking another sip! Blasphemy! We won't tell any others drinking my beer that I double dipped...

I'm sure you'll be fine.

 

I dont get this statement?

 

new brewers are always worried about infection?

 

Since I have been on this forum I have seen AT LEAST 100 new brewers voicing concern about their new beer, and not one single time was there an actual problem. I have personally had dried flaky stout that was stuck to the top of the fermenter lid fall into the sauce, and there was no consequences. Not to mention any myriad of other things...

 

While it's a possiblity to infect your beer......it's pretty damn hard to do so.

 

Here's a collection of stories about folks dropping WAY worse stuff into the beer and having no problems.

http://www.homebrewtalk.com/f39/wha...where-your-beer-still-turned-out-great-96780/

 

It's good to hear all this. Even though I've read the many things that have gone onto the wort, It's nice to know that it really isn't that easy to infect your beer if you try your best not to.

Thanks.