Beer safety?

[kabrew]

Hey, i am brand new at home brewing and want to know if beer is brewed incorrectly, can it actually make you sick?

thanks!

 

[Revvy]

If there was stuff that could live in beer and kill you, the human race would have died out a hell of a long time ago! If something toxic could come from our homebrewing, it wouldn't be a legal hobby!


I came across this from a pretty well known and award winning homebrewer railing against a fellow brewer (it was on one of those "color coded" brewboards where they are a little less friendly than we are.) I just cut and pasted it and stuck it in a file...here it is.

Can you get a PATHOGEN from beer. No. NO *NO* Did I make that clear? You have a ZERO chance of pathogens in beer, wine, distilled beverages. PERIOD!

Pathogens are described as organisms that are harmful and potentially life threatening to humans. These are some 1400+ known species overall encompasing viruses, bacteria, fungi, protozoa, and helminths. Of that group, we are only interested in those that can be foodborne. Quite simply, if it can't survive in food, it isn't in beer. That knocks out all but bacteria and fungi. Viruses need very specific circumstances to be passed around... like on the lip of a glass or bottle, not the beer in it. **Ahhh...CHOOO!**

Pathogens as a rule are very fastidious beasts. Meaning that they want very specific temperatures, acidity, nutrients and other conditions to thrive.

Bacteria that *could* live in wort, cannot survive even a little bit of fermentation. There are several reasons for this. One is in the 'magic' of hops. It is the isomerized alpha acids that provide a preservative effect to the beer, which happens to inhibit pathogens! Good deal for fresh wort!

Another reason is the drop in pH from fermentation. Next, yeast emit their own enzymes and byproducts, all in an effort to make the environment hostile to other creatures. The major one is alcohol, of course, but their enzymes will break down less vigorous organisms and they become sources of trace nutrition. Now the latter is very minor compared to the effect of alcohol, but it exists! Most of the time these enzymes work on the wort, not organisms until late in the process. Good deal for beer! ...uh, wine too.

Oh, Botulism specifically... did you know that this is an anaerobic pathogen? It's toxin is one of the few that is broken down by boiling. Did you know tht it is strongly inhibited by isomerized alpha acids, even in water? Since fresh wort has a healthy amount of oxygen in it, the beastie cannot even get started, then once the O2 is used up, it doesn't have a chance against the hops or the yeast.

All that is left are a handful of acid producing bacteria that'll ruin a batch of beer. Overall, there are less than 200 organisms that can survive in beer and lend flavor effects. None of these for very long, or very often. Lambic being the sole exception, and if pathogens *could* survive, that'd be the style where you find 'em.

 

[cimirie]

Insofar as Bud, Coors, and Miller taste like crap and sicken my taste buds - yes. Otherwise, the rumors about botchillism and the like are hogwash. If you brew beer badly all you have is bad beer.

 

[SmugMug]

Only if you're allergic to the ingredients. Otherwise I'd be dead over 40 times. It may turn out to be a full frontal assault on the senses, but you'll be alright.

 

[beerkrump]

My wife drank four pints of my DIPA and didn't feel too well the next morning...

 

[SmugMug]

My wife drank four pints of my DIPA and didn't feel too well the next morning...

That reminds me...keep the yeast for your weizens but that doesn't mean drink everything that's in the bottom of the bottles. Recipe for a gastrointestinal disaster. The more you know

 

[kabrew]

appreciate the input folks! i'm a restaurant guy and spend a lot of time and energy making sure our food is safe, so i just wanted to make sure i could still quaff my mistakes. (does anyone still say quaff?) :cross:

thank you!

 

[SmugMug]

appreciate the input folks! i'm a restaurant guy and spend a lot of time and energy making sure our food is safe, so i just wanted to make sure i could still quaff my mistakes. (does anyone still say quaff?) :cross:

thank you!

You just did.

 

[IrregularPulse]

You just did.

Yeah but he only has 3 posts, I don't think he's a somebody yet I kid I kid.

 

[SmugMug]

Yeah but he only has 3 posts, I don't think he's a somebody yet I kid I kid.

Just because you're a thread-whore doesn't mean you're someone.
I keed I keed.

 

[Arkador]

I brewed a batch perfectly and I was sick as a dog the next day......







Probably because it was 8%ABV and I drank about 6 pints of it in one sitting..........

 

[menschmaschine]

appreciate the input folks! i'm a restaurant guy and spend a lot of time and energy making sure our food is safe, so i just wanted to make sure i could still quaff my mistakes. (does anyone still say quaff?) :cross:

thank you!

I was once your enemy (former health inspector).

In general, beer falls into the category of non-potentially hazardous food because of it's low pH (below 4.6) and therefore does not support the growth of pathogenic organisms.

Kudos to you for genuinely caring about food safety in your restaurant.