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Bottling with covid

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Falstaff

A Bad Influence
Joined
Jul 14, 2021
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I may have been exposed to COVID and I'm waiting for a test.

Because of this I have a few unexpected days off from work, and want to use that time to bottle a beer I've been putting off.

If I am sick, does anyone have any idea if my bottles would be little COVID bombs? Could I get someone sick if I gave them away?
 
Not worth the risk to me. I put off two rackings for Covid last November. I ended up in ICU for 33 days, and Rehab for 22 more. Finally had my wife do the rack while I gave directions from my bed in rehab. I just couldn't imagine telling someone, "sorry about being sick, but it was a convenient time for me."
 
I had Covid back in August for 3+ weeks. Did not brew, bottle, keg, rack, etc. during that time. Took no chances. Even had to dump a batch that was in secondary when I got the beast.

And hey, I'm guessing you know the "CDC may be a better source of .... blah, blah, blah"
Not sure why people have to be condescending sheriffs on here.

Get well soon and then take over the world with your beer!
 
Last edited by a moderator:
I may have been exposed to COVID and I'm waiting for a test.

Because of this I have a few unexpected days off from work, and want to use that time to bottle a beer I've been putting off.

If I am sick, does anyone have any idea if my bottles would be little COVID bombs? Could I get someone sick if I gave them away?
Viruses don't live on surfaces indefinitely (ranges from hours to days). if you want to be conservative, wait a couple weeks before sharing.
 
FDA has guidance on handling food and transmission of covid. They say there is little risk of transmission via food products or packaging. I don't know how good of a comparison that is for food vs. beer.

But even if bottling while sick is safe, the optics might not be so good. Offering someone a beer that you bottled while ill might not impress them. OTOH, you could drink it all yourself, which would make it a moot point.
 
I’d say there is a 0% chance that someone will get Covid from a bottled beer. Especially if it quietly carbonates for two weeks after being “exposed”, and is not touched by an infected person during that time. The virus will not survive on an exposed surface for that long, and an alcoholic beverage is certainly not the Petri dish medium in which a virus culture will thrive.

I’m just a dude on social media, which is where most people seem to get their advice on Covid, so you can take my word as the absolute truth. Just because.
 
Getting tested later. Hopefully it's negative in time to bottle but not negative in time to go to work 😜

It's an experimental batch with dark Munich as a base. It's kveik so it should carb enough by next weekend.
 
I would go ahead and bottle it or keg it. If you are positive on the test, drink that batch yourself. You will need beer for recuperating.
 
COVID is thought to be viable on nonporous surfaces for up to 3 days, and your stomach acids would kill the virus If ingested. If one bottled and did contaminate the bottles with the virus, it would be long inactive once the beer was carbed. Do check the latest CDC findings.
 
No, you won't be passing on a virus. Heck after capping, wipe them down if you really think it is necessary.
 
COVID is thought to be viable on nonporous surfaces for up to 3 days, and your stomach acids would kill the virus If ingested. If one bottled and did contaminate the bottles with the virus, it would be long inactive once the beer was carbed. Do check the latest CDC findings.

A moderately scientific answer! Thank you!
 
Not sure why people have to be condescending sheriffs on here.
What’s condescending about it?? Some have had enough of unqualified people giving advice as fact. Off topic forums or random websites aren’t the place for advice regarding a life altering or life ending virus.
 
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