Did I inoculate my fermentation bucket with wild yeast/bacteria?

[ateurtrk79]

About two weeks ago I brewed my first all-grain beer. It was kind of cold out outside where my burner and keggle were, so I decided to mash in the kitchen, collect the wort, and then bring it outside for the boil. Not thinking, I grabbed a extra fermenting bucket I had, to collect the wort in. Just today, I got thinking that, by using the bucket like that, I may have unintentionally inoculated it with the bacteria from the grain. Also, I used a silicone hose to transfer the wort from the mash tun to the bucket, and then later, after soaking in star-san, used it to transfer the cooled wort to my fermenter. I haven't opened the fermenter yet to look at the beer, but I'm planning to bottle it Monday. Is there any chance for infection to my bucket, or my beer in my other bucket?

 

[ScottG58]

You boiled after using the grain bucket, right? I would think you will be okay. I suspect that wort has some bacteria in it pre- boil anyway. The Internet tells me that 63% of some strains of lactobacillus die off at about 145 f. I have not tested this but the Internet does not lie. My point is that if you used the grain bucket on pre-boil, you likely killed the nasties in the boil. On the tubing question, I trust Starsan.

 

[ateurtrk79]

I actually used a fermenting bucket pre boil. Will that bucket be safe to ferment in later?

 

[QuercusMax]

You're going to clean/sanitize it before you ferment in it, right? You should have no problem.

 

[Pappers_]

I actually used a fermenting bucket pre boil. Will that bucket be safe to ferment in later?

If you clean and sanitize it, yes.

 

[stpug]

Like the others have said, you're process was good and sanitary. I wouldn't be concerned at all. You could probably collect your runnings in a wheelbarrow prior to boiling if you'd like

...not say I have but have thought about a stainless wheelbarrow for use as a coolship

 

[ScottG58]

I have an irrational fear of using the grain bucket as a fermenter again after smelling the funk in my mash tun when I left spent grist in there for a couple of days. YMMV from my irrational phobias.

 

[Brewsit]

Like the others have said, you're process was good and sanitary. I wouldn't be concerned at all. You could probably collect your runnings in a wheelbarrow prior to boiling if you'd like

...not say I have but have thought about a stainless wheelbarrow for use as a coolship

Hell yea!

 

[Pappers_]

I have an irrational fear of using the grain bucket as a fermenter again after smelling the funk in my mash tun when I left spent grist in there for a couple of days. YMMV from my irrational phobias.

Its not irrational. I store, weigh and mill my grain the garage, nowhere near my fermentation equipment. Grain is full of wild yeast and grain dust in the air just adds the airborne yeasts we all worry about.

 

[QuercusMax]

Its not irrational. I store, weigh and mill my grain the garage, nowhere near my fermentation equipment. Grain is full of wild yeast and grain dust in the air just adds the airborne yeasts we all worry about.

But if you clean and sanitize your fermentors, what difference does it make? I brew in my kitchen which I'm sure is full of all sorts of stuff, and I don't freak out because I take precautions.

 

[Pappers_]

But if you clean and sanitize your fermentors, what difference does it make? I brew in my kitchen which I'm sure is full of all sorts of stuff, and I don't freak out because I take precautions.

Yes, I wouldn't worry about the fermenter itself (as in the OPs question), if you clean and sanitize it.

But the post above was in response to someone else raising a different issue, unless I misread it. You are absolutely correct that there are wild yeast everywhere, including our skin, which is why we sanitize. But, grain dust just makes it much worse. When grain dust gets in the air, its everywhere. So, I keep my bulk stored grains, measuring and milling in a different area than where I ferment and store my equipment.

This is from BYO http://byo.com/stories/issue/item/29-20-facts-you-should-know-about-brewing

7. Milling grain can contaminate the brewing area.
Grain is a food source. As such it is literally covered with different types of bacteria, with Lactobacillus being the most common. In the brewing process this bacteria usually does not present a problem thanks to the high temperatures used in the mashing and boiling stages. If allowed to come into contact with cooled wort, Lactobacillus produces lactic acid in the finished beer. This creates sour, unpleasant off-flavors. Milling grain usually creates a lot of dust, which in addition to being an irritant and nuisance also releases an airborne invasion of Lactobacillus into the surrounding environment. Most successful breweries move pre-mash grain processing as far away from the brewing and fermentation areas as possible, and homebrewers should do likewise. If you pre-mill your grain and need to transport it home, do so in a bag or old, unused pail, not a fermentation bucket.