Did I just ruin the batch?

[Jbone1072]

I just finished brewing a NB Bavarian Hef extract kit. Did everything by the book and was extra careful as my last batch didn’t turn out. As I went to add the wort to the fermenter, a few droplets of water from the ice bath dropped into the fermentation bucket from the pot. What are the chances this causes an infection?

 

[Sammy86]

Slim...remember a lot of people use top up water to get to their desired volume.

RDWHAHB!

 

[Jbone1072]

Slim...remember a lot of people use top up water to get to their desired volume.

RDWHAHB!

Good deal, I figured that was the case but wanted to double check. Fingers crossed!

 

[jrgtr42]

Chances... not non-existent, but highly unlikely as long as you pitched enough yeast.
Inasmuch as you do need to keep things clean, a few drops aren't going to carry enough issues to contaminate 5 gallons with a good yeast pitch in there.

 

[davidabcd]

.00000000000008 percent and that's not anecdotal...it is actually but, as mentioned above, I've topped off with tap water as recently as two weeks ago. I've been doing that for years and nary a spoiled batch. That proper yeast usage, also as mentioned above, is muy importante.
I'd only start worrying if you dropped a rotting, dead rat in there.

 

[Dinadan]

I'd only start worrying if you dropped a rotting, dead rat in there.

Thank you so much for putting that thought into my mind! Now I need to go down to the garage and check my carboy ...

I use regular tap water to top off my batches. So far I always get beer, though I suppose that I have no way of knowing if it would be better if I did not use tap water.

 

[bracconiere]

I'd only start worrying if you dropped a rotting, dead rat in there.

is that what i've been doing wrong? i wasn't sure what else do with them.....lol

 

[VikeMan]

I'd only start worrying if you dropped a rotting, dead rat in there.

is that what i've been doing wrong? i wasn't sure what else do with them.....lol

Don't forget the ratase.

 

[davidabcd]

Thank you so much for putting that thought into my mind! Now I need to go down to the garage and check my carboy ...
I use regular tap water to top off my batches. So far I always get beer, though I suppose that I have no way of knowing if it would be better if I did not use tap water.

That was funny! To your point of "always get beer," the best advice for someone new, I think, is that it's pretty hard not to make beer that you can drink and be pleased with. People land where they land regarding what they want out of their product. There are some serious brewers on this forum that could easily mass-produce great beer if they wanted. Then there's someone like me who probably has a few flaws in their brew but it doesn't matter.
But speaking of unwanted additions, I have had to put a nylon stocking snugly over my airlock to keep out fruit flies. How they get through those tiny holes is amazing.

 

[bracconiere]

it'd be hard to forget, without the ratase, they don't go into solution!

 

[davidabcd]

is that what i've been doing wrong? i wasn't sure what else do with them.....lol

On a similar note, I cold-brew store-bought tea. On one batch of this, the taste was disgusting. I figured "dead animal parts"--that's how bad it was. Never had it happen again.

 

[jrgtr42]

I'd only start worrying if you dropped a rotting, dead rat in there.

is that what i've been doing wrong? i wasn't sure what else do with them.....lol

There is that urban legend about them cleaning out the tanks at Guinness for the first time in umpteen years, and finding hundreds of dead rats in there - then after clean, people started complaining, so they started using beef stock in there.

 

[jimyoung]

I used to believe tap water was clean enough. I'd top off with tap water and use tap water to get my siphon started. I don't do that now, but none of those beers were infected.