Figured you guys could laugh at my expense

[Dougan]

So for the past couple weeks I've been missing the top to a 3 piece airlock. I've been using a rubber band in place of the top, but have been curious where the top went, because it's not like I store them separately or have any other reason towards why it got lost.

Also, on a sidenote, I've been very proud of my sanitation lately. Cooling times are quicker, been making better starters, and I've paid a lot more attention to boiling/sanitizing things before they touch the wort...

Well, just went to bottle my belgian wit. Open up the ale pail and there the top of the airlock is, floating on top. Must not be as sanitation-conscious as I thought.

I had lost it when I was in the middle of a brew/bottle combination day and i know I sanitized it. Just a question of whether or not it got dirty after it was sanitized, or also if it got bleach flavoring in my beer.

I think it turned out alright because it tasted like flat wit ought to taste like and fermented out fully. Just figured I'd share so you could laugh at my expense... Literally the -last- place I would expect it to turn up... Maybe all that lore about drinking homebrew while home brewing being "lucky" isn't all it's cracked up to be...

 

[hopdawg]

Ha Ha! Good one. I am ten times more paranoid over sanitation than I was for my first few batches. Even then I didn't loss a batch to the bugs.

My second batch ever I bought an aquarium aerator. I had it sitting on the floor drawing air in off the floor where the dog lays. For 24 hours it sucked dirty air from that dirty carpet. As I type this message I'm enjoying the Pilsner aerated with doggy dander.
It's quite nice really.

 

[Dougan]

Ha Ha! Good one. I am ten times more paranoid over sanitation than I was for my first few batches. Even then I didn't loss a batch to the bugs.

My second batch ever I bought an aquarium aerator. I had it sitting on the floor drawing air in off the floor where the dog lays. For 24 hours it sucked dirty air from that dirty carpet. As I type this message I'm enjoying the Pilsner aerated with doggy dander.
It's quite nice really.

Maybe that's the 'mystery flavor' we've all been trying to find.

 

[conpewter]

Well once you get an infection it can take quite a while to get rid of it. I should have thrown out everything plastic to start with (tubing, auto-siphon, buckets) but didnt. I've finnally got this all cleared up, but I worry about my picnic taps and tubing, as well as the O-rings on the kegs. I think I'll just put it all in 180* water for an hour (replace whatever melts...)

 

[Slipgate]

I too have "lost" the top to the air lock on the bottom of a bucket. It blends in rather nicely as background noise into the white of the bucket. I'll bet it was in there all along and got sanitized with your bucket.