I came down with a cold, can I bottle?

[dgrabstein]

Past couple days I've been increasingly sniffly and sneezing. Now I have a headache and feel like my head's stuffed with marshmallows (not in a tasty way)

Anyways, is it safe for me to bottle my beer today? Its been in secondary for two weeks and i was really stoked to bottle it, but I don't want to contaminate any of the beer with my cold virus.

 

[petey_c]

Better to be safe than sorry. Another few days (hopefully) isn't going to hurt any.

 

[JJL]

Go ahead and bottle. Just sanitize your hands and equipment like normal and try not to sneeze in the beer. Or if you wipe your nose or mouth with your hands, wash them before continuing. Your cold isn't likely to hurt your beer. Supposedly no pathogens can live in beer. But, I wouldn't want to drink beer out of a bottle that you had sneezed on or wiped your cold germs on.

 

[Pilgarlic]

Bottle. Your beer isn't going to get a cold.

 

[broadbill]

cold virus can't live in beer. There isn't any harm in waiting though, bottling kinda sucks under optimal conditions, and doing it when you are sick isn't optimal.

 

[remilard]

Pathogens like cold virus can't grow or probably live in beer.

That said your mouth is full of lactic acid bacteria every day so you should always be careful when handling the beer.

 

[ChshreCat]

I'd wait, but just because I wouldn't want the hassle of a bottling session while I feel like crap. Your beer isn't going to catch the sniffles though.

 

[Revvy]

Do you plan on submerging your unsanitized hands in the beer? Do you plan of sneezing in your bottling bucket? If you are taking proper sanitary precautions anyway, AND being extra careful if you really felt the need to bottle you could. It won't really matter. But if you want to wait, to be sure then do so.

Read this https://www.homebrewtalk.com/f39/has-anyone-else-gotten-sick-home-brewing-210401/#post2460020 I quote something in there about what can and can't live in beer, and I think the persons mentions even the stuff of colds can't exist in beer. On the glass maybe (but if it's sanitized it shoulder either/)

I've brewed, pitched yeast, and bottle with colds and nothing's happened with the beers or folks drinking them.

 

[BigB]

I've brewed, pitched yeast, and bottle with colds and nothing's happened with the beers or folks drinking them.

Well then what happened to the old dude in your avatar then???