Infection - Dangerous or just bad taste

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Yunus

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So I brewed a big beer and used a big starter and an airlock. That was a mistake, the entire lid blew off my fermenting bucket and made a sound that scared the heck out of my wife and myself. It spewed wort all over the inside of the keezer I use to ferment in. So I sat the lid back on but didn't completely reseal it because the o-ring on the lid was not functional anymore, it broke in half.

So I am stupid and don't bother to clean the keezer. I come back a week later and to no one's surprise, mold is everywhere. So I take a look at the wort and its got white spots all over the top of it but they are small. So I did what Revvy always suggests and I tossed the wort... No just kidding I decided to put it in a keg for secondary because while I think its an infection I'm not 100% sure and I'm not throwing out my beer.

So its a maybe infection but I'm wondering is an infection potentially unsafe to drink as in could cause health concerns or is it just going to taste bad beyond words?
 
nibiyabi said:
Anything that can survive in beer cannot harm you. The worst case scenario is that it will taste really bad.
Click to expand...

What he said plus, it's probably mold. If os then you can just scoop it off the beer with a sanitized sppon.

Some beers are intentionly infected. Think Lambics or Guiness. (Though in Guiness's case they just add lactic acid to it now. Not like the old days where the blended in an intentionally infected batch).
 
well I would have thought yeast clumps except that there was mold on the fermenting bucket as well as on the top of the fermenting bucket but I didn't see it grow down on where the fallen krausen was stuck on the inside of the bucket above the beer.

Guess I'll just wait a week or so and give it a try. I did purge with co2 so hopefully if there is anything bad it there it won't have o2 to grow and its a big beer that did ferment out so the alcohol 6.5-7% should help kill any baddies in the beer.
 
nibiyabi said:
Anything that can survive in beer cannot harm you. The worst case scenario is that it will taste really bad.
Click to expand...

Not 100% true, as salmonella can live in beer.

Then again, unless the OP's fermentation chest was made of raw chicken, I'd say the odds of getting a salmonella infection are slim to none. I just wanted to clarify. :p
 
llazy_llama said:
Not 100% true, as salmonella can live in beer.

Then again, unless the OP's fermentation chest was made of raw chicken, I'd say the odds of getting a salmonella infection are slim to none. I just wanted to clarify. :p
Click to expand...

Where did you hear that. It was my understanding that nothing harmful can survive in beer.

And since there were old recipes with raw chicken in the beer... I have to wonder.
 
there were old recipes with raw chicken in the beer... I have to wonder.[/QUOTE]

what were the old recipes I wana make one;):drunk:
 
Funkmasterchilly said:
there were old recipes with raw chicken in the beer... I have to wonder.
Click to expand...

what were the old recipes I wana make one;):drunk:[/QUOTE]

I believe Charlie Papisan had an Old Cock Ale recipe in one of his ealry books. But now that I think about it.. I think they boiled it before they crushed it in a stone moter and threw in in the brew. (I feel ill now).

EDIT: see http://www.kaiserpenguin.com/ye-olde-cock-ale/

Anyway.. As far as I know. NO KNOWN PATHOGENS CAN SURVIVE IN BEER. (Since EviltoJ hasn't chimed in yet, I'd thought I'd yell that for him.) :D
 
Taken from http://cfnap.umd.edu/files/BeerExecutiveSummary.pdf

Beer Overview: History/Manufacture/Composition/Bases for Health Effects
Speaker: Dr. Charlie Bamforth
Department Chair, Food Science and Technology
University of California—Davis

Dr. Bamforth traced the history of beer, noting that it has been consumed for over 6,000
years and remains a staple part of the diet in many cultures. He described the four
phases of beer production—malting, brewing, fermenting, and finishing. Many of the
ingredients in beer—including hops, barley, and yeast—have the potential to provide
beneficial nutrients, such as soluble fiber (β-glucans and arabinoxylans), antioxidants
(phenolics and ferulic acid), and dextrins (slow-release carbohydrates). Beer contains
few additives and no pathogens. Beer has a nutrient profile similar to that of white
bread. It is a significant source of B vitamins (except B1); provides calcium, magnesium,
and phosphorus; and has a favorable potassium to sodium ratio. Dr. Bamforth stated
that beer is wrongly perceived as unhealthy in comparison to wine, an issue that could
be corrected by responsibly promoting beer as a healthful, sophisticated beverage that
should be consumed in moderation.
Click to expand...
 
Okay, I spent the last 15 minutes trying to research where I heard that salmonella could grow in beer. I can't find or remember where I heard that. This may be because I'm quite drunk at the moment, or because I just made it up in my head. Either way, I retract that previous statement until I can dig up some evidence.
 
EvilTOJ said:
Maybe you were thinking your neighbors Sam and Ella made beer, and you were drunk at the time.
Click to expand...

I don't know anything abotu my neighbors, except that the poor folks out my back window live exactly 100 yards away (I boresight my .308 on their back door). When I get up in the morning, assuming I remember, I'll find that book/article/podcast and prove that I'm not losing my mind! Maybe. Probably. Maybe.
 
llazy_llama said:
I don't know anything abotu my neighbors, except that the poor folks out my back window live exactly 100 yards away (I boresight my .308 on their back door). When I get up in the morning, assuming I remember, I'll find that book/article/podcast and prove that I'm not losing my mind! Maybe. Probably. Maybe.
Click to expand...

"Losing"?? We all know you lost it a looooooooooooong time ago.:drunk:

By the way, what do your neighbors think of you pointing that 308 at there door? :eek:
 
Denny's Evil Concoctions said:
By the way, what do your neighbors think of you pointing that 308 at there door? :eek:
Click to expand...

If they knew, they'd already be pink stains on the tile by now.

Disclaimer: I don't really point firearms where they don't belong. I'm overly safe when it comes to firearms, to the point that after I've had 1 drink, I won't touch a gun.

I'm just recovering from a serious gun buzz today. I put enough rounds down range to dislocate most people's shoulders. :drunk:
 
FACT: There are no known pathogens that can survive in beer, infecting you.
It may taste like pure **** water, but it connot hurt you... barring trips to the bathroom to evacuate via mouth, penis/******, or anus, this ONLY caused by taste and amount consumed. Infected beer can be consumed entirely. Ever had some of the Belgian/French farmhouse ales? The consumption of infected beer has been going on for a very long time. It's required in these styles. So, in conclusion, to answer your worries, drink it if you can stomach it... You'll live.
 
llazy_llama said:
If they knew, they'd already be pink stains on the tile by now.

Disclaimer: I don't really point firearms where they don't belong. I'm overly safe when it comes to firearms, to the point that after I've had 1 drink, I won't touch a gun.

I'm just recovering from a serious gun buzz today. I put enough rounds down range to dislocate most people's shoulders. :drunk:
Click to expand...

That's what I miss the most about the reserves. FREE AMMO!!! Almost made up for the MSG laden rations we had back then.

Canada and it's stupid god damn ****ing bull**** long gun registry. I just wouldn't do it. So officially I don't own a gun. <looks both ways>
 
Denny's Evil Concoctions said:
Taken from http://cfnap.umd.edu/files/BeerExecutiveSummary.pdf
Beer Overview: History/Manufacture/Composition/Bases for Health Effects
Speaker: Dr. Charlie Bamforth
Department Chair, Food Science and Technology
University of California—Davis

Dr. Bamforth traced the history of beer, noting that it has been consumed for over 6,000
years and remains a staple part of the diet in many cultures. He described the four
phases of beer production—malting, brewing, fermenting, and finishing. Many of the
ingredients in beer—including hops, barley, and yeast—have the potential to provide
beneficial nutrients, such as soluble fiber (&#946;-glucans and arabinoxylans), antioxidants
(phenolics and ferulic acid), and dextrins (slow-release carbohydrates). Beer contains
few additives and no pathogens. Beer has a nutrient profile similar to that of white
bread. It is a significant source of B vitamins (except B1); provides calcium, magnesium,
and phosphorus; and has a favorable potassium to sodium ratio. Dr. Bamforth stated
that beer is wrongly perceived as unhealthy in comparison to wine, an issue that could
be corrected by responsibly promoting beer as a healthful, sophisticated beverage that
should be consumed in moderation.
Click to expand...
Click to expand...

Debunked! 4 phases, and not one of them was Sanitation! ;)
 
10 gallons ale
1 large old cock
unspecified spices

Take 10 gallons ale, a large cock (the older the better). Slay, caw and gut him and stamp him in a stone mortar. Add spice and put all into a canvas bag. Lower him into the ale while still fermenting. Finish fermenting then bottle. (Looking at the spices from another cock ale recipe, it looks like Mace Blades, cloves and some raisins)

From the book A Sip Through Time A collection of old brewing recipes by Cindy Refrow.

Yup, the cock needs to stay raw in this one... I guess after he is done making the ladies happy and you really don't want to eat him because he is too tough, he goes into the ale. That is an appetizing thought at 7:30 am Pacific time...
 
Hi,
I am a medical microbiologist by trade. I read that post by llama and I don't read it as pathogens can not live in any of the stages of brewing. I read that the production of beer has many beneficial biproducts of the reactions none of which is a pathogen to humans. There are however many of these biproducts that act as inhibitors to bacterial growth such as ethanol and phenolics. I wouldn't say you can't grow a pathogen in beer but just like anything in life chances are that it is pretty unlikely and that is why we sanitize.
 
STB said:
Hi,
I am a medical microbiologist by trade. I read that post by llama and I don't read it as pathogens can not live in any of the stages of brewing. I read that the production of beer has many beneficial biproducts of the reactions none of which is a pathogen to humans. There are however many of these biproducts that act as inhibitors to bacterial growth such as ethanol and phenolics. I wouldn't say you can't grow a pathogen in beer but just like anything in life chances are that it is pretty unlikely and that is why we sanitize.
Click to expand...

I was just about to say something like this. I don't see how you can jump from "beer does not [normally] contain pathogens" to "beer cannot contain pathogens".
 
Denny's Evil Concoctions said:
Where did you hear that. It was my understanding that nothing harmful can survive in beer.

And since there were old recipes with raw chicken in the beer... I have to wonder.
Click to expand...

I just read that in Papazian as well this morning on the john. It didn't mention anything about heating the cock (thank god!) and I though it sounded pretty gross.
 
Yeah, I could have sworn someone mentioned salmonella in passing on one of the Brewing Network podcasts. I couldn't dig it up though, so consider my statement retracted.

Also, as DEC mentioned, I was pretty plastered last night. :drunk:
 
STB said:
Hi,
I am a medical microbiologist by trade. I read that post by llama and I don't read it as pathogens can not live in any of the stages of brewing. I read that the production of beer has many beneficial biproducts of the reactions none of which is a pathogen to humans. There are however many of these biproducts that act as inhibitors to bacterial growth such as ethanol and phenolics. I wouldn't say you can't grow a pathogen in beer but just like anything in life chances are that it is pretty unlikely and that is why we sanitize.
Click to expand...

The standard belief is that "no known pathogens can survive in beer".

To date I have not seen anything to contradict that.

I think the CDC basically stated something along those lines after that stupid beer pong spreading herpies hoax that fox news ran so hard with.

Can you enlighten us on the subject?
 
Denny's Evil Concoctions said:
The standard belief is that "no known pathogens can survive in beer".

To date I have not seen anything to contradict that.

I think the CDC basically stated something along those lines after that stupid beer pong spreading herpies hoax that fox news ran so hard with.

Can you enlighten us on the subject?
Click to expand...

I'm pretty sure I got mono from beer pong.
 

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