N00b: Don't know a bung hole from ...well, you know...

[bodhisoma]

Hi all! I'm very new to brewing. Not even much of a drinker, I just like hard ciders/lemonades/etc and dislike buying them. So there's that.

Made my first batch of anything on March 30th. Sanitized everything that'd touch the liquid beforehand. Five gallons of frozen, almost certainly pasteurized, no-preservative apple juice in a food-grade bucket with a spigot. Added perhaps a pound of honey, SG of 1.050. Gave the champagne yeast a little water and something to munch on much like I might with bread, added the slurry to the pail, gave the lid a solid mallet, added the airlock and let it sit for a bit.

After a few days of bubbling away I got curious about the safety of drawing a sip off the spigot, found a few threads saying it'd be OK, did so (tasted pretty good so far) but then, of course, I continued reading and only then saw warnings about introducing contaminants.

So what say ye? Have I, as they say, done unspeakable, unnatural things to the pooch? If the answer is "likely not," should I simply count my (likely) blessings and just not do it again? Or is the threat nominal and I should partake as liberally as I wish?

Thanks much in advance for the replies.

 

[k1ngl1ves]

Get a wine thief, and stop touching stuff with your mouth.

You'll probably be ok though...

 

[masonsjax]

I don't see a problem with pulling a sample from the spigot. I wouldn't put my mouth right on it or anything, although you'd probably be fine in that case too. Infections aren't as easy to get as they seem.

 

[jrgtr42]

I would say likely not introducing anything - but don't do it again.
If you insist on using the spigot, hold a glass underneath it.
Best bet, don't drink too much before it's all finished fermenting, aging, and carbonating if you go for that.

 

[akillys]

I always pull from the spigot. I feel it helps me understand the process and what the beer/cider taste like at each stage. I don't drink a ton of it though, just small samples that I use for gravity readings. I wash and sanitize the spigot before and after though, just to be on the safe side. I haven't had a problem with it yet.

 

[bodhisoma]

I didn't put my lips on the tap you bloody heathens! "Sip" noun, not verb!

I think I'm going to throw caution out the door, take a sample every few days by just opening the valve a crack to give bacteria the most nominal of opportunities.

How long in to this process can I be fairly certain that the bacteria can't get a foothold thanks to the alcohol content?

Thanks again!

 

[Trox]

This is probably going be one of the toughest things for you to do, but I would hide the fermentor in a dark corner and forget it even exists. For a beer I would say for 10-14 days minimum, but sounds like your making a cider so don't know how long that might need. A few forums down there is one that is dedicated to making ciders so you could probably find the answer there.

While it can be pretty tough to get an infection, the more you play with the brew the more chances one will have to get a foothold.


Edit: The hardest and most important thing a home brewer has to learn is patience.

 

[jro238]

The issue with the spigot is not so much that opening it will let nasties crawl up inside the bucket but that it can be difficult to sanitize well and is another point of oxygen entry (even closed).