Ways to see contamination before bottling/kegging?

[Hunter]

My first batches of brew are happily bubbling away in their fermentors, but, as any new brewer would feel...I'm a bit paranoid about contamination.

Is there a way to see if I've messed things up by not beeing sanitary enough prior to putting the beer into the carboy?

 

[david_42]

Taste and smell are the two primary tests. There are a few problems, like "ropy", that are visible, but if it smells ok & tastes ok, it's good to go. If it smells bad and tastes bad, it's either bad or a green Belgian.

 

[D*Bo]

Just because it tastes a bit odd does not mean it's bad.
It may just require more time. Post up how it tastes as well as your recipe & proceedure. It usually just needs more time.. Frequently a bad tasting beer is just young, and after a couple months in the bottle it will taste just fine.

The brewing process is a bit forgiving. Altho sanitation is one of the most important aspects of brewing as long as you are concious of your sanitation process, you should be OK.

If you are using plastic primaries (I do) just be aware of scratches, they can harbor trub and bacteria.