What can happen if equipment or bottles are not completely
sanitized? What is the worst that can happen? I haven't
started brewing yet, just reading up before I invest in
equipment so I have an idea about the time and effort it
will take.

--
Dan

Dan Logcher wrote:[color=blue]
>
> What can happen if equipment or bottles are not completely
> sanitized? What is the worst that can happen? I haven't
> started brewing yet, just reading up before I invest in
> equipment so I have an idea about the time and effort it
> will take.[/color]

The worst that can happen is that you'll make a bad tasting batch of
beer that you'll dump out. There's no chance of sickeness or worse.
Keep in mind that althogh the brewing texts warn about infection over
and over, it's really not that common. I've made 225 batches of beer
and 2 of them have gotten contaminated.

-------->Denny

--
Life begins at 60 - 1.060, that is.

Reply to denny_at_projectoneaudio_dot_com

Denny Conn wrote:[color=blue]
> Dan Logcher wrote:
>[color=green]
>>What can happen if equipment or bottles are not completely
>>sanitized? What is the worst that can happen? I haven't
>>started brewing yet, just reading up before I invest in
>>equipment so I have an idea about the time and effort it
>>will take.[/color]
>
>
> The worst that can happen is that you'll make a bad tasting batch of
> beer that you'll dump out. There's no chance of sickeness or worse.
> Keep in mind that althogh the brewing texts warn about infection over
> and over, it's really not that common. I've made 225 batches of beer
> and 2 of them have gotten contaminated.[/color]

That's what I wanted to know.. I don't intend on contaminating, but what
if I did. Now the question is, will I know if it was contamination or
bad brewing?

--
Dan

On Thu, 31 Mar 2005 14:09:19 -0500, Dan Logcher
<dlogcher*xspam*@comcast.net> wrote:
[color=blue]
>Denny Conn wrote:[color=green]
>> Dan Logcher wrote:
>>[color=darkred]
>>>What can happen if equipment or bottles are not completely
>>>sanitized? What is the worst that can happen? I haven't
>>>started brewing yet, just reading up before I invest in
>>>equipment so I have an idea about the time and effort it
>>>will take.[/color]
>>
>>
>> The worst that can happen is that you'll make a bad tasting batch of
>> beer that you'll dump out. There's no chance of sickeness or worse.
>> Keep in mind that althogh the brewing texts warn about infection over
>> and over, it's really not that common. I've made 225 batches of beer
>> and 2 of them have gotten contaminated.[/color]
>
>That's what I wanted to know.. I don't intend on contaminating, but what
>if I did. Now the question is, will I know if it was contamination or
>bad brewing?[/color]

Most of the things that can go wrong all have specific symptoms, so
there's a good chance of troubleshooting to a specific cause.

A lot gets written about contamination but it is rare enough. I had
two batches that were suspect, both were a little sour ("cidery").
Both were drinkable. One batch happened when my blow off tube plugged
with hops and blew off the carboy. My sweatshirt insulators smelled
like vinegar (they were soaked with wort) but the batch wasn't too
bad. The fermenter was open to the room with no airlock for ~12
hours.

It takes a modicum or attention to detail. Sanitize the equipment
well, clean the area where you brew, and you are unlikely to have a
problem.

Be good to your yeast - give the yeast every chance to start working
before some infection has a chance to start.

default wrote:
[color=blue]
> On Thu, 31 Mar 2005 14:09:19 -0500, Dan Logcher
> <dlogcher*xspam*@comcast.net> wrote:
>
>[color=green]
>>Denny Conn wrote:
>>[color=darkred]
>>>Dan Logcher wrote:
>>>
>>>
>>>>What can happen if equipment or bottles are not completely
>>>>sanitized? What is the worst that can happen? I haven't
>>>>started brewing yet, just reading up before I invest in
>>>>equipment so I have an idea about the time and effort it
>>>>will take.
>>>
>>>
>>>The worst that can happen is that you'll make a bad tasting batch of
>>>beer that you'll dump out. There's no chance of sickeness or worse.
>>>Keep in mind that althogh the brewing texts warn about infection over
>>>and over, it's really not that common. I've made 225 batches of beer
>>>and 2 of them have gotten contaminated.[/color]
>>
>>That's what I wanted to know.. I don't intend on contaminating, but what
>>if I did. Now the question is, will I know if it was contamination or
>>bad brewing?[/color]
>
>
> Most of the things that can go wrong all have specific symptoms, so
> there's a good chance of troubleshooting to a specific cause.[/color]

Good to know. I'll be sure to take notes so I can help troubleshoot
the batch.
[color=blue]
> A lot gets written about contamination but it is rare enough. I had
> two batches that were suspect, both were a little sour ("cidery").
> Both were drinkable. One batch happened when my blow off tube plugged
> with hops and blew off the carboy. My sweatshirt insulators smelled
> like vinegar (they were soaked with wort) but the batch wasn't too
> bad. The fermenter was open to the room with no airlock for ~12
> hours.[/color]

So the carboy can pull a Vesuvius and blast wort all over? Do they
crack open from the pressure? Do poeple build any sort of insulated
boxes to go over the carboy that could be temp controlled?

--
Dan

Dan Logcher <dlogcher*xspam*@comcast.net> wrote in news:424cb000$0$571
$b45e6eb0@senator-bedfellow.mit.edu:
[color=blue]
> So the carboy can pull a Vesuvius and blast wort all over?[/color]

Not likeley. The previous poster had a clogged airlock, so enough
pressure built up to pop the bung, but I doubt it blew wort all over the
place.
[color=blue]
> Do they
> crack open from the pressure?[/color]

Also unlikely with a good airlock.
[color=blue]
> Do poeple build any sort of insulated
> boxes to go over the carboy that could be temp controlled?[/color]

Not that I've seen in my brief brewing experince. Now for lagers, which
require a cool fermenting temp, I've heard of refrigerators being used.

Cheers,

Tom

On Thu, 31 Mar 2005 21:20:50 -0500, Dan Logcher
<dlogcher*xspam*@comcast.net> wrote:

snip[color=blue]
>
>So the carboy can pull a Vesuvius and blast wort all over? Do they
>crack open from the pressure? Do poeple build any sort of insulated
>boxes to go over the carboy that could be temp controlled?[/color]

If the stopper is jammed in, it is conceivable it could burst. I've
blown the stopper out three times in ~300 batches and caught a plugged
outlet a few times before it blew. One time it was jammed in tight
and it did blow some hop particles to the ceiling. Hops getting in
the tube were the cause in all cases. Straining the wort into the
'boy is a way to eliminate the problem.

I throw two sweat shirts over my fermenters and have a thermocouple
and controller on one fermenter. Drugstore heating pads are under the
carboys with a styrofoam insulator between them and the counter-top.
A common supply voltage goes from the controller to the carboys - and
I tweak in the temperature with the three power settings on each pad.
Fermentation generates heat so I keep the ones that are still
fermenting switched off until they start to cool.

It is already too late in the season for me . . . no heating necessary
70's F during the day and 50's at night.

Carboys are one of the way chemical labs and chemical manufacturing
plants ship strong acids. There are molded styrofoam shipping packs
that are designed to protect them (top and bottom halves, designed to
take a couple of steel/plastic bands to hold them together). Those
things make very good insulators, but they are hard to find (harder to
find in good condition) and bulky.