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[np1962]

I'm scared stiff about infections ... that's why I wear a rubber outfit and bathe in starsan before brewing.

Would certainly scare the **** out of me if I was a bacteria! :lol:

 

[Oatlands Brewer]

..............Dude WTF

 

[bignath]

Nath / Colonel, I wasn't having a go at your beers, but I don't think that missing an important step in the brewing process is going to teach others that are learning how to brew, good practice.

Whats wrong with sanitising the scissors? you've got the solution already floating around on brewday.. so why not? Why not sanitise everything that comes in contact with something you brew with? surely its a better practice than not.

I dont think people are scared of infections as such,
scared isnt the word when your brew is infected.
Wasted time? dissappointment? thining that maybe i should have sanitised my scissors when cutting open that smack pack?

At the end of the day - do what works for you, and congrats on not getting any infections.

OK - cool.

sorry if i took offence if it wasn't your intention..
For what it's worth, i completely agree with you. I have just been getting concerned lately, and it seems to me that there have been a few posts going on from new brewers that are very cautious about sanitation/sterilization issues, but not spending enough thought and time covering other basics of brewing beer.
I do completely agree that it is important (crucial) to have good processes which includes cleaning/sterilising your equipment, but have been concerned that some newb's haven't spent the same amount of effort on other areas which would also improve their results.
I guess what i'm trying to say, is that if some people spent less time "worrying" and more time slowing down and being carefull with all good processes of brewing, then they would make better beer. I hope this makes sense..

once again, sorry if i took offence

Nath

 

[bum]

I guess what i'm trying to say, is that if some people spent less time "worrying" and more time slowing down and being carefull with all good processes of brewing, then they would make better beer. I hope this makes sense..

Just revisiting an earlier post of yours in this light - how do you reconcile the above with your previous suggestion that sanitising scissors is a waste of time (and bordering on a mental health issue) when this idea comes from the yeast manufacturers themselves and is presented as the correct method (i.e. a "careful and good process")?

My feeling on the issue is that people who want to cut corners on "best possible practice" will do so with or without encouragement so the poo-pooing of cautious practices in this thread can only serve to embolden a corner cutter to new heights (depths) and they should be left to work out which corners they can live without for themselves.

 

[felten]

Maybe we could just start brewing without yeast, or use a divine rod of bubbling to get our beer to start fermenting.

 

[bignath]

Just revisiting an earlier post of yours in this light - how do you reconcile the above with your previous suggestion that sanitising scissors is a waste of time (and bordering on a mental health issue) when this idea comes from the yeast manufacturers themselves and is presented as the correct method (i.e. a "careful and good process")?

I guess i can't bum... I'll freely and honestly admit i didn't know it was "that" important as presented by the actual manufacture of the yeast to sanitise my scissors. I have never heard of anyone going to that level of protection/caution (whatever you want to call it). I guess i would have thought that there would have been much more of a chance picking up bacteria at any other stage than one quick snip with the scissors.
During the course of several hours of brew day activity, i pick up/put down/touch many things that have nothing to do with brewing (tv remote,plates, knives and forks from lunch blah blah blah) and i don't brew in rubber gloves or sanitise my hands after everything i touch...Just wondering where it all ends???

Having said that, i humbly respect you and the other more experienced brewers that have come before me and therefore stand corrected.

I'm off to have a beer....

 

[bum]

I'm not trying to pick an argument, Nath. Serious question that deserved a serious answer rather than empty mollification.

For what it is worth I suspect that the reason it is often advised that scissors be sanitary is because the edge of the cut is pretty much the only thing you can guarantee will come into contact with nearly every yeast cell pitched. This probably isn't such a secondary concern when you consider that maybe SWMBO cut the plastic from the thawed chicken with those scissors yesterday (right after whatever the nose-picking kids did with them). Wyeast even suggest sanitising the yeast package itself. Is the risk small? Possibly. Is the effort required small? Definitely. Up to each brewer to weigh up the pros and cons for themselves.

 

[bignath]

I'm not trying to pick an argument, Nath. Serious question that deserved a serious answer rather than empty mollification.

EMPTY mollification? Where was that???

I merely adimitted i am wrong, and you are right. I honestly told you that i respect you and all of the wiser brewers on this forum than me. If you can't tell the difference between sincerity and a smart arse it's not my fault.
my above post was 100% honest. I didn't know it was "good practise" to worry about sanitising the scissors before cutting yeast packet. I've admitted it several times in the last couple of posts now...

Was there "mollification"? Absolutely.

Was it empty? Absolutely not.

The question you raised was a serious one, one that i answered seriously too (or tried to). I am not out to piss any one off, or to be a smart arse. That will get everyone nowhere. I come to these forums to learn, which is exactly what i have done today.

I refuse to take this post off topic any further as i feel this **** is helping absolutely no-one.

 

[thylacine]

Re: "...I refuse to take this post off topic any further as i feel this **** is helping absolutely no-one..."

Tired of 'negative' user comments? Many others must be too. ie. the site provides an "ignore" user setting.

Click on "My Controls" which is located in the top left panel, just under the Logged in as:
Scroll down to the "Options" section and select "Manage Ignored Users", then add the names of your 'banned' users

 

[bum]

If that's the case, Nath, I withdraw the statement but I do have to say your proclamation of your innocence is reading in the same tone that makes me doubt your sincerity.

I gotta say that the useless **** that is helping no one started long before this little semantic tangent. Probably around the point where someone who admits they were talking out of their arse decided to tell people following cautious advice that they are "paranoid". But, hey, I guess I'm the ******** yet again. My apologies to anyone whose little bubble of ignorance was nearly in danger of being popped.

Rub dog **** on your can openers. It is good yeast nutrient.

 

[manticle]

If that's the case, Nath, I withdraw the statement but I do have to say your proclamation of your innocence is reading in the same tone that makes me doubt your sincerity.

Thought it was pretty reasonable myself. This thread is starting to look like a mess.

As for the whole sanitation issue - every brewer needs to work out for themselves what level they want to take it to. Never had an infection? Boiling water works for you? Great. Keep doing what you're doing. May not be the best advice for a new brewer though - they should know the options and select whaat works for them from that. If they want to cut corners, it's up to them but at least they should know what corners are being cut so they can make that decision knowingly.

I'm pretty full on with my regime because I did have some infections last summer that were a bitch to get rid of. Throwing away decalitres of full mash beer is depressing. If you're lucky enough to have never experienced it then that's great. I, on the hand have and I wouldn't wish it on anyone.

 

[ribsmasherau]

I hope my thread has not caused all this argueing i have taken in alot of usefull info i dont believe my brews were infected in any way now and was just me being new not knowing the strange smell and personaly if i am spending $30-$40 on a brew and if theres a slight chance of infection because of what i open the yeast with or anything i would rather spend the few mins to sanatise and know i am not wasting my money thankyou once again everyone for your help.

 

[manticle]

The internet has caused all this arguing. Don't worry about it.

 

[kelbygreen]

rocky dont worry about the banter its not you, It is a shame as i want to help people but after 2 pages of crap I close the page and its not the OP fault, I also dont want to post as its usually been said 3 pages after the crap and just gets repeated.

As for the sanitation I belive its a must, some areas have more air born crap and yeasts that can get into your brew so for one to say that they just rinse in hot water and its fine is ok for them but as manticle said he has had infections and I am sure that he did sanitise and clean well and still had a infection so it all depends where you are and where you brew as one thing in the surrounding area could coarse a infection.

 

[DangerousDave]

when i started i used to tear open the packets with my teeth

true story

:lol:

 

[pk.sax]

Lmao. That takes the cake. Tearing open by teeth lol

Btw, since there has been such a discussion on sanitation, I might risk asking a question. If you spray sanitiser on the kitchen bench/walls/floor etc, it's not a waste of sanitiser is it?
I ask because I am using brewshield diluted to instructions (maybe a little stronger) - i.e. H2O2 soln. Is this even effective to sanitize work surfaces etc? I know if I spray it into a bucket/fermenter and closethe lid its gonna end up oxygenating the whole thing bu how about open surfaces? Anybody know about this?

 

[JunkzOr]

As a noob brewer I'd like to add my 2c about sanitation. I had read a few horror stories and also many many posts and even comments from my brewer mates that sanitation is probably the most important part of making homebrew beer. When I started out, I bought some commercial grade sanitiser from bunnings that I use on my bench tops, sink etc before I start my prep, and everything and I mean everything else gets a spray of diluted no-rinse sanitiser including the pair of scissors I bought just for opening the yeast packets and hell.. I even spray the shifter I use to tighten up the tap! Call me paranoid or call it best practice, but After bottling my second beer nothing has gone horrendously wrong yet.

I plan to continue with the habit of sanitising everything.

 

[Lord Raja Goomba I]

My brother had an infection recently. I usually help him brew, but what happened is despite lots of sanitation at the brewing stage, he then decided about a week in the fermenter to add unpasteurised apple juice and cinnamon to his brew without boiling any of it.

Infection in, beer thrown out. It was truly awful. Waited about 2 months to see if it came good, but I tried it after the 2 months and it was infected.

I've always sanitised religiously and in 12 years never had an infection. OTT? Paranoid? Probably, but the circumstantial evidence I have satisfies me that I'm doing it right.

And let's face it, this brewing caper has produced so many variations on a theme, then why not sanitisation being a personal method as well?

Goomba

 

[JestersDarts]

Well I havent showered in 5 years,

Its lucky that I dont stink.

However, others tell me I do stink,

but I guess I'm lucky, cos I can't smell it.

 

[colonel]

Well, what a can of worms (or, is that alien bacteria?) I opened.

Sorry Nath, for letting you take all the heat, first time I've looked since posting my reply.

It looks like it all got a bit out of control.

I think I did say in my original post, that it may depend where you live. It's cool and fresh where I live, in fact, I hang my lambs in the shed (next to the beer) for a week before cutting them up.

I honestly believe that we as a society are risking our own, and our future generations health, by the over use of chemicals. This includes the un-needed use of sterilizers, (of course, if you need to use them, that's fine, but don't assume), and also, we do not use surface sprays or disinfectants in the kitchen. Yes, the mother in law hates me too!

Nath, I also agree with you that those people who assume that because "we don't autoclave our scissors, and hold our breath when bottling so as to not let any impure air into the bottles", can't make decent beer, have been sniffing their own armpits too long!

Let's all have a beer and try to relax!

Thanks for the entertaining thread
.

Cheers

Colonel.

P.S. just for the record, I still open the yeast with my teeth, have done so for 307 brews.
Is it supposed to harm me, or the beer?

Well I havent showered in 5 years,

Its lucky that I dont stink.

However, others tell me I do stink,

but I guess I'm lucky, cos I can't smell it.