Sanitation anxiety

[ILMSTMF]

TL;DR - opened lid to add dry hops and accidentally dropped the lid with the dip tube and ball float on the floor. In my heist to get the hops added, and reseal the FV, I sprayed the lid, dip tube and float like a madman before returning it to the beer. What’s the worst that could happen ?

Longer version. Brewed 2 weeks ago. Majority of fermentation is complete. Time to add dry hops. Adding CO2 to Fermzilla, the lid refuses to pop off. Foolishly, I remove the threaded ring from the FV neck and pull on the lid. POW. Lid flies off, with the attached dip tube and ball float. Now the FV is exposed with, what I believe, is a quickly dissipating layer of CO2. In my haste to minimize O2 exposure, I sprayed the dip tube and ball float with StarSan. A lot of it. No wipe down as no cloth was nearby. Add dry hops, put ball float in the beer , seal up, add CO2, pray. Nothing to do now but wondering how bad this could be? Thanks in advance.

 

[AlexKay]

Not much to do, no. The good thing is that since you had beer in there already, the acid and alcohol ruins the environment for most other things. This is the point of beer! And frankly, if you sprayed things well, I don’t think there’s a big chance you introduced unwanted beasties.

If you’ll be putting it in a keg when it’s done, keep the filled keg cold if you can. This helps slow down oxidation too.

If you’re bottling, then there’s at least a theoretical possibility that you introduced something that makes glucoamylase. Treat it like it’s still fermenting, monitor gravity and make sure it’s bottomed out, and handle the bottles with caution. With a significant dry hop, you’d want to do these things anyway.

 

[ILMSTMF]

And frankly, if you sprayed things well, I don’t think there’s a big chance you introduced unwanted beasties.

Indeed I did! But my worry was for what dirt on floor attached to the ball float. In the panic, I'm not even sure where each and every part of the lid / tubing landed. I found a big patch of yeast on my jeans so here's hoping that's where the ball float or pickup tube filter hit. (Paranoid much? lol)

If you’ll be putting it in a keg when it’s done, keep the filled keg cold if you can. This helps slow down oxidation too.

Always.

Just going to let it ride and hope for no noticeable damage. Thanks!

 

[hotbeer]

Just proceed as if everything is normal. But as you already did, clean off the mess.

If it's infected, then it's infected. If your gravity goes way lower than your expected FG then yes it's probably infected.

But then the question becomes, does it still taste good? And there is only one way to find out. Bottle/keg it and poor a glass after it's properly carbonated.

 

[sibelman]

the point of beer!

Yes, but... In some times and places, beer is about more than just having something safe to drink. I like to think I'm living in such a time and place.

I don’t think there’s a big chance you introduced unwanted beasties.

AlexKay is right on. Copious spraying probably rinsed away all the bits of dirt; and low pH, yeast, alcohol in your live beer wouldn't be a happy place for most nasties.

It's hard not to get flustered when things go wrong at a sensitive moment. But I think you'll be OK, @ILMSTMF

 

[ILMSTMF]

Thanks @AlexKay @hotbeer and @sibelman I needed some reassurance that it's probably just fine.

How about harvesting some of the yeast cake for the next batch...would you do it? Thanks!

 

[IslandLizard]

How about harvesting some of the yeast cake for the next batch...would you do it? Thanks!

Yup!