And we worry about infection

[Sandimas]

I've had a few infections over time.

Not so much concerned about drinking the infected beer or even having to chuck it away, more concerned about flying glass as I bottle all my beer and infections generate a lot of CO2.

 

[ssashton]

Professional brewers have a more significant responsibility regarding food safety and hygiene than home brewing for personal consumption.

It's a very serious subject on which my wife has a masters degree (food safety, not specifically brewing hygiene). There are EU regulations about how packed food and drink products for resale are produced and handled.

It wouldn't simply be a matter of off tasting beer if the guy had a transmittable virus such as Hepatitis B.

 

[foxy]

Professional brewers have a more significant responsibility regarding food safety and hygiene than home brewing for personal consumption.

It's a very serious subject on which my wife has a masters degree (food safety, not specifically brewing hygiene). There are EU regulations about how packed food and drink products for resale are produced and handled.

It wouldn't simply be a matter of off tasting beer if the guy had a transmittable virus such as Hepatitis B.

I'ts a good thing Hep B is not transmissible through food and drink then.

 

[ssashton]

I'ts a good thing Hep B is not transmissible through food and drink then.

You want to test that for yourself?

It only take a cracked bleeding lip that gets in the liquid. And it was only an example off the top of my head. It is not for the drinks / food producer to make such assumptions and take risks with customers health.

 

[johncrobinson]

My opinion on this is.In every buisiness people get slack and casual,In this case it was caught on camera.

 

[foxy]

You want to test that for yourself?

It only take a cracked bleeding lip that gets in the liquid. And it was only an example off the top of my head. It is not for the drinks / food producer to make such assumptions and take risks with customers health.

I would rather drink a beer that had a drop of blood from someone with HBV into 4,ooo litres of beer than continue eating a meal that had been sent back to the chef in a restaurant.
I had work experience in a dairy prior to leaving school, one of the guys there used to hawk up phlegm and spit it into the milk.
One can never eliminate what could happen in the food processing industry but I would sooner take my chances with beer.

 

[Cwrw666]

Depends on your brewing environment. mine is garage, where it is damp. I have put a dehumidifer in there which helps but it isl so not so easy , If i was in a clean cellar set up or kitchen i would be less worried

This is going to start to sound like the Yorkshireman's sketch - but I brew in an old stable in which we store all sorts of rubbish in, plus a couple of hundred bales of hay. There's cats, there's rats and mud and spiderswebs everywhere. Numbers of infected brews so far : 0.

 

[Loonytoone]

I've not had rats and cats in my beer but I did have a hoverfly fly through the beer stream from kettle to fermenter and end up in the wort. I couldn't decide whether to sterilise a spoon to try to dig it out or leave it in, in the end I left it in. The brew turned out out great with no infections that harmed it or me.

 

[Cwrw666]

I've not had rats and cats in my beer

Ah, but that's the thing - we don't make beer in rat infested buildings or damp mouldy garages. We make it in properly sanitised containers. Doesn't matter where those containers are.

 

[ssashton]

I would rather drink a beer that had a drop of blood from someone with HBV into 4,ooo litres of beer than continue eating a meal that had been sent back to the chef in a restaurant.
I had work experience in a dairy prior to leaving school, one of the guys there used to hawk up phlegm and spit it into the milk.
One can never eliminate what could happen in the food processing industry but I would sooner take my chances with beer.

You shouldn't need to worry about either options!

There are so many factors and 'what if' scenarios when a product is going out to potentially millions of consumers. It is unprofessional and irresponsible to take even a tiny but avoidable risk.

Google the story of 'Typhoid Mary'.

The beer situation in China is interesting, where such regulations do not exist (or not enforced). It is extremely common to get sick from drinking locally made 'imitation' beer. They collect old bottles from famous brands, refill and add a new but fake label and sell again.

See how they can 'Budweiser' at the start of this video:

 

[Druncan]

I send two samples per year to Brewlab for ABV and bacterial checks. I had long chain bacteria in the background in one sample. Not pathogenic though. Did a deep clean sanitisation to get rid of beerstone. Next sample no long rod bacteria. If you sell beer you cannot afford to cut corners. But if you want to test your bacterial resistance, just forget all the flipping endless sanitisation.

 

[Dutto]

This Thread brought back a few memories from my time at sea:

1. Passenger sent back an egg because it wasn't "turned". Cook turned the plate through 360 degrees, said to the Steward "One turned egg." and sent it back into the saloon; where it was consumed without comment by the passenger!
2. I complimented the cook on another ship because he always baked a load of bread before we arrived in port. He explained "Kneading the dough is the only way I can get the grime out from under my fingernails before I go ashore." He may have been joking, but ..... ?
3. I filled up a bowl with cornflakes one morning and then wandered over to get some milk. When I got back to the table about half of the "cornflakes" were trying to escape from the bowl as they happened to be weevils!

Happy Days?

PS

Today, the BBC News it told us that the UK will NOT be aligned with the EU after Brexit and that it will cost us money, but the government couldn't tell anyone which particular legislation will be different. I will lay money that at least one of the following will no longer be aligned by the end of this year:

1. Consumer Protection.
2. Workers Rights.
3. Health and Safety Standards.

I pray that I am wrong!

 

[Loonytoone]

Sometimes I am slow drinking the beer in a KK and can take weeks (even a couple of months) from first pint to last.
Depending on a number of variables the beer may improve or not during this time.
But what about tap sanitation during this period?
Generally and occasionally, I might wipe the tap or poke a bit of kitchen roll up the spout, does anyone use pipe cleaners (I haven't seen them for ages) or other methods like tiny bottle brushes or dental brushes?

 

[ssashton]

Sometimes I am slow drinking the beer in a KK and can take weeks (even a couple of months) from first pint to last.
Depending on a number of variables the beer may improve or not during this time.
But what about tap sanitation during this period?
Generally and occasionally, I might wipe the tap or poke a bit of kitchen roll up the spout, does anyone use pipe cleaners (I haven't seen them for ages) or other methods like tiny bottle brushes or dental brushes?

I have a spray bottle of Star San and give it some up the spout occasionally, but generally I'll be drawing a pint every day.

 

[johncrobinson]

When i ran a bar i used to clean the lines,taps, ect once a week.You could tell when pouring and by the taste when the systems had been cleaned

Interestingly after a week the lager lines were "filthy"
Guiness lines however allways stayed spotless clean.

Oh forgot to add the adjustable dispenser on the end of the beer taps was unscrewed and soaked in sanitiser every evening

 

[GerritT]

1 infection out of several dozens: not a lost batch tho. And caused by late additions (vanilla cocoa and coconut)

 

[Loonytoone]

Just bought some pipe cleaners to clean the bore of the taps, if I don't have a drink for a few days.

 

[Dutto]

Just bought some pipe cleaners to clean the bore of the taps, if I don't have a drink for a few days.

When I remember (it ain't easy at my age) I give the spouts a quick blast of Star San from the spray bottle after pulling the last pint of the day. Star San is a "no rinse" sanitiser and after doing its job it has evaporated by the next day.

I can't taste it when I pull the next pint so "So far so good!"

 

[Loonytoone]

Good idea, I'll get some Star San as well, cheers!

 

[terrym]

Good idea, I'll get some Star San as well, cheers!

I believe that Starsan is currently unavailable in the UK due to some problem with it's certification. However I understand there are other substitute products out and this type of no rinse sanitiser is very useful for the homebrewer.
But personally I don't bother to flush or sanitise the tap and frankly haven't knowingly been ill as result, nor indeed noticed anything suspicious in my glass having poured beer through it.