possible contamination from orange peel

[fuzzypennel]

I added orange zest and hops 5 minutes after the boil stopped (heater element failure).

Now I'm concerned I might have introduced contamination.

Can anybody advise?

 

[Papa G]

Should be OK, but someone with more experiance my know better.

 

[Brew2Day]

Just a quick tip. You can use sterilizing tablets/fluid to decontaminate fruit peel as long as you wash them off.

 

[mabrungard]

There is a time and temperature relationship to killing heat-sensitive organisms. The higher the temp, the shorter the time needed. I don't remember the exact relationship, but if your wort was over 65C, it should be fine.

I just attended a presentation by Mitch Steele of Stone Brewing at the American Homebrewers Conference and he mentioned 'blanching' additions like orange peels in hot water to help sanatize them.