Wedding ring mishap with FV

[Griffin79]

Had a slight mishap today whilst taking my first final gravity reading before bottling Saturday. I accidentally knocked my wedding ring into the fermentation bucket (I took it off as I put surgical gloves on to take the reading). Anyway without even thinking I put my hand and arm in to retrieve it (with the gloves on). I found it straight away so I was only in the liquid for a couple of seconds. My hand was obviously covered but not my arm so just wondering about contamination? I'm always careful about sterilisation when brewing and use gloves when taking any readings. Just one of those unfortunate things though and reacted without thinking! I'm thinking the 5.5% abv might offer a bit of protection from any bugs introduced

 

[Gerryjo]

I'm sure it will be quite fine as you aren't the first person to have dipped your hand or dropped something in the fermenter..

 

[Slid]

Interesting how people are programmed to react in suddenly unusual circumstances.
As a wedding ring is (usually) gold, it will not react chemically with anything and could have been safely left until after bottling!
5.5% ABV is pretty resilient and it is really only earlier on in the process that any nasties will get hold and cause a lot of problems.

Plus, it's an excuse to get stuck into it, just in case.

 

[Griffin79]

Starting G was 1052 and today 1010 so looking good for Saturday. If it had been anything else I might have been tempted to leave it in but it's funny how a wedding ring gets the old lizard part of the brain fired up straight away! Hopefully I didn't deposit an arm hair or two on the way out.

 

[Session]

Just as an aside, if you did use true surgical gloves they would be sterile until you touched something. Surgical gloves are really expensive, and double wrapped in a packet you have to open like a pack you get chops in from the supermarket. I think you probably mean examination gloves, which are the ones (usually blue) you can buy in a box of 100 or so. Examination gloves are made to protect the examiner from the patient, they are not sterile, and can have just as many bugs on the outside as anything else. If you are using them as a method of reducing your risk of contamination to your beer you would be better off washing your hands thoroughly with soap and water beforehand. Which is good practice to do anyway. If you’re using them because you have dermatitis or some other skin issue you need to shield from chemicals etc then ignore me!

 

[Clint]

You can also wear them to look like TV mechanic Edd China...so your mates are dead impressed with your vehicular prowess when they pop round...
As for dropping stuff in your ale..I wouldn't worry ..ex forum hellraiser Gunge,had a cat in his..

 

[Session]

You can also wear them to look like TV mechanic Edd China...so your mates are dead impressed with your vehicular prowess when they pop round...
As for dropping stuff in your ale..I wouldn't worry ..ex forum hellraiser Gunge,had a cat in his..

A cat?! Was it a ‘ginger ale’

 

[Gerryjo]

You can also wear them to look like TV mechanic Edd China...so your mates are dead impressed with your vehicular prowess when they pop round...
As for dropping stuff in your ale..I wouldn't worry ..ex forum hellraiser Gunge,had a cat in his..

Gunge there's a blast from the past. Was thinking back when the whole fiasco was going on what it would be like now with a certain other thread which is now good.. There is a few that are not around anymore.

 

[VW911]

IMHO, people panic far too much about infecting their beer.
You're more likely to catch coroavirus, (or win the lottery...)

 

[Bigjas]

I’ve dropped the rusty/grubby shed keys in my fermenter on brew day just before pitching the yeast. Shoved my unsanitised arm straight in to retrieve them. Made no difference to my finished beer. Maybe I was just lucky but I do read a lot of people do similar things and get away with it.

 

[Griffin79]

Just as an aside, if you did use true surgical gloves they would be sterile until you touched something. Surgical gloves are really expensive, and double wrapped in a packet you have to open like a pack you get chops in from the supermarket. I think you probably mean examination gloves, which are the ones (usually blue) you can buy in a box of 100 or so. Examination gloves are made to protect the examiner from the patient, they are not sterile, and can have just as many bugs on the outside as anything else. If you are using them as a method of reducing your risk of contamination to your beer you would be better off washing your hands thoroughly with soap and water beforehand. Which is good practice to do anyway. If you’re using them because you have dermatitis or some other skin issue you need to shield from chemicals etc then ignore me!

Well I would say they are examination gloves based on the finer technical details provided. The Mrs keeps a box for dicing up chicken, garlic etc or dealing with those unsavory household tasks. I whip on a pair when I'm taking temperature or gravity readings just for a bit of extra contamination protection but perhaps overkill. Imagine the unsanitary conditions beer was brewed in a couple of hundred years ago. No antibacterial soap then never mind latex examination gloves!

 

[Clint]

There's loads wearing them round Asda...

 

[RichardM]

Well I would say they are examination gloves based on the finer technical details provided. The Mrs keeps a box for dicing up chicken, garlic etc or dealing with those unsavory household tasks. I whip on a pair when I'm taking temperature or gravity readings just for a bit of extra contamination protection but perhaps overkill. Imagine the unsanitary conditions beer was brewed in a couple of hundred years ago. No antibacterial soap then never mind latex examination gloves!

Definitely overkill, not just for brewing use but for chopping chicken or garlic. For brewing wash your hands before your start, for chopping chicken or garlic wash your hands after.