Hi,
i have made up my first brew which is sat in my cupboard under the stairs bubbling away quite happily.
I am looking to carry out some hydrometer readings soon and i was wondering about my tap being sterile.
I will be drawing some beer into the test tube supplied with the kit and dropping the hydrometer into it.
When i took my og i had to put the test tube over the tap to ensure no spills and would expect to do the same again but now i am worried that my tap may not be sterile.
Do i have to sterilise my tap and test tube prior to drawing off a sample, and subsequently bottling the beer, or am i stressing over nothing?
I look forward to your advice as always
Barry
sterilising the tap
Re: sterilising the tap
Sanitise the tap before bottling. No need to sanitise if just drawing off a sample so just wipe it dry.
I brew therefore I ... I .... forget
Re: sterilising the tap
thanks, i have ordered starsan so will make up a bottle of that and give it a spray prior to bottling.
Re: sterilising the tap
Can a plastic cask go bad from the tap up?
I always wonder about shite left on the tap for a week or two!
I always wonder about shite left on the tap for a week or two!
- jmc
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Re: sterilising the tap
Never heard of it. Tap bacteria would have to be fast swimmers. You can minimise risk by keeping tap clean with a spray bottle of Starsan ,or failing that boiled water in spray bottle.barney wrote:Can a plastic cask go bad from the tap up?
I always wonder about shite left on the tap for a week or two!
- trucker5774
- Falling off the Barstool
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Re: sterilising the tap
I trickle boiling water over the tap just before I draw anything through which I am going to use. The tap is stripped and sanitised at the start of every brew. I identified a fermenter tap as the source of a repeat infection some years ago. It's the only part of my kit with "corners" for crap to lurk in.
John
Drinking/Already drunk........ Trucker's Anti-Freeze (Turbo Cider), Truckers Delight, Night Trucker, Rose wine, Truckers Hitch, Truckers Revenge, Trucker's Lay-by, Trucker's Trailer, Flower Truck, Trucker's Gearshift, Trucker's Horn, Truck Crash, Fixby Gold!
Conditioning... Doing what? Get it down your neck! ........
FV 1............
FV 2............
FV 3............
Next Brews..... Trucker's Jack Knife
Drinking/Already drunk........ Trucker's Anti-Freeze (Turbo Cider), Truckers Delight, Night Trucker, Rose wine, Truckers Hitch, Truckers Revenge, Trucker's Lay-by, Trucker's Trailer, Flower Truck, Trucker's Gearshift, Trucker's Horn, Truck Crash, Fixby Gold!
Conditioning... Doing what? Get it down your neck! ........
FV 1............
FV 2............
FV 3............
Next Brews..... Trucker's Jack Knife
- jmc
- Even further under the Table
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- Joined: Thu May 13, 2010 11:43 pm
- Location: Swaledale, North Yorkshire
Re: sterilising the tap
Good idea.trucker5774 wrote:I trickle boiling water over the tap just before I draw anything through which I am going to use. The tap is stripped and sanitised at the start of every brew. I identified a fermenter tap as the source of a repeat infection some years ago. It's the only part of my kit with "corners" for crap to lurk in.
I take it you've had no problems with boiling water distorting plastic tap at all?
- trucker5774
- Falling off the Barstool
- Posts: 3180
- Joined: Sun May 17, 2009 12:20 pm
- Location: North Devon
Re: sterilising the tap
The tap has stood the boiling water many times over. I wouldn't actually boil the tap though as it does soften slightly. I always allow it to cool after running the boiling water over it before operating it.
John
Drinking/Already drunk........ Trucker's Anti-Freeze (Turbo Cider), Truckers Delight, Night Trucker, Rose wine, Truckers Hitch, Truckers Revenge, Trucker's Lay-by, Trucker's Trailer, Flower Truck, Trucker's Gearshift, Trucker's Horn, Truck Crash, Fixby Gold!
Conditioning... Doing what? Get it down your neck! ........
FV 1............
FV 2............
FV 3............
Next Brews..... Trucker's Jack Knife
Drinking/Already drunk........ Trucker's Anti-Freeze (Turbo Cider), Truckers Delight, Night Trucker, Rose wine, Truckers Hitch, Truckers Revenge, Trucker's Lay-by, Trucker's Trailer, Flower Truck, Trucker's Gearshift, Trucker's Horn, Truck Crash, Fixby Gold!
Conditioning... Doing what? Get it down your neck! ........
FV 1............
FV 2............
FV 3............
Next Brews..... Trucker's Jack Knife