FV Tap sterilising advice needed please!

[nutmeg31415]

I currently ferment in a 25L wine fermenter with a tap on the bottom, I find that this is a lot easier to draw the beer off into the keg by just adding a steralised tube to it.

Ive had no problems with this so far (touch wood) but im thinking that the tap, after 3/4 weeks of fermenting, wont probably be sterile, despite me wrapping it in a plastic bag / clingfilm

Does anyone do this ? or have any views on this? Is there an easy way to sterilise the tap prior to attaching the tube? Am I living on borrowed time, and soon due a contaminated batch?

[vacant]

I don't bother protecting the tap while fermenting.

Some taps can be twisted so you can invert the spout and tip in sanitising solution. If the spout can't be rotated, stick a soaked cotton wool bud up it. As your beer should now contain alcohol, that will inhibit things from growing as well.

[Wolfy]

I soak a bottle-brush in my sanitizing liquid and then use it to clean/sanitize inside/outside of the tap before it gets used.

[gregorach]

Being a paranoid sort, I don't have a tap in my FV... The problem is with the internal surfaces that you can't get at without dismantling the tap, although it's less of a worry if you don't open the tap at all until you're transferring the finished beer.

[nutmeg31415]

Cheers all for the advice.

I dismantle the tap and sterilise the tap bits, then put them back on the FV, and sterilise the FV, also running steriliser through the tap. Then rinse it all, again running clean water through the tap.

I take the OG reading by using a sterilised ladle through the top opening to save needing to use the tap for that, and then leave the FV alone for 4 weeks to ensure everything is finished, rather than taking regular FG readings through the tap. It also gives the yeast time to clear up.

So hopefully now, just a bit of extra cleaning of the tap before kegging, and I'll stay problem free!