From: amead@s.psych.uiuc.edu (Alan Mead)
Subject: first batch questions
Organization: UIUC Department of Psychology
Date: Mon, 11 Jan 1993 01:49:52 GMT

I've read (ok, more like scanned) this group for a couple weeks, if there
is a FAQ, could someone point me to it?  Anyway, thanks for the previous
info I've recieved here; I (also) started my first batch last night and
I've a few questions, mostly about sanitization.

>From: birmingh@fnalo.fnal.gov (Phillip J. Birmingham)
>Subject: First batch!
>Date: 10 Jan 93 13:25:52 -0600
>
>         My worry is this: I scooped some 85-degree wort out of the kettle
>    for a starter. I had sanitized the measuring cup, then set it on the
>    counter, then a few minutes later I scooped the wort out. Since the
>    counter was clean, is my risk of infection very high?

I'd like never to lose a batch to infections.  How sanitary should I
be?  For instance, I cleaned out a new pot and bucket and then poured 5
gallons of bottled water into them.  The water in the pot I boiled, but
I used the bucket water without further sterilizing.  I figured the
risk was minimal, was I kidding myself?  [As an aside, I never realized
what a hassle NOT using tap water was going to be...  I think I'll use
it next time regardless].

Also, I have a tight fitting top for the pot.  I set it outside to cool
for a while.  Was this a bad move?  I can't imagine that it would have
been safer inside (where I keep food products).

Also, I boiled some water (3 gallons, I *think*) with the extract and
after pouring it into my carboy, there was a half inch of tan
particulate on the bottom of the car boy.  Is that malt protein?  Is it
normal?

And I've been reading and all books disagree about *something*.  Like
is 2 oz of chlorine bleach in cold water an effective sanitizer?
Should I then rinse it in anything other than cold water?  Should I
rinse it at all?  What about the rims of bottles and carboys?  these
typically become or stay wet after rinsing and, I would think, start to
pick up airborne bacteria and such.  Should I flame the glass rim
before capping/removing the plug?

Also, I've heard that the period after boiling the wort and before
pitching the yeast is the most vulnerable time for beer.  How long does
it normally take to cool the wort (ie, without a wort cooler)?  It took
about 7 hours at room temp (ie, I brought the wort in from the cold
after an hour and dumped it into the glass carboy which already had 2
gallons of water and then topped it off; it was 7 hours between taking
the wort off the stove and pitching the yeast).

Furthermore, the wort was still about 84 degrees when I pitched the
yeast.  I have one set of instructions (from the hobby shop I purchased
mu extract from) that says to pitch at a temp below 85 and another
(from papazian's book) that says below 78.  The yeast seem to be
fermenting nicely (about 4-5 bubbles per second at 64 degrees from a
1/4 inch blow off tube) this morning, 9 hours later.

Oh yeah.  And if I use malt extract to prime, is that kraeusening?  Or
must I use wort?  And for that matter, I wouldn't want to drink
something that's been sitting in the back of my fridge for more than,
say, 11 days.  Doesn't the wort you save to kraeusen start to go bad?

Sorry for the length.  Thanks for your attention.

-alan