1. You need Untappd for Business. Get a demo, get a $25 gift card. It's that easy.
    Dismiss Notice

Adding Ingredients to Secondary Fermentor

Discussion in 'Homebrewing' started by MLCampbell, Oct 22, 2014.

Thread Status:
Not open for further replies.
  1. MLCampbell

    MLCampbell Initiate (0) Oct 8, 2014 Maine

    Dry hopping or adding fruit is common upon racking to a secondary, but doesn't this put the beer at risk of infection? How is this prevented?
     
    #1 MLCampbell, Oct 22, 2014
  2. HerbMeowing

    HerbMeowing Maven (1,283) Nov 10, 2010 Virginia
    Trader

    The minimal risk of infection from dry-hopping is further avoided primarily by
    1) not racking to a 2ndary (make dry hop additions to the primary)
    2) adhering to 'clean' handling protocols

    ---
    Some folks make...
    ... unadulterated or
    ... pasteurized or
    ... potassium metabisulfited
    fruit additions to a 2ndary with good results.

    30" pasteurization is my preference.
     
    #2 HerbMeowing, Oct 22, 2014
  3. ljbonadonna92

    ljbonadonna92 Initiate (0) Oct 12, 2014 Maryland

    You should try roasting your ingredients by putting them in a dry skillet or baking them in an oven for a while. The heat will kill most germs and prevent infection.
     
    #3 ljbonadonna92, Oct 22, 2014
  4. AlCaponeJunior

    AlCaponeJunior Grand Pooh-Bah (3,428) May 21, 2010 Texas
    Pooh-Bah

    My friend, this is what they were really doing during the Manhattan Project. That's what all those smart guys were doing out in the desert. :grinning:
     
    #4 AlCaponeJunior, Oct 22, 2014
  5. MLCampbell

    MLCampbell Initiate (0) Oct 8, 2014 Maine

    Good tips. I looked into this a bit more and read that the alcohol is enough to kill most bacteria. Also to pasterize ingredients like fruit before hand. Makes sense. Trial and error, I suppose.
     
    #5 MLCampbell, Oct 23, 2014
  6. Vogt52

    Vogt52 Initiate (0) May 25, 2014 Maryland

    With dry hopping you don't need to worry about infection because hops are naturally anti microbial
     
    #6 Vogt52, Oct 23, 2014
    MLCampbell likes this.
Thread Status:
Not open for further replies.