Auto syphon

[cask is best]

Just been browsing around and seen an auto syphon for transferring beer into bottles or keg.
Now i know brewing equipment has to be sterilised or so we are told. So how come no harm comes to our brews when we actualy suck the syphon tube to get the process going. At least i don't think any of my brews have been affected by this process which i would imagine the majority of us do. Just a question swmbo asked once.

Regards.

 

[ryanshelton]

I use a turkey baster to get my syphon going

 

[cask is best]

Good idea :thumb: I use my lips I presume your baster is sterilized.But thats my point about are we too fussy about sanitation sterilization etc. Does it all have to be scrupulously clean or are we kidding ourselves and could maybe get away with not been like we are.
One thing that always gets me thinking is open vent brewing [Think thats what its called] where its only a towel that covers the fv instead of a sealed lid. Germs bactaria etc are not going to be stopped by a towel.

 

[NickW]

I actually did a test when bottling my most recent batch. I purposely didmt clean or sanitize 4 bottles. Will see what happens!

 

[ryanshelton]

I guess it's all down to luck and risk more than anything. How much do you want to risk your brew getting infected? How much do you want to waste money and time on a spoilt brew? Probably not much so we sterilize things as an extra precaution :-)

 

[cask is best]

I actually did a test when bottling my most recent batch. I purposely didmt clean or sanitize 4 bottles. Will see what happens!

Snap. I bottled my latest batch on Sunday. Just as the last dregs were at the bottom of the fv i got a bottle that i had sterilised but noticed the inside of the bottle still had marks down it where the beer had been poured out and the sediment had marked the bottle so i put it to one side.Later I said to swmbo I'm going to fill that bottle with the stains on the inside and see what happens.
Please let me know how your 4 bottles go in a month or so. :

 

[adomant]

It's just a law of averages thing, chances are largely that it will be fine but there are bacteria in your mouth that could spoil beer. The type of bacteria differs from lacto bacillus which is good for our digestion but sours beer to any other depending on what you've been up to (don't ask Michael Douglas to start a siphon off for you!)

Open fv is normally fine since hopped fermenting wort will ward off most common bugs, the towel is just to stop insects and spiders dropping in I guess.