Infection from fermenter to keg?

[DJ]

Has anyone ever got an Infection when transferring from fermenter to keg?

I was kegging a APA (with extra Cascade... ) and was thinking that since in was fully fermented, it would be more difficult getting an infection...

Am I right? Or blowing hops out of my ass??

[Kevnlis]

It is not very common, and it is harder for the infection to take hold, but it certainly is possible. You should always be clean and sanitised for every step of the brewing process.

[drsmurto]

Yes and no

With an alcohol content of ~5% you are reducing the infection possibility but only to certain bacteria. You can still get an infection from badly cleaned kegs, seals, tubing etc as well as whatever is holding the hops. I rinse my hop ball in sanitiser before filling it with hops and make sure all my kegs are cleaned between use, as well as the lines.

EDIT - what Kev said

[rwh]

I haven't in the keg, but definitely in secondary. I'm always totally paranoid when racking these days. I clean the kegs with Oxyper, and the racking cane/hose with iodophor as well as using a spray bottle to sanitise the inside of the tap if I'm using one. Make sure you purge the headspace as well, as oxygen can encourage certain bacteria as well (like acetic acid bacteria).

My nemesis is the white skin infection. Had it about 3 times, but haven't had it since I got paranoid.

[gregb]

I use PSR to clean when empty and then again immediately prior to filling. No infection so far. Touch wood.

Cheers,
Greg

[DJ]

cool, thanks.

Havent ever had an infection yet (touch wood) so keeping my fingers crossed...

[Ross]

I haven't in the keg, but definitely in secondary. I'm always totally paranoid when racking these days. I clean the kegs with Oxyper, and the racking cane/hose with iodophor as well as using a spray bottle to sanitise the inside of the tap if I'm using one. Make sure you purge the headspace as well, as oxygen can encourage certain bacteria as well (like acetic acid bacteria).

My nemesis is the white skin infection. Had it about 3 times, but haven't had it since I got paranoid.

one of the main reasons for not racking to secondary. If you need to rack for space issues, fine, but otherwise, just leave your brew alone till it's finished.

Cheers Ross

[rwh]

Not this argument again.

To be honest, I barely ever rack any more now that I keg. The benefits just aren't there. For a highly presentable bottled beer, I would still rack though. I know you filter, so I guess the primary reasons for racking all go away for you, unless you lager or cc (and even then you can just do that in a keg).

[Boonie]

I do not rack my kegged beers, but still rack any bottles I do with 0 Infections. Sanitise, it's not that hard .

I do not like leaving mine on the trub for more than 5-7 days, whenever I get time to get downstairs and rack or keg, as I have been the victim of autolysis on a few occasions.

I did not know what was happening until I read it on here and put 2 and 2 together.

as rwh says

Not this argument again.

The eternal argument...............no-one ever wins.

[drsmurto]

I think this argument is about as legendary as the no chill debate over on AHB.......

I did my first no-rack this week for nearly 12 months! Straight to the keg where it will sit conditioning at 6C until its needed. For me, it depends on the yeast and how well it flocs. US56 is painfully slow whereas S04 and a few other pommy yeasts including nottingham are like shit to a blanket.