If you cleaned you arm well I wouldn't worry but not owning a carboy at this
stage could be a much bigger problem! You wine should not be in contact with
the amount of surface air your bucket is providing. THAT will ruin your wine
if it's not already...
Louise)

"Nocontamino?" > wrote in message
...
> Hi,
>
>
>
> I am in the process of brewing a 15L. BK Chardonnay kit following the 180
> day process taken from Jack Keller's website.
>
>
>
> Now I just finished the Day 80 "racking cycle", but during the racking I
> found that my tap was leaking (I use food grade Fermenters dedicated for
> Wine, as I don't own a glass carboy.yet). Being almost at the half way
mark,
> total panic came over me and the only solution I could come up with was to
> wash and sterilize my arm and fasten the tapbolt by putting my arm in the
> wine. Yeah fine! it's OK to laugh.
>
>
>
> Now the $64.000 question, did I just waste 80 precious days of wine making
> and contaminate my batch beyond repair?
>
>
>
> Any feedback would be highly appreciated
>
>
>
> Thanks.
>
>
>
>

I agree with Louise. I would not worry about contamination from your arm.
But you are way late in the process to be using a bucket, sealing or not.
The big danger is oxidation. You need to get it into carboy immediately and
hope it is not damaged too much.

Ray

"Weez" > wrote in message
.. .
> If you cleaned you arm well I wouldn't worry but not owning a carboy at
this
> stage could be a much bigger problem! You wine should not be in contact
with
> the amount of surface air your bucket is providing. THAT will ruin your
wine
> if it's not already...
> Louise)
>
> "Nocontamino?" > wrote in message
> ...
> > Hi,
> >
> >
> >
> > I am in the process of brewing a 15L. BK Chardonnay kit following the
180
> > day process taken from Jack Keller's website.
> >
> >
> >
> > Now I just finished the Day 80 "racking cycle", but during the racking I
> > found that my tap was leaking (I use food grade Fermenters dedicated for
> > Wine, as I don't own a glass carboy.yet). Being almost at the half way
> mark,
> > total panic came over me and the only solution I could come up with was
to
> > wash and sterilize my arm and fasten the tapbolt by putting my arm in
the
> > wine. Yeah fine! it's OK to laugh.
> >
> >
> >
> > Now the $64.000 question, did I just waste 80 precious days of wine
making
> > and contaminate my batch beyond repair?
> >
> >
> >
> > Any feedback would be highly appreciated
> >
> >
> >
> > Thanks.
> >
> >
> >
> >
>
>

"Saul_Sabia" > wrote in message
om...
> "Nocontamino?" > wrote in message
>...
> > Hi,
> >
> > I am in the process of brewing a 15L. BK Chardonnay kit following the
180
> > day process taken from Jack Keller?s website.
> >
> > Now I just finished the Day 80 ?racking cycle?, but during the racking I
> > found that my tap was leaking (I use food grade Fermenters dedicated for
> > Wine, as I don?t own a glass carboy?yet). Being almost at the half way
mark,
> > total panic came over me and the only solution I could come up with was
to
> > wash and sterilize my arm and fasten the tapbolt by putting my arm in
the
> > wine. Yeah fine! it?s OK to laugh.
> >
> > Now the $64.000 question, did I just waste 80 precious days of wine
making
> > and contaminate my batch beyond repair?
> >
> > Any feedback would be highly appreciated
>
> i think sterility is far more important in the beginning than half-way
> through. half-way through the yeast is going, it's killing off its
> competitors, its producing a good 5 or 6% alcohol, and between the
> alcohol and the relatively anaerobic environment, the must has a fighting
> chance.
>
> but before the yeast is going, before its established, before the alcohol
> is made, that's when you've got to make sure you're clean and as sterile
> as possible.
>
> i've just had to chuck a 3 gallon batch of coffee wine 20 days into the
> ferment because i discovered that my technique wasn't particularly sterile
> enough (i highly recommend not brewing at 3 am when you haven't had enough
> sleep anyways).
>
> little white growths and a ring around the inside of the fermenter does
> qualify as bad, right?
>
>
> pfft. time to get bleach, and not rely on vinegar, mildly soapy water,
> and a prayer, in that order.
>
>
>
> Saul Sabia
>



No one mentioned that plastic ferments might impart a plastic taste into
your wine after 180 days. I hope your containers are new and have not had
pickles stored in them. BTW, I have stuck my arm in the wine with no ill
after effects.

Regards,

KB

Sterility is never attainable and hence, never important. Sanitation is
always important. At the beginning of a wine is when you stomp on them with
your feet. You do, right? But I hope you wash your feet! If you do not,
it will probably have no effect on your wine. They do not wash commercial
grapes when they make wine they are covered with road dust and bird s*** and
what ever. Wine, thanks to the alcohol, is really very forgiving of that
sort of thing.

Ray

"Saul_Sabia" > wrote in message
om...
> "Nocontamino?" > wrote in message
>...
> > Hi,
> >
> > I am in the process of brewing a 15L. BK Chardonnay kit following the
180
> > day process taken from Jack Keller?s website.
> >
> > Now I just finished the Day 80 ?racking cycle?, but during the racking I
> > found that my tap was leaking (I use food grade Fermenters dedicated for
> > Wine, as I don?t own a glass carboy?yet). Being almost at the half way
mark,
> > total panic came over me and the only solution I could come up with was
to
> > wash and sterilize my arm and fasten the tapbolt by putting my arm in
the
> > wine. Yeah fine! it?s OK to laugh.
> >
> > Now the $64.000 question, did I just waste 80 precious days of wine
making
> > and contaminate my batch beyond repair?
> >
> > Any feedback would be highly appreciated
>
> i think sterility is far more important in the beginning than half-way
> through. half-way through the yeast is going, it's killing off its
> competitors, its producing a good 5 or 6% alcohol, and between the
> alcohol and the relatively anaerobic environment, the must has a fighting
> chance.
>
> but before the yeast is going, before its established, before the alcohol
> is made, that's when you've got to make sure you're clean and as sterile
> as possible.
>
> i've just had to chuck a 3 gallon batch of coffee wine 20 days into the
> ferment because i discovered that my technique wasn't particularly sterile
> enough (i highly recommend not brewing at 3 am when you haven't had enough
> sleep anyways).
>
> little white growths and a ring around the inside of the fermenter does
> qualify as bad, right?
>
>
> pfft. time to get bleach, and not rely on vinegar, mildly soapy water,
> and a prayer, in that order.
>
>
>
> Saul Sabia
>

"Weez"
> If you cleaned you arm well I wouldn't worry but not owning a carboy at this
> stage could be a much bigger problem! You wine should not be in contact with
> the amount of surface air your bucket is providing. THAT will ruin your wine
> if it's not already...
> Louise)

He'd better make a porto, but with Chard it won't
be that easy...

Vilco