Rookie mistake by a rookie. Just finished my third batch ever. I rehydrates dry yeast but in all the chaos realized I forgot to sanitize the glass container I rehydrates it in. On a scale of 1-10 how screwed am I?
Right now… if the fermentation hasn’t started… 5… If it takes off and becomes vigorous… 0 Sneezles61
It’s fine as long as it was clean
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I disagree. As @brew_cat brew_cat said, as long as it is clean, you should be fine. I put your risk at a 2-3.
I predict what you make will be completely drinkable regardless and if you are lucky you will have discovered an unknown yeast localized to your area. But chances of that even being able to outcompete what you pitched are slim.
I honestly think that any container that was reasonably clean and washed like in a dishwasher is safe. Dry yeast is tough stuff too so I wouldn’t worry about it. Should you have sanitized it? Of course but why worry now.
I have always wanted to conduct and experiment with two identical batches at the same time, just washing everything like you would a dinner plate with one and going through the usual sanitation process with the other. That fear of dumping 5 gallons of brew keeps me from trying it.
I’ll stand by my thoughts… 
Sneezles61
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It’s bubbling, but slowly
A packet of dry yeast properly rehydrated, provides a boatload of hungry yeast enough for all but the biggest beers(High original gravity). What kit was this? (and what Original gravity(OG) if you know it?
So…bottom line, even with a seemingly minor slip up in sanitation, it should take off today.
Yes… its a good sign that there is activity… Hoping it’ll step up the pace then the other bugs won’t be able to compete… Sneezles61
The kit was a Munich Helles from a local shop. The O.G. Is 1.048
You should be more than fine at 1.048.
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It took a few days but it’s bubbling away now.
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And the story ends how?
The beer turned out ok. Not great but drinkable. I left it in the fermenter a week longer than I wanted to but it tasted fine before I kegged it. It was my first time kegging and there is a slight off flavor after kegging and carbonation. Not sure from what. I was very careful about cleaning and sanitizing. It was only my thing batch but was by far better than my first two.
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Drinkable is a start. Sounds like you’re fine tuning your processes and techniques. I’m at about 85 or so batches and still top and walk through the process before I begin. Many people develop and use checklists.
As for the off-flavor, it’s possible you may be experiencing some off flavors from oxidation. I lost about 2/3 of keg of NEIPA to it. It turned an off color and really tasted nasty. Think back to your kegging: Did you purge the keg with CO2? Did you by chance splash some of the beer into the keg? Did you force carb it or keg condition it?
Keep at it and keep asking the folks here for any tips or tricks they use. They’re very helpful!
+1 to checklists. I still use my brewday checklist from 2014 with few changes…
Especially helpful if you enjoy a libation or two during brewing.
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