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[brahscience]

Sorry for the newb question if it's already been covered. I just started researching the homebrew thing (specifically Test E) and had a question about sterility. Mostly everyone talks about keeping the fluids, vials, tools, etc sterile.

The one question I have is: what do you do about the sterility of the powder? Maybe I'm just being stupid, but what is the point of going OCD on sterility when the powder is shipped halfway across the world in a non-sterile ziplock bag that could pick up any nasties on it's way to the brewing beaker?

I'm probably being retarded asking the question, can somebody set me straight?

 

[goin on 4T]

The powder does not need to be sterile. The finished product, when the powder is suspended in oil, needs to be sterile before you place in sterile vials.

 

[brahscience]

Yeah, that's kinda my stumbling block. If, for example, the powder isn't sterile (e.g. picked up some nasty spores like botulism), what keeps that from getting into the final solution. Heat certainly won't kill botulism at brewing temps. Is it the BA enough to do it? (I read somewhere on one of these forums that it is added to preserve sterility, but not to sterilize).

This isn't to say that botulism is a giant concern, but how do I get a reasonable level of confidence that my efforts at sterility aren't being undermined by dumping a (mostly) unknown powder/wax into the mix without some sort of pre-processing?

 

[Mh48500]

Like 4T says the finished product needs to be sterile and you accomplish that by filtering the mixed product(oil, powder BA and or BB depending) through a .22 Whatman or whatever your fiilter choice is, butr it needs to be .22. As for the BA, it is a bacteriostatic agent...meaning it will not kill the bacteria but will prevent bacteria from reproducing.

 

[brahscience]

Ahh, I got it now. The filter is what does the sterilizing. I didn't really understand how truly small .22um is until I started looking at the Whatman filter docs.

Thx for your patience.

 

[Mh48500]

Ahh, I got it now. The filter is what does the sterilizing. I didn't really understand how truly small .22um is until I started looking at the Whatman filter docs.

Thx for your patience.

No problem, and good luck. If your first brew will be test e, it should be a smooth one....it holds very easy and does not need any BB.