Spice Additions and Sanitation?

[philm63]

Are we worrying about sanitation (other than the usual precautions) when we crack open a bottle of pumpkin pie spice from the cupboard to add a spoon-full into our secondary? Is the fact we have beer and not wort enough insurance against contamination?

And do I add powdered spice to the secondary or make a slurry with, say... vodka or some other neutral spirit?

[tom_hampton]

I worry about it.  That's why I soak anything in vodka before it goes in (valilla beans, coffee beans, spices, etc). 

For my pumpkin spice, I soaked two teaspoons in 1/2c vodka for two weeks.  Then I used an eye-dropper to dose it into the finished beer.  I feel pretty safe about that. 

Interesting fact.  if you soak pumpkin spice in vodka for two weeks....the spice will turn into a gooey/slimey mess.  I only ended up with about 1/4 cup of spiced vodka after straining it.  The rest was soaked up by the spice.  I tried to filter it through some coffee filters, but not much came through.  I ended up just pouring the vodka straight off the top.