# Best Way To Sterlize Urine Sample Containers



## Truman42

My wife can get these urine sample containers from work. (Unused of course) which I use for yeast harvesting.

Just wondering what the best way to sterilize them would be without buying an autoclave etc?

I know what the worst way to sterilize them is..This is after 5 mins on the stove in a steam basket. DOHHH

I thought they would be heat proof. Apparently not...


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## np1962

If they are coming straight to you in unused, unopened condition they are already sterile.
If you are getting them cheap(read free from missus work place) then use them once and throw away.
Nige

P.S. Not actually that expensive if you have to buy them. Treat them as single use.


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## Phoney

I splash a bit of metholated spirits in there, close the lid, swirl it around, leave it for a a few hours, then empty it out.

Had no problems so far.


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## Truman42

@ Nige..>She cant get them all that often so sometimes I have to re-use them.

@ Phoneyhuh..Ok metho sounds good. Do you then rinse it out with boiling water afterwards?

Thanks.


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## Phoney

Truman said:


> @ Phoneyhuh..Ok metho sounds good. Do you then rinse it out with boiling water afterwards?



Nope, just give it a good shake with the lid off to air dry.


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## felten

You'd be better off just using starsan (or iodophor, w/e you use for brewing) IMO.


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## Wimmig

Metho...hmmm

I'm with felten. Starsan.


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## np1962

Fair enough Truman, spoilt as I can get them at any time. Love the public health system  

They are not meant for re use so even an autoclave will disfigure them as did your steam bath.
You can sanitise them using your normal method but it is pretty difficult to sterilise them. Sanitary will be OK for short periods of storage if you are thorough.
Nige


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## [email protected]

Yeah nige is on the money for sure, i re-use them but if i could get them free or cheap i prob would not.

I only ever use the same yeast in the same container - i half fill to 3/4 fill with fairly thick clean slurry harvested from starters with filtered boiled water on top. 
I recently fired up my last sample of 1272 made from starter from smack pack, it was about 13 months old, stepped up no probs.

On the cleaning front - hot water and nappisan to clean, rinse with filtered and repeatedly boiled/boiling water, store. Before re -use i wipe the entire container and lid with isopropyl alcohol 70%, then star san. 

Not the ideal way for storing yeast long term, but it works for me and so far i have had no problems that i can identify with regards to bacterial contamination of the yeast samples. 
I always work in a sealed room and spray some glen 20 around before doing anything with yeast.


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## jimmychill

I am a nurse and they come sterile, trust me. As long as they are unopened you can garauntee they are sterile. Good idea, BTW, i never even thought of it. Hospital equipment is awesome for brewing. Cheers.


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## Truman42

Thanks for the tips guys. On the subject of infected yeast slurrys I just poured off some wort to collect the yeast into my sample jars and had a taste of it.

It did taste sort of tangy, but certainly wasnt like spit it out straight away type of thing. I could drink it no worries.

If the wort is infected will the taste be very noticeable to the point that its VERY sour and you want to spit it out straight away?


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## manticle

Infections come in all shapes and sizes - not just sour.


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## argon

I use the yellow cap urine sample jars, like these;




They come as unopened & sterile. After first use I clean them out then give them a few goes in the baby bottle steam "steriliser" I know it's not sterile but will be very sanitised and good enough for my purposes. One cycle is 4 minutes in the microwave, then cooled. I do the cycle 3 times. Have kept yeast for over 12 months with no ill effects


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## matho

you could always buy the LS22-30L on THIS page, thanks to the recommendation of tony I got 50 of these, I have only used about 15 of them, they come sterile but you can re-sterilise them in a pressure cooker because they are PP.

cheers


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## Truman42

matho said:


> you could always buy the LS22-30L on THIS page, thanks to the recommendation of tony I got 50 of these, I have only used about 15 of them, they come sterile but you can re-sterilise them in a pressure cooker because they are PP.
> 
> cheers



I was going to buy some of them but then the missus started getting me the urine sample jars instead.


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## manticle

If they are not heat proof, starsan is going to be as good as anything else.

How many did you get?


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## Truman42

manticle said:


> If they are not heat proof, starsan is going to be as good as anything else.
> 
> How many did you get?



She got me half a dozen. But can get more from time to time when shes over in.."that section" of work..

I would have just used starsan but all the threads on here about harvesting and splitting yeast talk about having to boil them and steam them etc etc.

So with the infection query if its drinkable am I safe to say its not infected? I have nothing to compare it with. Another sample I tried after harvesting yeast washing and stepping up had no real taste at all just watery from the cooled boiled water I used to wash it.


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## manticle

Hard to say. Infection just means a microbe other than your yeast has had an effect on flavour due to microflora numbers being out of balance.

All of your beer is probably infected with bacteria and other microflora you don't want but the yeast outweighs them and therefore the flavour effect is minimised.

If it tastes OK then it probably is OK. As you keep brewing and tasting, you'll probably learn when yeast tastes 'wrong' through experience. Yeasty starters, fermenting beer etc often taste horrible but as they should at that stage of fermentation which is what you learn over time.

I find if it tastes yeasty/bready etc, I'm pretty happy to brew with it.

I have some plastic sealable jars I could send your way (say the half dozen you mention) - fully heatproof and perfect for reserving yeast.


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## Truman42

manticle said:


> Hard to say. Infection just means a microbe other than your yeast has had an effect on flavour due to microflora numbers being out of balance.
> 
> All of your beer is probably infected with bacteria and other microflora you don't want but the yeast outweighs them and therefore the flavour effect is minimised.
> 
> If it tastes OK then it probably is OK. As you keep brewing and tasting, you'll probably learn when yeast tastes 'wrong' through experience. Yeasty starters, fermenting beer etc often taste horrible but as they should at that stage of fermentation which is what you learn over time.
> 
> I find if it tastes yeasty/bready etc, I'm pretty happy to brew with it.
> 
> I have some plastic sealable jars I could send your way (say the half dozen you mention) - fully heatproof and perfect for reserving yeast.



That would be great thanks heaps. I'll PM you.


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## QldKev

is she getting them prior to use?

I would think a hit of starsan would be heaps

QldKev


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## Truman42

QldKev said:


> is she getting them prior to use?
> 
> I would think a hit of starsan would be heaps
> 
> QldKev



yeh brand new out of the box. She just cant get that many all the time. Just a couple here and there so I have to re-use them.


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## humulus

matho said:


> you could always buy the LS22-30L on THIS page, thanks to the recommendation of tony I got 50 of these, I have only used about 15 of them, they come sterile but you can re-sterilise them in a pressure cooker because they are PP.
> 
> cheers


Ive got 50 of these fellas you can boil the shit out of them!!!!


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## QldKev

Truman said:


> yeh brand new out of the box. She just cant get that many all the time. Just a couple here and there so I have to re-use them.





I think you will be OK with using them.
Keep them with a starsan solution until ready, then a quick hit with a fresh mix, and reuse. I used plastic test tube for ages this way. (I only stopped as I no longer play with small yeast vials as they were too much work)

I had a CPA yeast from Andrew Stores in the basic tubes without auto clave which I used after 2 years no problems. 

QldKev


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## Batz

I've had to pee in them hundreds of times, sort of turns me off putting yeast in them.


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## the_new_darren

I would be careful about "advertising" the source of these "free" containers.

If someone knew who your wife was Truman, then she could face the sack for "stealing" them.



Just my 0.02c

tnd


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## Whiteferret

matho said:


> you could always buy the LS22-30L on THIS page, thanks to the recommendation of tony I got 50 of these, I have only used about 15 of them, they come sterile but you can re-sterilise them in a pressure cooker because they are PP.
> 
> cheers




Have only used these fresh as they come sterile was wondering if I could resterilse them. Thanks Matho. :icon_cheers: 
And thanks to Tony too. :beerbang:


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## Truman42

the_new_darren said:


> I would be careful about "advertising" the source of these "free" containers.
> 
> If someone knew who your wife was Truman, then she could face the sack for "stealing" them.
> 
> 
> 
> Just my 0.02c
> 
> tnd



Valid point mate but she's not stealing them. The area she works in gets given a certain amount to use but they don't always end up using them all so the extras are left there and her boss usually let's the staff have them. Typical of large companies it's too hard to reduce the regular order from head office and much easier just to say they are all being used.


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## Clutch

I thought urine WAS sterile?


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## manticle

Being sterile doesn't mean it sterilises.


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## Muscovy_333

Clutch said:


> I thought urine WAS sterile?




Most of the time urine is sterile, unless you need to go to the doctor and wee in a jar to see if you have a urinary tract infection...


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## Truman42

Muscovy said:


> Most of the time urine is sterile, unless you need to go to the doctor and wee in a jar to see if you have a urinary tract infection...




So in other words I should just piss in it, or get the missus to get me some used ones..


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## Feldon

Gives the expression 'getting on the piss' new meaning.


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## leiothrix

urine should be sterile (barring illness) coming out, but it won't stay sterile for long . . .


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## felten

That's why you should drink it straight away.


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## GalBrew

If your first attempt with steam warped them, an autoclave will no doubt be much worse. If they are sterile they will probably have been gamma irradiated (not for the punters at home). However if they don't come individually wrapped in plastic they may not be sterile and I am sure thise things don't come wrapped. Anyway get the Mrs to have a look at the box they came in and get the catalog number (might even be on the label) and google it for the spec sheet of the container. That will have the info you require.


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## seravitae

Given the fairly cheap cost of sterilized containers, although it's nice to have something free and to reuse, it might end up costing you more in time/cost to sterilize them, as opposed to buying new ones?


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## joshuahardie

argon said:


> I use the yellow cap urine sample jars, like these;
> They come as unopened & sterile. After first use I clean them out then give them a few goes in the *baby bottle steam "steriliser" *I know it's not sterile but will be very sanitised and good enough for my purposes. One cycle is 4 minutes in the microwave, then cooled. I do the cycle 3 times. Have kept yeast for over 12 months with no ill effects




Interesting. I turned mine into a molten mess using a electric baby bottle steriliser.
Horses for courses etc etc


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## punkin

I don't know if it's any use to you guys as the lids don't seal, but for mycology work i use PP chinese sauce containers.



They are easily sterilised in a pressure cooker (15 mins at 15 psi-121C). After i pour agar in them i put them in press seal bags (in sterile airflow) and seal. I have dishes that have sat like that for months on end with no sign of bacterial growth.


For yeast slurry you could wrap in glad wrap (cut a 2" piece off the roll) around the edge to stop spillage. The glad wrap comes off the roll as close to sterile as can be because of the machining process.


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