Best Way To Sterlize Urine Sample Containers

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Truman42

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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...

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

I'm with felten. Starsan.
 
Fair enough Truman, spoilt as I can get them at any time. Love the public health system :rolleyes:

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
 
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.
 
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.
 
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?
 
I use the yellow cap urine sample jars, like these;
70ml_Specimen_Container_Security_Seal_Yellow_Cap.jpg

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

How many did you get?
 
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.
 
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.
 
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.
 
is she getting them prior to use?

I would think a hit of starsan would be heaps

QldKev
 
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