Do you fill your fermenter completely with sanitiser?

[InterCooL]

Hi guys.
As the title says.

Or do you fill it with a just litre or two, and slosh it around?

I was listening to a beersmith podcast and was informed that filling the fermenter to the brim is correct thing to do.

 

[manticle]

No. Contact is all that's needed so I spray the surface thoroughly then pour in a few hundred mL and slosh around. Where would I keep 20L of sanitising solution?
My spray bottle is 500 mL.

 

[Dan Pratt]

^ ^ like above.

After rinsing out the cleaner (sodium percarbonate) with water a few time, I add 1 litre of starsan that has 1.5mls diluted, shake and leave it for 5mins. empty out and leave all the foam in the FV while filling with wort.

The great thing of starsan is that you need very little to go along way.

 

[Adr_0]

You need to fill it to the brim (with the o-ring out) using sodium perc (for eg) to CLEAN the fermenter, but once it's clean I normallypput 5L in (Starsan solution) and put airlock, hose, etc in and slosh around as above.

Sometimes our mates across the Pacific are a bit over the top.

 

[manticle]

No you don't. Sod perc with boiling water is such an effective cleaner. I use a scrap plus a couple of litres. If it's a cube, I shake (swells, exercise caution) then turn upside down/on side so the krausen ring gets soaked. Anywhere between 5 mins and a few hours depending on my schedule.
Fermenters get the same but rather than shake, I roll the percarb around the krausen ring, take a hot percarb soaked (soft) sponge and rub the yeast ring off. Takes 1-2 minutes and very little water (used to clean something else or cooled and given to the garden).

Doing it immediately after emptying makes it easier.

 

[slcmorro]

Nope. I have a lidded 'reserve' tubof pre-made 20L of Starsan that I use. I generally sodium perc and boiling water clean my cubes and FVs, rinse clean with water and then dump maybe 2-3L in the cube or FV and return the Starsan to the reserve tub.

 

[kelbygreen]

I fill to brim with sodium perc mix but I reuse it a few times and anything I use (beer glasses, spoons, hoses) anything needs cleaning goes into the fermenter and when I need to use it (usually when another needs a clean) I roughly clean the dirty one and then transfer it over to that, Rinse well, using bleach and vinegar ATM swish that around while kettle boils and rinse that then pour boiling water in and swish it about for a bit then its good to go. Not the best as havnt got any starsan yet since starting back up but primitive ways still work

 

[Adr_0]

No you don't. Sod perc with boiling water is such an effective cleaner. I use a scrap plus a couple of litres. If it's a cube, I shake (swells, exercise caution) then turn upside down/on side so the krausen ring gets soaked. Anywhere between 5 mins and a few hours depending on my schedule.
Fermenters get the same but rather than shake, I roll the percarb around the krausen ring, take a hot percarb soaked (soft) sponge and rub the yeast ring off. Takes 1-2 minutes and very little water (used to clean something else or cooled and given to the garden).
Doing it immediately after emptying makes it easier.

Well, there is a very good option there too. For me it's easier to let something sit overnight and it comes out sparkling all over the next day ... But fair enough it's not essential to do it this way.

 

[motman]

I fill to the top and soak then wipe with a cloth to clean and use a litre or so of starsan sloshed and wiped around with a clean cloth to Sanitise. I heard the same podcast but have heard others on beersmith suggesting just the spray bottle or small volume sloshed.

 

[Mardoo]

I do. You don't need to, but I do. I have a spare fermenter that I picked up as an freebie when I bought a capper from a guy. After sanitising the fermenter I'm going to use I put the Starsan in the extra one. I store all my brewing bits that need to be sanitised in there. The sanitiser gets swapped over every time I ferment. That way the extra bits - tubes, taps, plugs, grommets, plastic bags, my airstone and tube, etc etc - are always sanitised and ready to go. And yes I clean the bits between batches.

 

[klangers]

Considering the shortage of water in this country and the fact that the various sanitisers/cleaners are pretty aggressive chemicals, I feel guilty if I fill it all the way up. I just fill a few litres and roll it around and/or circulate some through my pump and hoses and let it splash about the fermenter.

 

[fraser_john]

Yep, 500ml of hot water with either caustic, tricleanium or sod.perc to clean, rinse, then 200 ml starsan sloshed around, usually leave it in there till I need the carboy/cube again. I burn bugs with steam on the SS conical fermenter.....

 

[2much2spend]

It's a tremendous waste of water filling the fermenter up with water. Few liters of boiling water with a good cleaner does the job for me then about 2trs of mixed up star San. If it's not clean the first time do it again.

I posted a topic on a pump keg cleaner uses more than 20ltrs but I can do multiple keg's with it and no effort.

 

[moodgett]

I may get shot down. Straight after fermenter is emptied and bottles filled. I wash it out with hot as tap water in the sink. Any residue is wiped off with a chux pad until clean. After that left to dry. Then when ready to use, I have made up starsan in a spray bottle and never fear the foam

 

[Goose]

I may get shot down. Straight after fermenter is emptied and bottles filled. I wash it out with hot as tap water in the sink. Any residue is wiped off with a chux pad until clean. After that left to dry. Then when ready to use, I have made up starsan in a spray bottle and never fear the foam

For your cleaning I'd add a teaspoon of PBW or Sodium Perc, or even some dishwasher powder to that chux pad, the dry powder has a mild abrasive quality and really helps to get that yeast ring off. The alkaline nature of the powder will also remove any unseen organic film that might cause problems in your next brew.

 

[lael]

I've always filled to the brim with sod. Perc. And left to soak. Gets the scum off without having to touch it. Is there a better way? Using sponges etc is anyone concerned about sources of infection?

 

[Curramore]

I may get shot down. Straight after fermenter is emptied and bottles filled. I wash it out with hot as tap water in the sink. Any residue is wiped off with a chux pad until clean. After that left to dry. Then when ready to use, I have made up starsan in a spray bottle and never fear the foam

Ditto, been doing that with three fermenters on the go for prob. 40-50 brews, no problems as yet. Go Moodgett!

 

[mofox1]

I've just done the full to the brim soak on both of mine over the weekend. Don't usually do it though. It's usually just scrub out with a sponge and detergent, followed by a very thorough rinse out with hot water.

I keep a dedicated sponge for fermenter cleaning, the kitchen sponge has no place anywhere near my brew gear.

 

[manticle]

I've always filled to the brim with sod. Perc. And left to soak. Gets the scum off without having to touch it. Is there a better way? Using sponges etc is anyone concerned about sources of infection?

Dedicated brewing sponge soaked afterwards in boiling perc solution, fermenter rinsed with boiling water after the boiling sod perc, then starsan.
No, not concerned about infection. Mildly concerned about water use though.

 

[motman]

Dedicated brewing sponge soaked afterwards in boiling perc solution, fermenter rinsed with boiling water after the boiling sod perc, then starsan.
No, not concerned about infection. Mildly concerned about water use though.

I regularly chuck the kitchen cloths through the wash - I use a newly washed and dried one to clean brewing gear with - I'm working on the assumption that a clean and dry cloth won't be harbouring too many bacteria.. Whaddaya all reckon?