How To Keep Fermenters In Good Shape While Not Busy

[warrenlw63]

Isn't milton just plain sodium met?

Nup, dilute bleach. Kind of a false economy.

Edit: Sodium Hypochlorite.

Warren -

 

[pint of lager]

Never noticed the plastic bottles bleach is sold in being attached,could be messy in the supermarket

It does happen. Have seen the plastic lids on stored bottles of bleach that have cracked. You don't realise it has happened till you are wearing some of the undiluted bleach and your clothes cop it.

 

[BenH]

Miltons is actually sodium hypochlorite, aka bleach, but it's 'pharmaceutical' grade... so a lot more expensive than 'standard' bleach. I'm not sure what advantages there would be of Miltons over bleach.

 

[BenH]

Miltons is actually sodium hypochlorite, aka bleach, but it's 'pharmaceutical' grade... so a lot more expensive than 'standard' bleach. I'm not sure what advantages there would be of Miltons over bleach.

Dang, warren you're too quick

 

[Whistlingjack]

Yep...sodium hypochlorite

Stable in high concentrations, but is very corrosive.

In dilution, at strengths that would be safe and desirable for disinfection, it becomes less stable.

 

[Kai]

Would not ever use sodium met or bleach.

Bleach will attack the plastic over time.

Sodium met is only sold by incompatent brew shops

Best is to store clean and dry.

It's not an effective sanitiser but it can be useful as a storage solution. In a sealed fermenter I imagine it would last a fair while before evaporation completely.

That being said, clean and dry is definitely the best storage method. However, I am lazy and often have my ferments full or partly full with napisan. Also useful because I like to reuse the solution a few times before discarding. Then again my fermenters rarely sit idle for much longer than a couple weeks.

 

[jdsaint]

At the moment I just rinse in hot-warm water after bottling the brew then store it after it dry's.
Before Brew day I sterilise with Brigalow 100% sodium metabisulphite.

Now brew shop is tomorrow as well as 'brew day' reading this tread has lead me to believe that napisan & Milton are the 2 big sterilizers in this forum.

As these 2 sterilizers Are the same price as Big w sterilizers would I be better to by one of these for my cleaning, in which would you recomend?

Another thing I guess would be for cleaning glass 375ml stubbies, I always used neo-pink the day I was bottling, it would take around 3-4 hours to clean and bottle, don't get me wrong I enjoy it, is their a alternitive to neo-pink?

sterilizing seems to be bigger than brewing, so I would like to master this before mastering brewing

 

[kook]

At the moment I just rinse in hot-warm water after bottling the brew then store it after it dry's.
Before Brew day I sterilise with Brigalow 100% sodium metabisulphite.

Now brew shop is tomorrow as well as 'brew day' reading this tread has lead me to believe that napisan & Milton are the 2 big sterilizers in this forum.

As these 2 sterilizers Are the same price as Big w sterilizers would I be better to by one of these for my cleaning, in which would you recomend?

Another thing I guess would be for cleaning glass 375ml stubbies, I always used neo-pink the day I was bottling, it would take around 3-4 hours to clean and bottle, don't get me wrong I enjoy it, is their a alternitive to neo-pink?

sterilizing seems to be bigger than brewing, so I would like to master this before mastering brewing

First off, not to be pedantic but we sanitise, not sterilise. To render any of the equipment sterile you'll need to pressure cook or autoclave it.

I'd recommend reading the following chapter which should give you some information.

http://www.howtobrew.com/section1/chapter2.html

A lot of the people around here use sodium percarbonate based products (such as napisan) or bleach for cleaning, then either orthophosphoric acid, hydrogen peroxide or iodophor based sanitisers.

 

[tipsy]

I clean and store dry with the lid partly off (sitting loosely on top)

 

[Fingerlickin_B]

I wash with Sodium Percarbonate (Source: nappy cleaner) and store dry with a towel over the top when I'm being really good...although I have been known to leave the fermenter full off Percarbonate/water solution for up to a week...oops :blink:

Having not read every post (too lazy) I do know that some folks suggest popping some Sodium Met powder into dry fermenters when stored for long periods of time, as it apparently inhibits bacterial growth.

PZ.

 

[stillscottish]

hi, i don't have mine full of metabisulphite solution, but i have about 500mls in the bottom and i have not had any foul brews.

cheers alan

Yes.

I've been doing that for about 25 years and never had a problem.

Campbell

 

[Ross]

Well mine sit in the brew fridge with the remnants of the last brew until the night before the next brew. Then i swish out with a hose, add a tblsp of napisan, 5 L of hot water & let soak over night. On brew day I give a rinse with a non rinse sanitiser & that's it.
Not recommending the above, but it works for me...

Cheers Ross

 

[Pumpy]

I've currently got my spare fermenters sitting full of a potassium metabisulphate solution, is this going to harm them and any beers that may sail in her down the track? How do you keep your idle HDPE containers in tiptop shape during downtime?

OK to Summarise

1) fill with water and add Napisan ('BABY CARE' type it has no perfume added ) leave overnight
2) remove rubber o ring and place in soak too
3) rinse out (do not use abrasive cleaning pads) only use soft sponge
4) remove tap and clean thread of fermenter and soak tap again in napisan (Babycare) .
5) store without lid or loosely fitting on its side, Dry
6) Dry O ring
7) Sanitise fermenter,Oring, lid and tap before use

Pumpy

 

[Ducatiboy stu]

My ferm is always full, so I dont have the problem.