Sanitizing Questions

[Zipster]

I was not using bleach on the ones that got infected, only quenching with boiling water, I learned afterward that it takes time for the sterilisation process to be effective.

Hard to tell how much bleach I'm using now but I think it's plenty enough..

Thanks for that link, I like it.

.z

 

[Bubba]

I have never, ever had a spoiled brew, bottle or keg and keep my cleaning and sanitising regime very simple.

Bottles are all cleaned after use (hot water only like in the pubs).

Before use I use hot water and pink powder, rinse in cold water and spray with diluted iodophor and use after they air dry. I never use bleach, or anything else that was not intended to be used for brewing...but that's just me. I know a lot of brewers that use bleach, ovens and so on and if it works for them then go for it.

I do the same for my fermenter, kegs, the lot.

 

[muthead]

Beerfingers - you are a very cruel man.....yet very amusing.

 

[Nicko_Cairns]

BF,

Great recommendation with the sky-hook and long weight, however you almost sent the young fellow off without the vital tool, as far as I can recall when I made a sky-hook setup there's a reverse thread on assembly, so a left handed screwdriver is required. Bit fiddly to use at first but he'll get the hang of it quickly enough.

Sky-hook
Long-weight
Left handed phillips head screw driver (medium size head from memory).

 

[colonel]

No. Here only tank water, this means bacteries from bird shit.

Still not sure if you're joking, or paranoid, but I'll play along.
I've made over 300 kit brews with tank water (tank is on shearing shed, surrounded by cypress trees), complete with bird shit, possum shit, dirt, cypress needles, and the odd dead rat.
Also, I usually rinse bottles after drinking, and store them upside down, (sometimes for months) then just fill. (unless they have spiders in them).
I've only ever had 2 brews that I felt I had to tip out, and I'm pretty sure they were brews that I had forgotten about, and had sat there with a dry airlock for about 6 weeks.

Now that I'm AGing, I do take a little more care, only because of the extra time involved, I don't want to waste any beer, and because of the waiting time while mashing, I can spend some time getting those stains out of the bottles.

All in all, if you've got plenty of time, and are at all worried, just keep cleaning.

Good luck.

 

[rumdiary]

interesting, sounds like you'd have to be pretty unlucky to get infections in bottles/FV, although it's better to be safe than sorry, i just rinse after drinking then give the bottles a squirt of iodophor before bottling, basically the same routine i have with the FV.

 

[JDW81]

interesting, sounds like you'd have to be pretty unlucky to get infections in bottles/FV, although it's better to be safe than sorry, i just rinse after drinking then give the bottles a squirt of iodophor before bottling, basically the same routine i have with the FV.

+1

Bottle washer, bottle tree and no rinse sanitiser. I give 'em a 5 minute drip dry while i get ready and then fill, usually still quite wet. No funny tastes or infections yet. Easy as.

 

[Liam_snorkel]

just in case you missed it:

If you use a no-rinse sanitizer (Starsan or Iodophor) then you can just give them a dip or a squirt, drain and fill.

Starsan FTW! :beerbang:

the thread 2 days ago on the same topic had dilution rates if you want to use bleach/vinegar mix as a no-rinse

Starsan FTW! :beerbang:

QldKev

Or you can get iodophor or starsan and do some research on this site

I guess if you leave your bottles to dry (pointing down, so nothing wafts in), there will be less residual chlorine, but truly, go for the Starsan or Iodophor. If you get a bottle washer thing that is often sold with a bottle tree, and a no-rinse sanitizer like the above, you really won't regret it!

get some StarSan.