Sanitizing Question

We were making our forth kit yesterday and a reoccuring question arose. Being a brewer also I'm very much aware of the importance of keeping everything sanitary. I use StarSan and Iodophor religiously on everything.

However, when making my wines I've observed that the kit instructions have you adding things from the kit that are not sanitized and they do not suggest you sanitize them. The instructions do make it very clear in the beginning about the importance of sanitizing certain things which they specifically call out, but they do not call out some of the items which I would think are equally imortant. For example, oak chips added raw, skins and oak powders added in a unsanitized cloth bag, etc.

How do they get away with this without inviting disaster???

Thanks....

It's about reducing risk not irradicating it.

If the wine has already started to ferment when you add these things the acidity and alcohol will kill a lot of things and the yeast will be so dominant it's difficult for other bugs to take over.

There's a much larger risk if you re doing it before you begin fermenting.

Possible precautions would be to soak the oak (which is probably prepared in food safe environments) in vodka before adding and to soak the bags in boiling water before use.

Don't forget kit instruction vary from atrocious to good.

oops.. I just posted the same question on another thread just a few minutes ago! >blush!<