medic20

Recipes 

Hopefully this isn't too dumb of a question, but I'm coming up on getting to work on my first brew and I want to make sure I sanitize properly.

Would I be able to get away with using the bottling bucket to mix up my sanitizing solution before boiling and primary fermentation, then use the primary bucket to mix the solution come bottling day while the brew is in the secondary?

Also, I'm planning on using gallon jugs of water from the grocery store for the wort. Anything I need to keep in mind when buying the water, I know tap is pretty much a no-go, so I want to make sure bottled water doesn't cause any problems either.

Dan

Recipes 

Bottled spring water works well.

Don't quite follow the sanitation situation. BTW what are you using for a sanitizer?

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medic20

Recipes 

Yeah I figured I was being confusing with that. I'm going to use One-Step, and I want to fill the bottling bucket with the solution in order to soak all of the utensils I'll be using on boil day, as well as to pour into the brew pot and fermenting bucket to sanitize each of them.

Then come bottling day I want to use the fermenting bucket as a place to mix the solution and soak utensils and such.

This is basically all a scheme for me to avoid getting any other kind of bucket to mix the solution in.

Dan

Recipes 

You don't really have to worry about sanitizing your brew pot, just make sure it is clean. The hour long boil will sanitize it. Are you asking if you can reuse the solution from boil day to botttle day? I'm not famliar with one step, does the package give any shelf life info after it's mixed? I know StarSan can be kept for months and reused. As long as the sanitizer you use stays good for a month I think you'll be fine.

Here's a pretty good article on cleaning and santization. I've yet to figure how to insert links correctly but if the page doesn't come up it will give you the option to continue to the intended website.

http://http://baderbrewing.com/store/product.php?printable=Y&productid=22858&cat=396&pa ge=1

Not sure I helped you much with your question.

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kurtism

Recipes 

1...tap water is just fine for brewing IF you live in an area with good quality soft tap water that isn't too chlorinated. since those areas are shrinking...spring water will do just fine. my local grocery store sells their name brand of water in 3 gal containers for $2.59 i think. "better" brands are not necessary.

2...I think I follow your sanitization question....you said (essentially)

on brew day, i want to use a bucket to make a solution to sanitize my equipment.
on bottling day, i want to use a bucket to make a solution to sanitize my equipment.

My point in being repetitive is that it doesn't matter what vessel you use to make a solution in as long as it is clean and you make enough. it doesn't matter what the bucket is called...be it a bottling bucket or primary fermenter. they are all just buckets waiting, yearning to be used to make beer.

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Too many brews...too few bottles!!!

iron_city_ap

Recipes 

I saved up and bought a $5 bucket and lid from Home Depot that I keep my sanitizer in. The way you want to do it, you will have to keep mixing up sanitizer when you brew/bottle which will quickly add up to more than the cost of a dedicated bucket. Mix some up, then keep as much as you can to reuse.

DWavs

Recipes 

I do the same. Bought a cheap 5 gallon bucket and lid for $7 bucks and keep 3 gallons of distilled water mixed with star san in it. Lasts for months.

nimo23

Recipes 

Thanks, this answered similar questions I had as I too embark on my first brew this weekend. Just to clarify one detail, however, if I'm using bottled spring water, do I still need to boil it or is it ok to use out of the bottle?

scrabbler

Recipes 

If you're using the spring water in the wort that you will be boiling, no need to boil it prior if that's what you're asking.

iron_city_ap

Recipes 

It should be fine, but if it makes you feel better to boil it, by all means......