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JDRanalli · 12-05-2012, 05:05 PM

I currently live in a very small apartment with very small kitchen and bathroom sink s. Any tips on efficiently sanitizing my larger equipment? We do have a dishwasher but it is not large enough for buckets, etc

BleacherBrewing · 12-05-2012, 05:10 PM

I use the hose in my kitchen sink and am also lucky enough to have a movable shows head that works as well.

**Homercidal** · 12-05-2012, 05:15 PM

I use Starsan in a spray bottle and just spray my larger pots and things and/or wipe them down with a starsan-soaked washrag, then let drip until the excess is dripped away.

You do not need to "soak" starsan, just wet everything and leave stand for 1.5 minutes (actually more like 30 seconds, but the FDA requires them to put 1.5 minutes on the label...)

**Revvy** · 12-05-2012, 05:17 PM

I put a lot of good info and tips of effectively using sanitizers in here. Including a podcast by the creator of starsan, and one by a rep from iodophor talking about that and more-http://www.homebrewtalk.com/f39/sanitizer-question-54932/

nbrack · 12-05-2012, 05:18 PM

I've been using an extra 5 gallon bucket and filling it up halfway with 1/2 oz of StarSan. I also keep a spritzer on hand filled with it too- that's very handy. I usually pour or siphon the contents of the big bucket into the larger pieces (fermenter, carboy, etc... splash around for a minute or two, then pour back into the bucket and cover them. Then place all the small items (airlock pieces, hoses, autosiphon, hydrometer, etc...) I even set my wort chiller in there too. Probably not necessary, but I figure it doesn't hurt and I want to make sure I put 100% effort into sanitizing.

Thanks for bringing up this question as I am always on the lookout for more convenient sanitation methods. Some people use a long wallpaper tray for sanitizing the various small items and that looks like a good idea too.

**unionrdr** · 12-05-2012, 05:24 PM

You could clean the big stuff in the bathtub. Sanitizing is just a matter of pouring starsan,for instance ofer the lid of an ale pale into it,then down the sides. Drain through the spigot after it's been cleaned & re-installed. I drain it through the spigot back into it's storage jug. I use an old large printer stand as aferment stand/storage unit. I set the fermenter on top of it with 3-4TBSP of PBW in it,then fill with water & stir & cover for 5-7 days to saok it clean. Lightly scrub inside with my bottle brush,then drain through spigot into a homer cheapo orange bucket. Then flush it down.

bobbrews · 12-05-2012, 05:28 PM

Just place all of your smaller equipment in the bucket filled with sanitizing solution. Use the equipment as needed and then toss it back in the bucket. Or get one of those $5 large plastic bins from Sears/Lowes/Home Depot/Walmart and fill that up with your solution.

My carboys are filled with sanitizing solution and placed in the tub until I need them. But I don't use to tub to actually sanitize the outside of the carboys... pointless. Be sure to use cleaned equipment though.

boscobeans · 12-05-2012, 05:47 PM

As soon as I'm done with any of the first step equipment (pot-tun-spigots-hoses-chiller and whatever) I clean it before anything has a chance to dry on and get gunky.

Same goes for fermenter and then bottling bucket.

Next brew session I still soak and wipe down everything in OXY then a spray of Starsan and I'm good to go.

Hate having to worry about dried on wort and what can grow on it or attach to it while being stored.

bosco

JDRanalli · 12-06-2012, 12:53 AM

Very very helpful, thank you all so much!

nbrack · 12-06-2012, 12:55 PM

My last brew session as well as bottling session I also left one side of my kitchen sink filled up with Oxyclean solution the whole time. It was very convenient anytime I wasn't sure about something, wash it in the sink quick and dip it in the bucket of Starsan. Easy!