Sanitizing lines and march pump

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Dave258

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How long do you guys run boiling wort through your lines and pumps to sanitize them? I thought I read 15 mins. but is that too long?
 
I don't run boiling wort through my pump since it tends to pick up too many bubbles and cavitate. Instead, I pump iodophore through the lines before use.

However, your mileage my vary, here is an article by brewing techniques magazine which may help.
 
15 minutes seems like overkill IMO.

Sanitizing for the purpose of running wort to fermenter? If that is what you are asking I usually go 2-3 minutes. It does not take very long to kill anything lurking in the hoses or pump when you introduce boiling liquid. Also the pump/hoses have been just used with 170F mash into the BK so they are well on the way to sanitized state.
 
The heat sanitation rule of thumb is:

  1. 185F - 15 mins
  2. 195F - 10 mins
  3. 205F - 5 mins
  4. 210F - < 5 mins

Personally, I recirculate 210F wort for ~2 mins, let stand for ~10 minutes while the whirlpool settles, and chill.
 
I rinse and run a hot Oxyclean solution through my pump and all of my hoses at the end of my brewing session. I briefly rinse this same equipment with cold water prior to using it. It will have very hot wort running through it when in use and I rely on that for sanitizing. The only exception to this is the single hose that goes from the chiller directly to the fermenters after cooling the wort. I clean it along with the others as usual, but I keep it submerged in a bucket of StarSan until I'm ready to fill the fermenters. IMO, the key is to rinse ALL of your wort carrying equipment very well with hot water immediately after use followed by the Oxyclean step and another good rinse. I don't use sanitizer on this equipment as it is all pre-boil or pre-hot wort. I save the sanitizer for post boil equipment like fermenters, racking canes, tubing etc.
 
Thanks everyone!
I do the hot water through the lines and pump after my brew day is done. I then soak the hoses and fittings on hoses in oxyclean, followed by fresh water rinse and soak.
I haven't run oxyclean through the pump though.
 
Thanks everyone!
I do the hot water through the lines and pump after my brew day is done. I then soak the hoses and fittings on hoses in oxyclean, followed by fresh water rinse and soak.
I haven't run oxyclean through the pump though.

I like to make a big loop hooking the hoses up end to end from the kettle to the pump, then from the pump through the CFC and back into to the kettle. I fill the kettle with several gallons of very hot water and Oxyclean and let it circulate for awhile; sometimes for several hours or even over night on occasion. There is probably no good reason to do this for more than 30 minutes or so as that's about how long the Oxyclean remains active IIRC. I rinse everything well with cold water only.
 
I recently took apart the head on my march pump just to see how dirty it may be and was surprised to find it sparkling clean. Not a sign of any wort, hops, or anything else whatsoever.

FYI, at the end of the brew session I just attach my garden hose to the input of the whole system and leave the pump go for a few minutes. Then I recirculate iodophore as previously stated (clean after and before).
 
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