Sanitizing Your Gear

So I got all my stuff ordered and its arrived.

I'm getting ready to do my first brew.

I want to buy some storage tubs for everything and I had a question about sanitizing.

I was thinking of getting an extra couple of tubs to do the sanitizing in. I have only used sanitizing solution in a restaurant setting where you have a huge sink with a sanitizing solution made up and after washing something you dunk it in the sanitizer.

Is that what we'll be doing here with this brew gear? I dont have a huge sink... So I figure I'd get a few plastic storage tubs that I can use for sanitizing... Solid plan? Or stupid idea? And if so, why?

You'll find a lot of good info/tips to effective sanitization here; https://www.homebrewtalk.com/f39/sanitizer-question-54932/

With the no-rinse/wet contact sanitizers such as starsan and iodophor, you can use a lot less sanitizer and have it go further than you think. Between a spray bottle (as discussed above) and other things mentioned, I only use about 2 gallons of solution on any given brew or bottling day.

great info. I read the first page there. I do have starsan. I had read about that before and ordered it right away.

Question, do you need to dry this stuff off before using it? Dunking the tongs in it for 30 sec, etc.. Do you then dry it off before the tongs go in the wort?

do not dry off sanitizer, use it wet

Everything that is going to touch cooled wort (below 150 degrees) after the boil is going right from the starsan into the wort. No need to dry anything, as that would defeat the purpose since wipeing it dry or letting it air dry would allow "the nasties" to get into your beer via the tongs, spoons, siphons, etc.

If you keep reading in that thread you'll find that wet/dry answer, though Jet gaveyou the right one. But it and pretty much ALL your sanitizing questions are asked, and answered (by me) in that thread. So read it through.

will do.

Thanks guys!

adding to "To get list"

sponge
spray bottle
5 gal bucket
wallpaper tray
oxyclean

...still reading...

finished the thread... I had one question remaining.

When the starsan runs out. Do you recommend I order more? Or use an alternative? And if an alternative, why and which one do you recommend Revvy?

(I'm asking this because several things were mentioned, since I'm starting brand new I'd love to make this easy on myself and get a single recommendation from the Yoda of sanitizing!

eighteez said:

finished the thread... I had one question remaining.

When the starsan runs out. Do you recommend I order more? Or use an alternative? And if an alternative, why and which one do you recommend Revvy?

(I'm asking this because several things were mentioned, since I'm starting brand new I'd love to make this easy on myself and get a single recommendation from the Yoda of sanitizing!

Click to expand...

There's really no substitute for starsan. And if you use those tips, one of the large bottles can last a couple years. I pretty much use it exclusively these days, though on occasion I do switch off and use farm grade iodine just to throw then beasties a curve on occasion.

What I got with my order was this:

http://www.midwestsupplies.com/five-star-homebrewer-s-kit.html

There is starsan and "pbw" in there. What is "pbw"? This is what midwest recommended...

When I order more recipes I'll add this to my order and just go with starsan from then on out. http://www.midwestsupplies.com/star-san.html

PBW is Professional Brewer's Wash, it's a cleanser. Once you finish that you might want to try what many of us use, no scent oxyclean, or generic dollar store variety. Then after you've tried both, you can decide which to use as your stock cleanser.

perfect, thanks!