sanitation question

So they have me scared to even breathe next to my stuff after its been sanatized....is this practice ok?


Fill primary with sanitizer and put all stuff in
Runn sanatizer thru racking equipment
Empty and take stuff out 20 or 10 min before ready to use
Place on paper towels on counter until needed
Clean with unscented and dyeless dishwashing liquid

Its the 10 min on the counter the have me worried about. Made my first 2 batches this week....guess we'll see how they turn out...

Who is the "they" that have you terrified ?

DO NOT USE DISHWASHING DETERGENT !

Seriously, it will not cause sanitation issues but you do not want detergents anywhere near your bottles. It can and will kill the head / foam on your beer.

There's a hundred threads on this site about bottling and NONE involve dishwash detergent. Clean them up well and give them a spritz of StarSan inside. Sanitation is really important but don't get carried away with thinking you need to have an operating room level of cleanliness. Do your best and all will be fine.

Yes.

Bacteria aren't ninjas, waiting for you to slip up just once so they can pounce. However, upgrade to a no rinse sanitiser like starsan next time. That way, you can wash with soap, then leave in the sanitiser until the very last minute. No need to even rinse the sanitiser off, just fill equipment / bottles with beer.

I don't like to put stuff in my primary buckets, especially the lid. Avoid scratching that thing at all costs.

Get another bucket, orange one from HD. Just leave the 'stuff' in the bucket until you are ready to use. No need to lay stuff on the counter. Use it right out of the bucket.

I use a long wall paper tray for auto siphon and hoses. Again, leave them in there until ready to use em.

Oxiclean is a great cleaner.

I'm also distracted by that last step. Are you washing the pieces after sanitizing them? You'd be better off just breathing on everything.

You can use dish soap, but not the stuff for use in a dishwasher. The spot free (rinse agents) will leave a film on your equipment.

But should he be cleaning after sanitizing? That was my point.

DaveMcPhee said:

Yes.

Bacteria aren't ninjas, waiting for you to slip up just once so they can pounce. However, upgrade to a no rinse sanitiser like starsan next time. That way, you can wash with soap, then leave in the sanitiser until the very last minute. No need to even rinse the sanitiser off, just fill equipment / bottles with beer.

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I used starsan for the first time yesterday. I did let the bottles dry for the most part, but noticed some bubbles while I was filling them is that normal? Will it effect the beer negatively? (sorry for hijacking the thread)

Star san is a no rinse sanitizer, and you will get foam when you use it either in bottles or the fermenter. A lot of people say "Don't fear the foam", it doesn't affect the taste of the beer as long as it's used/diluted properly.

idigg said:

Star san is a no rinse sanitizer, and you will get foam when you use it either in bottles or the fermenter. A lot of people say "Don't fear the foam", it doesn't affect the taste of the beer as long as it's used/diluted properly.

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Thanks for the info, we will see in a few weeks when it is ready to drink. That's why I was not to worried everything I read said don't fear the foam.

Sorry, I meant cleaning with unscented undyed dish soap after use before putting away...using one step, but going to switch to starsan

Thanks for all the advice.