Hello and good evening everyone!
I apologize in advance for the book
I've been browsing these forums for over a year now and I have gained a lot of valuable information. So much so, that I'm just now getting around to joining and posting. I've been trying to find a direct answer to a simple question but haven't really found the answer, so here it is with a little background...
Almost two years ago, I ended up with a Mr. Beer kit. My creations were pretty sub par with the kit, but it was enough to hook me - I not only love drinking beer but I now love brewing it! I invested in the needed equipment to start producing 5 gallon batches and have brewed a few to this point.. Which leads me to my cleaners and sanitizers. I am flying through them!
I thoroughly clean and sanitize everything after using them - I like to think I have a good routine in place here. The PBW instructions state it needs 25-35 minutes of contact time (which I do after racking from fermenter to bottling bucket). However, on brew day, I end up filling one of my fermenters (6 Gallon buckets) to the top with water and the necessary PBW (or C-Brite or One-Step). Enough so that I can barely put in all my supplies and lid without over flowing it. It sit's this way from flame on until it's time to move my wort. I drain the cleaner mix, then use a gallon of water with the necessary iodophor, and shake rattle n roll it vigorously for 2-3 minutes and now I'm ready to roll..
Finally, the question!
Is the second soak overkill? On brew day, can I clean my fermenter in the same fashion I do to sanitize - by swishing a gallon of PBW/Water solution for 2-3 minutes, then transfering the solution to a pitcher for my utensils? If this would be effective enough, I could drastically cut my cleaning bill.
I apologize in advance for the book
I've been browsing these forums for over a year now and I have gained a lot of valuable information. So much so, that I'm just now getting around to joining and posting. I've been trying to find a direct answer to a simple question but haven't really found the answer, so here it is with a little background...
Almost two years ago, I ended up with a Mr. Beer kit. My creations were pretty sub par with the kit, but it was enough to hook me - I not only love drinking beer but I now love brewing it! I invested in the needed equipment to start producing 5 gallon batches and have brewed a few to this point.. Which leads me to my cleaners and sanitizers. I am flying through them!
I thoroughly clean and sanitize everything after using them - I like to think I have a good routine in place here. The PBW instructions state it needs 25-35 minutes of contact time (which I do after racking from fermenter to bottling bucket). However, on brew day, I end up filling one of my fermenters (6 Gallon buckets) to the top with water and the necessary PBW (or C-Brite or One-Step). Enough so that I can barely put in all my supplies and lid without over flowing it. It sit's this way from flame on until it's time to move my wort. I drain the cleaner mix, then use a gallon of water with the necessary iodophor, and shake rattle n roll it vigorously for 2-3 minutes and now I'm ready to roll..
Finally, the question!
Is the second soak overkill? On brew day, can I clean my fermenter in the same fashion I do to sanitize - by swishing a gallon of PBW/Water solution for 2-3 minutes, then transfering the solution to a pitcher for my utensils? If this would be effective enough, I could drastically cut my cleaning bill.