Sure could use some assistance

Hi all Let me say hey and thank you for having this site.

I am in need of assistance I just got my first wine kit. I an trying to figure out how everything works. I never got any info on how to sanitize everything out i need to know how to do it any suggestions please.

Best thing is to buy the smallest container of StarSan (my favorite). It seems expensive but it will make a ton of sanitizer, just under 1/4oz per gallon is the mix ratio and it keeps for months and is reusable. You can buy it mail order or at your LHBS.

StarSan sanitizes by low pH ans is a no rinse solution. I use a spray bottle to coat all surfaces inside and out and my hands. This makes it go even further. I've seen people make a 5 gallon batch to sanitize their carboy and then trow it out ; it will be expensive that way.

If your kit came with a bucket, do NOT EVER use an abrasive scrubber on it. It will scratch the surface making great hiding places for all sorts of bacteria.

http://www.howtobrew.com/section1/chapter2-2-3.html

I am new to this as well. My kit came with one step cleaner. Just mix one tablespoon of one step to one gallon of water. Soak everything that will touch wine in this stuff. No need for rinsing just shake off excess. Rinse fermenters with this stuff as well as carboys and bottles. As I say I am real new too but trying to learn. This is a good site with a lot of helpfull folks. Mike

I brew beer but I'd think the sanitizing process would be the same. Here's a thread on cleaning - https://www.homebrewtalk.com/f39/oxi-clean-homebrewing-328676/ .
For sanitizing I use StarSan which I got from my local home brew store (LHBS). Use it instead of bleach as it's orderless, tasteless and you don't need to rinse.


I should add that it's orderless and tasteless in the final product lol, don't go trying to smell or taste this stuff prior to mixing in water as its acid based!

Remember a cleaner is not a sanitizer. A cleaner is used for cleaning equipment after use. Equipment still has to be sanitized. I sanitize after cleaning before storage and then again right before use. May seem over kill but I like knowing nothing is growing in my buckets while they sit in the dark closet waiting.

cyberlord said:

Remember a cleaner is not a sanitizer. A cleaner is used for cleaning equipment after use. Equipment still has to be sanitized. I sanitize after cleaning before storage and then again right before use. May seem over kill but I like knowing nothing is growing in my buckets while they sit in the dark closet waiting.

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Nice clarification point cyberlord, I clean and sanitize exactly the same way.

For sanitizing---do you have Campden tablets or k-meta?

Whatever you use make sure you do not use any products containing bleach--even if you rinse super well--you are setting your wine equipment and wine up for potential contamination. As far as cleaning, avoid scented dishwashing liquids; consider using Powdered Brewers Wash: The only patented non-caustic cleaner designed to clean stainless steel and safe for use on glass, copper, plastic, brass and ceramic.

I would say most home winemakers use metabisulfite as a sanitizing solution to rinse equipment when making wine. There are better cleaners available for cleaning equipment than metabisulfite, but metabisulfite is an excellent sanitizer when you mixed properly, stored properly and used properly. Remember, you need to clean AND sanitize.

From http://www.finevinewines.com/sulfites2.htm
Tim Vandergrift the Technical Services Manager of Winexpert Limited recently wrote the following information on this subject:
“The sanitizing solution Winexpert recommends is at 1250 PPM, 50 grams in 4 liters, or about three tablespoons of sulfite powder per US gallon. A little heavy hurts nothing but don't go lighter. It will keep for a month or two in a sealed jug” and “ technically Sodium meta is about 8% more active in a given solution than Potassium meta. In practice, this means that if you dose with a quarter-teaspoon in 23 liters (6 US-gallons) you'll yield 20 PPM of free SO2 with Potassium and 21.6 PPM with Sodium. And both are equally effective as a surface sanitizer and winemaking additive plus Sodium metabisulfite is much, much cheaper than potassium”.

Personally, after ensuring my workspace and all equipment has been cleaned/rinsed if indicated, I then start sanitizing. Also, make sure your hands are clean, scrub under your nails, some mist hands with solution. I fill a freshly cleaned spray bottle (designated for meta only, bottle is marked vividly and says POISON) with fresh na-meta solution (if I don't have some in the refrigerator in a sealed, dated/marked container). I will mist every surface heavily. If I have inner aspect of tubing to sanitize I use a sanitized funnel to pour solution into the tubing. My gear is ALWAYS put away after being cleaned and sanitized, air dried & it is cleaned and sanitized before use. I have not had any issues with my fermentations (and I do NOT sanitize corks--they are used immediately from a just opened package).

"No-Rinse" is only a suggestion.

Take a spoonful of the "no-rinse" cleaner and taste it...do you REALLY want that taste to get into your wine???

I rinse excessively before sanitizing.

DoctorCAD said:

"No-Rinse" is only a suggestion.

Take a spoonful of the "no-rinse" cleaner and taste it...do you REALLY want that taste to get into your wine???

I rinse excessively before sanitizing.

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There's no point in sanitizing if you are going to then rinse with tap water. Unless that tap water itself is sanitized by boiling or similar.

DoctorCAD said:

"No-Rinse" is only a suggestion.

Take a spoonful of the "no-rinse" cleaner and taste it...do you REALLY want that taste to get into your wine???

I rinse excessively before sanitizing.

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You might be interested in this:
https://www.homebrewtalk.com/f11/don-t-fear-starsan-foam-math-explanation-207887/

ajwillys said:

There's no point in sanitizing if you are going to then rinse with tap water. Unless that tap water itself is sanitized by boiling or similar.

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I have tap water that isn't contaminated, and I use it for rinsing my k-meta off of my winemaking stuff all the time. Of course, I use tap water for mixing up my must or mixing up the wine kit anyway.

I think saying that rinsing with tap water will contaminate the equipment is incorrect for most people in the US.

DoctorCAD said:

"No-Rinse" is only a suggestion.

Take a spoonful of the "no-rinse" cleaner and taste it...do you REALLY want that taste to get into your wine???

I rinse excessively before sanitizing.

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That's like saying, "Take a teaspoon of malt/acid blend/sugar and taste it. Do you really want that in your beer/wine/cider?". Or if anyone not familiar with fermentation took one look at an active ferment and said, "You actually drink that stuff?".

The acid in StarSan which is much diluted before you add the wort/must and then diluted again will be used by the yeast. It's actually nutritional for the yeast.

There won't be any StarSan in the final product when you drink it.

Yeast nutrient contains Urea, yet people put that in there wine.

Newby2this said:

Hey guys thank you for all the fantastic information going to try to make my first batch this week. Does it make any difference the type of brewing equipment you have I just got mine it is a vintners best kit it has everything I believe but the corker and the bottles according to the place where I got my kit they say 1 batch is 30 bottles


Thank you again

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owwwww my eyes!

You'll get around 30 bottles with that kit. Just follow the directions and you'll be all set.

(and you can use "regular" font to make it easier on our eyes!)

Yooper said:

I have tap water that isn't contaminated, and I use it for rinsing my k-meta off of my winemaking stuff all the time. Of course, I use tap water for mixing up my must or mixing up the wine kit anyway.

I think saying that rinsing with tap water will contaminate the equipment is incorrect for most people in the US.

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I wasn't saying it was contaminated per-se. I am saying that your tap water is likely no cleaner than the bucket/carboy/whatever that you just washed with some sort of cleaner and the tap water. Sanitizing, in my mind, is that "extra" step beyond cleaning. I think rinsing undoes that by then re-exposing it to the conditions it was in before sanitizing (ie, the same water you washed it with).

I've brewed a beer with zero sanitizer before. It was an accident that I didn't realize until later, but to be honest, there was no detectable difference in the final product.

Also, this is the list of acceptable levels of contaminants in the U.S. water supply.
http://water.epa.gov/drink/contaminants/index.cfm

Obviously, most of those don't go away because you mix it into sanitizer, but I still wouldn't feel comfortable with tap water being the last thing in a carboy before fermentation.

ajwillys said:

I wasn't saying it was contaminated per-se. I am saying that your tap water is likely no cleaner than the bucket/carboy/whatever that you just washed with some sort of cleaner and the tap water. Sanitizing, in my mind, is that "extra" step beyond cleaning. I think rinsing undoes that by then re-exposing it to the conditions it was in before sanitizing (ie, the same water you washed it with).

I've brewed a beer with zero sanitizer before. It was an accident that I didn't realize until later, but to be honest, there was no detectable difference in the final product.

Also, this is the list of acceptable levels of contaminants in the U.S. water supply.
http://water.epa.gov/drink/contaminants/index.cfm

Obviously, most of those don't go away because you mix it into sanitizer, but I still wouldn't feel comfortable with tap water being the last thing in a carboy before fermentation.

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Here is where your assumption goes wrong. I simply stated that a no-rinse CLEANER should be rinsed off, it is soap and I can taste it. I never stated to rinse the SANITIZER off, in fact, I have many times stated that campden solution will only be a sanitizer as long as it is wet.

Sanitizer = good
Soap = bad

Just my opinion, but I have a friend that makes beer and does not rinse his One-Step off anything and I can tell it is on the bottles when I drink his beer.

DoctorCAD said:

Here is where your assumption goes wrong. I simply stated that a no-rinse CLEANER should be rinsed off, it is soap and I can taste it. I never stated to rinse the SANITIZER off, in fact, I have many times stated that campden solution will only be a sanitizer as long as it is wet.

Sanitizer = good
Soap = bad

Just my opinion, but I have a friend that makes beer and does not rinse his One-Step off anything and I can tell it is on the bottles when I drink his beer.

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You're right. I misread your post that you were rinsing after sanitizing. I see now that you rinse after cleaning, before sanitizing. I agree, cleaner should be rinsed off. Anyway, sorry to cause this thread to go off on this tangent. I know people's cleaning regime's are borderline sacred. We each have our own level of paranoia and as long as the end product is good, that's all that matters.

yes i agree, made wine 7 years ago when i first started and only used one step. it was a "no rinse" cleaner that was apparently ok to get in your wine. every single batch i made tasted funky which was why i quit! I started brewing again last week and am now cleaning, rinsing, sanitizing and leaving surfaces wet just prior to adding ingredients to fermentor. wine tastes good so far but of course it is still fermenting.

I've only used one step and no rinse. Never had an after taste. I even rinsed my berries in it!