Tips on sanitizing one or two pieces of equipment

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DavidHawman

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So I need to check the FG on my beer that has hopefully finished fermenting but I need a way to sanitize just the utensil I will use to grab a sample, not a whole slew of equipment.

My normal method is to make up about a 4 gallon solution of Iodophor solution on brew or bottling day to sanitize equipment, bottles and anything that may touch the brew. Pretty simple, just stick item in, wait a minute and shake dry. That way if anything touched an unclean surface I can just chuck it back in.

However, I dont want to waste sanitizer to make a 4 gallon batch just to sanitize my beer thief. I dont have a method of storing the solution for the next brew day.

So could I make say a 1 cup solution of iodophor and wrap paper towels around my beer thief, soak them with the liquid, wait a minute then remove and take a sample? Another option is to bake my pyrex measuring cup in the oven then dip in to remove a sample(I am using a bucket so this is possible). If I were to bake my measuring cup how long and at what temp is most efficient?

Any other methods I may be missing?
 
However, I dont want to waste sanitizer to make a 4 gallon batch just to sanitize my beer thief. I dont have a method of storing the solution for the next brew day.

I built a "wine thief sanitizer" that's just a piece of PVC pipe with a stopper in it. Fill it up with water, add a drop or two of iodophor, stick the thief in for a few minutes and you're good.
 
I built a "wine thief sanitizer" that's just a piece of PVC pipe with a stopper in it. Fill it up with water, add a drop or two of iodophor, stick the thief in for a few minutes and you're good.

Ingenious, I will have to pick up the parts for that next time I am at Home Depot. :mug:
 
Or you could boil an implement on as little water as neccesary to cover the item in a pan. Obviously not so good for plastic.

Edit to add: I have switched from iodophor to Star San, and I keep it in a bucket with a lid. I also keep some in a spray bottle that gets used liberally.
 
I keep a garden sprayer full of Star San almost all the time. I use it often enough that it gets replenished every couple of weeks. It's awesome for situations like yours. A small spray bottle would be just as useful if you want a smaller scaled solution.
 
I usually mix 2 1/2 gallons of starsan at a time. I buy distilled water in one gallon jugs and mix it into a fermenting bucket. By using the distilled water it will last for a long time. I have some PH strips that I can check to make sure that it is still good. After mixing , I pour it back into the jugs and label them so I don't get it mixed up with any other jugs I have. I pour some of the mixture into a spray bottle so I can use it to sanitize one or two things quickly.
 
I usually mix 2 1/2 gallons of starsan at a time. I buy distilled water in one gallon jugs and mix it into a fermenting bucket. By using the distilled water it will last for a long time. I have some PH strips that I can check to make sure that it is still good. After mixing , I pour it back into the jugs and label them so I don't get it mixed up with any other jugs I have. I pour some of the mixture into a spray bottle so I can use it to sanitize one or two things quickly.


I was thinking of doing that, too. Just get another spray bottle that always contains sani-water.
 
I use a spray bottle for the small things. The wall paper tray thing sounds like a good idea also, will have to keep that in mind.
edit: I've used the spray bottle to sanitize my primary buckets when brewing also.
 
I usually mix 2 1/2 gallons of starsan at a time. I buy distilled water in one gallon jugs and mix it into a fermenting bucket. By using the distilled water it will last for a long time. I have some PH strips that I can check to make sure that it is still good. After mixing , I pour it back into the jugs and label them so I don't get it mixed up with any other jugs I have. I pour some of the mixture into a spray bottle so I can use it to sanitize one or two things quickly.


What ph is good/bad for san star?


I also have a garden sprayer but upgraded from a cheap hme depot spray bottle. Both worked great for thesse small jobs.
 
I use two spray bottles from a beauty supply store...always keep them around to sanitize the longer pieces of equipment...just spray on liberally and let it sit for a few minutes and you will be fine.
 
I mixed up a 5 gallon batch of sanitizer using starsan when i started my brew over the weekend. I still have it in a large open bucket. Do you think I can keep using this batch of sanitizer for a couple of weeks without going bad?

otherwise i will try to mix a new 1 gallon batch estimating the correct amount of starsan to add.
 
Edit to add: I have switched from iodophor to Star San, and I keep it in a bucket with a lid. I also keep some in a spray bottle that gets used liberally.

This is exactly what I do. I have a PH meter I keep a check on it with in the bucket and I usually mix a fresh batch every 3 months even though the PH is still well below 3 at that time. I stick a piece of painters tape on the lid and the spray bottle with the date of the mixture written on it for quick reference.
 
I mixed up a 5 gallon batch of sanitizer using starsan when i started my brew over the weekend. I still have it in a large open bucket. Do you think I can keep using this batch of sanitizer for a couple of weeks without going bad?

otherwise i will try to mix a new 1 gallon batch estimating the correct amount of starsan to add.

I would say yes since I keep mine so long in a covered bucket. Try and find a board or something flat enough to use as a make shift lid. I'm not sure what affects being open to light etc there could be.
 
I use a wallpaper tray that I keep filled with StarSan and covered on with Saran wrap that lives on the kitchen counter. Every week or so I put new solution on it.

Sprayer of StarSan was one of the best investments I've made so far in this hobby.
 
When I wondered about weather or not my starsan mixture was good or not, I called the number on the bottle and asked how long it would it would be good. The reply I got was it depends on the water you use. He suggested that I use distilled water, and that I could test the PH to know for sure. Starsan is acid based, and as long as the PH strips come out bright red, that shows that the acid solution is still strong enough. The one gallon jugs of distilled water are not much more costly than regular drinking water. I have tested solutions that were a couple months old and they were still good.
 
I use a 1 quart spray bottle liberally (go through 1 quart a week or more).

1 quart water + 1.5 ml starsan (or 3 ml in 1/2 gallon on bottling days). You can get a measuring syringe from the pharmacy--they use them all the time for giving kids liquid medicine.

At this rate, the bottle of Star San that I bought 6 months ago is going to last a long time.

t
 
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