Early Sanitation of Carboy

[IslandMike]

Hello everyone,

I did a quick forum search but I wasn't able to find a threat about my question. (although I found a few interesting threads such as how you know when you are no longer a n00b lol) In any case, I was curious what the popular view was on sanitizing a glass carboy and then covering the opening with sanitized aluminum foil until the carboy is filled days/weeks later. Would the carboy still be sufficiently sanitized?

I was cleaning and sanitizing a carboy and instead of just dumping all my iodiphor I felt that it would be better utilized by sanitizing an empty carboy I had lying around.

I'm sure I will get some replies about how I shouldn't have empty carboys and they should all be filled with some fermenting nectar of the gods, so I will put your fears at rest by saying I plan to fill it up next weekend.

Thanks and cheers!

 

[jppostKW]

I have done it before the way I have done it is to use cO2 to move the sanitizer around with a sanitary filter between the co2 tank and the carboy. I wouldn't trust it any other way there might be something floating in the air that replaces the sanitizer just my two cents

 

[Cheeto]

Seek Star-San and you shall be freed !


I use Star-San(http://www.austinhomebrew.com/product_info.php?cPath=178_56_36&products_id=513) you can leave that in your carboy until you are ready to use it.

 

[Frodo]

I think as Iodophore loses the amber color it becomes ineffective. Maybe that won't happen by next week? If it does, just add a little more Iodophore!

 

[Revvy]

As long as you are not letting the sanitizer dry youu will be fine. If you let a no-rinse, wet contact sanitizer like starsan or iodophor, dry your are reducing it's efficacy by half. The minute you re-opened the tinfoil seal on the carboy, any micro organisms that touch the surface render it no longer sanitized. If the walls are wet with sanitizer, that organism would be toast. But dry it would still be alive.

 

[IslandMike]

Awesome guys, thanks very much. I imagine Ill just sanitize it again when I fill it up since the couple cents of sanitizer isn't worth the risk of a lost batch. Was more curious than anything.

 

[musick]

There is quite a difference between sanitize vs sterilize.

A sterile vessel would be OK in advance (a few weeks or so), but I wouldnt trust one sanitized in advance.

Sanitizer is cheap. My time/infected beer is not.

 

[JustJake]

Ive wondered this for a while, now with these sanitizers we're all using.

They're considered no rinse which is great, but what is their effect on yeast?

They're designed to kill microorganisms right?

I've always assumed that its ok, and the beer has come out ok.. anyone care to ease my mind?

 

[Revvy]

Ive wondered this for a while, now with these sanitizers we're all using.

They're considered no rinse which is great, but what is their effect on yeast?

They're designed to kill microorganisms right?

I've always assumed that its ok, and the beer has come out ok.. anyone care to ease my mind?

At proper dillution there pose no harm to yeast. Hence the term "no-rinse." In fact starsan actually become food for the yeast.