sterilizing wine thiefs

[sashurlow]

So I recently bought a wine thief for taking specific gravities in my carboys. What is the easiest way to sterilize it? Can I make up a batch of Star San and store it in a gallon jug and have it still be effective over time?
I'm brewing cider and would like to stop the brewing at a certain specific gravity, so I plan on using the wine thief on a regular basis.
scott

 

[wyzazz]

First things first, you can't sterilize it without an autoclave or pressure cooker. The best we can do as brewers is to sanitize.

Star San will stay good for a long time if left in a sealed container, indefinitely if you use RO/Distilled water to mix it. Buy a gallon jug of distilled water and put 6mls of Star San in it using a little cough syrup syringe, it'll be fine. I do this and pour a bunch of it in to a spray bottle, works great for quickly sanitizing something that doesn't fit in to a jug/bucket.

 

[TheSeether]

Spray the outside with star san. Fill the inside either with a pouring container or just bounce the thief up and down inside a column of star san.

Star san foam does make taking readings a bit more difficult.

Thanks to wyzazz for pointing out that santization is the effect not sterilization.

 

[wyzazz]

Spray the outside with star san. Fill the inside either with a pouring container or just bounce the thief up and down inside a column of star san.

^^ This is what I do^^

Thanks to wyzazz for pointing out that santization is the effect not sterilization.

Just a pet peeve of mine, sorry.

 

[malkore]

get a wallpaper tray...they are like 3 feet long, but not wide or deep. ideal for sanitizing long skinny things when you don't have a spray bottle of star san.

 

[dbals]

+1 on the wallpaper tray, I also have a long heavy duty plastic dry-wall mudding tray that works for smaller items (my wine thief just fits inside).

 

[rico567]

+2 on the wallpaper tray. Back when I started using Star San, I needed some way to efficiently sanitize all the small parts, and those that were long. I got a 30" wallpaper tray from the hardware store, and have never looked back. The autosiphon components and the wine thief (I use the Fermtech) fit in there no problem. Vinyl hose goes in doubled up, along with bottle filler, parts to bottling bucket spigot.

During the brew season, I just let these things sit in the empty tray between bottling sessions. Fill up the tray with Star San solution and immerse everything when I get started. I use a spray bottle with SS solution on all my buckets or carboys.

As for the wine thief or any of the small parts, they are rinsed thoroughly in hot water immediately after use and put away until next time. I started brewing four years ao this coming November, and have had no issues using these methods.

 

[Monster Mash]

I just use a spray bottle of star san and spray the outside and the inside. I put my finger on the bottom to keep it from running out and shake it around inside.