Cheap way to sanitize wine thief?

[markcubed]

On brew day you always got your big bucket of sanitizer going, but when I need to check gravity readings after brew day it just seems like a waste to use that expensive star san to sanitize a wine thief for testing...

What do you guys do?

 

[BioBeing]

Keep a spray bottle of Starsan handy - scoop it out of your bucket when you make your "big batch" on brew day. As long as it hasn't gone cloudy, it is good. If you don't have starsan already to go, try bleach (and rinse really well with fresh tap water).

 

[markcubed]

My star san is always cloudy by the end of the brew day...

 

[ChshreCat]

+1 on the star san in the spray bottle. A couple squirts inside and out and my wine thief is sanitized.

If your starsan turns cloudy, try using bottled or even distilled water and it will last much longer. I used bottled drinking water for mine and it's still clear months later.

 

[Quaffer]

The only time I check with the theif is to see if it is ready to bottle. Then I mix up half a gallon of water with half a teaspoon of Iodophor. You can save this in an empty half-gallon or gallon jug for a few days to a week and reuse it. That small amount is cheap anyway so no big loss if you dump it.

By the way, I use only half a gallon on brew day too. I put it in the primary bucket and shake it to coat every surface inside. Repeat every five minutes towards the end of brewing. Then dump it out in a bowl and soak the fermentation lock, stopper and drain hose. I also fill my counterflow chiller for a while, using the drain hose with a small funnel and then plug the bottom end while it is full. All that is needed is 2 minutes of contact for Iodophor to do its thing.

 

[Palefire]

Doesn't iodophor lose its potency after 8 hours or so? Seems like I've heard that a few times before (never verified personally).

Spray bottle with starsan is the bomb. Just racked to secondary to dry-hop and did all my sanitizing with the spray bottle. So damn easy and a great way to make a bottle of starsan last forever.

 

[Revvy]

I have two quart sized spray bottles, one filled with iodophor and 1 with starsan, both dilluted with distilled water. I pick whatever one suits my mood.

 

[BioBeing]

My star san is always cloudy by the end of the brew day...

This is due to the pH and mineral content of your water. Use it a little more concentrated - like 1.25 oz per 5 gallons. I think I read somewhere you can add a bit of vinegar to help keep the pH low, but I can't find that info right now.

BTW - it loses effectiveness as the pH rises, and it becomes cloudy. It will still work, just not quite as well. Over <1 day, it should still be plenty good enough.

 

[Revvy]

It's been shown that cloudiness is not really an effective measure of the efficacy of the starsan. SOme people have theris turn cloudy instantly due to their water, BUT by taking a PH strip test they have found out that it was still virginal in terms of it's ability to sanitize. THere's a big difference between freshly cloudy starsan, and starsan that started clear and turned cloudy.

 

[springer]

if I am not mistaken the cloudy appearance comes from the surfactants clinging to the minerals in the water has nothing to do with PH. The PH may still be below the threshold for being effective but the surfactants are diminished

 

[EMPyre]

Yeah, Starsan clouds 'on contact' where I live. The pH strips tell me it's still plenty good...

 

[Revvy]

if I am not mistaken the cloudy appearance comes from the surfactants clinging to the minerals in the water has nothing to do with PH. The PH may still be below the threshold for being effective but the surfactants are diminished

Yeah, Starsan clouds 'on contact' where I live. The pH strips tell me it's still plenty good...

+1 to both of these satements.

 

[Quaffer]

Doesn't iodophor lose its potency after 8 hours or so? Seems like I've heard that a few times before (never verified personally).

True, in the open it does. In a closed container it lasts up to a week in my experience. One can be fooled by the yellowish appearance of the jug, though, thinking that it is still good, only to pour it out and see that it as clear as water and useless. It stains the jug.

 

[UnNatural]

At what pH does StarSan become ineffective?

First post - Hello all!

 

[pretzelb]

I might need to look into getting some pH strips - I had no idea that was a good way to tell if it's still good.

 

[jpc]

My star san is always cloudy by the end of the brew day...

I would suggest that you use distilled water to mix your starsan... I do, and I keep about 2.5 gallons in a 5-gallon bucket... It lasts for months.

 

[Smogre]

+1 on the spray bottle.

However, why spray the inside? Are you putting back in what you just took out?
Not me. I drink it.

I do it as well and always wondered why.

 

[homebrewer_99]

I keep 5 gals of the stuff mixed at all times...place one end in then the other...no problems...

 

[springer]

At what pH does StarSan become ineffective?

First post - Hello all!

Welcome . StarSan needs to be a ph of 3 or below to remain effective

 

[ldgenius2000]

I have a container of 70% isopropanol wipes that I use to sanitize my thief with. Quick wipe down and in a few seconds the thief is dry again and i can use it.

 

[mookie1010]

I keep 5 gals of the stuff mixed at all times...place one end in then the other...no problems...

I knew I wasn't the only one!

 

[jds]

I have a container of 70% isopropanol wipes that I use to sanitize my thief with. Quick wipe down and in a few seconds the thief is dry again and i can use it.

I use isopropyl for sanitizing small stuff too. It's great for keg posts and poppets and small bits and pieces. I also use it on starter flasks and jars for long-term yeast storage, usually after an iodophor rinse. Belt and suspenders.

 

[jar1087]

I keep a spray bottle of starsan around. To make sure that it keeps its potency, I mix it up strong (maybe double the normal concentration), use distilled water, and keep it in the fridge. You should sanitize the inside, just in case a few drops of wort drip back out into the beer.

Alternatively, you could easily use isopropyl alcohol or even vodka (not quite as effective) to quickly sanitize.

 

[LarryC]

+1 on the spray bottle.

However, why spray the inside? Are you putting back in what you just took out?
Not me. I drink it.

I don't know about your thief but my backwashes into the fermentor as I'm lifting it out. Not a lot, but it doesn't hold all its' water...

 

[mookie1010]

I don't know about your thief but my backwashes into the fermentor as I'm lifting it out. Not a lot, but it doesn't hold all its' water...

Yup. Same here. But I'm also a freak about sanitation and was even before I began brewing.

 

[DNW]

my backwashes into the fermentor as I'm lifting it out.

Are you sure it's coming out of the inside? There is liquid that clings to the outside as you lift it and runs down too... You can easily see this just by dunking a glass (right side up) into the sink and picking it up.

 

[Jewrican]

Are you sure it's coming out of the inside? There is liquid that clings to the outside as you lift it and runs down too... You can easily see this just by dunking a glass (right side up) into the sink and picking it up.

i use a turkey baster and without a doubt it backwashes. Just not worth the risk for two extra sprays of star san IMO

 

[Weaselboys]

I would suggest that you use distilled water to mix your starsan... I do, and I keep about 2.5 gallons in a 5-gallon bucket... It lasts for months.

I keep a sealable 6 gallon bucket with about 1-2 gallons of Potassium Metabisulfite mixture and it lasts months also, cost is pennies.
I let it sit for 5 minutes in the bucket with the lid on lightly then rinse with water. I have 10 or so buckets sitting around from doing wine juice.
Mike

 

[DNW]

I don't know about your thief but my backwashes

i use a turkey baster and without a doubt it backwashes.IMO

Well, there's your problem!

 

[Bobby_M]

A thief and turkey baster work on the same principals on the business end. Not sanitizing the inside of either when you plan to dunk into a a whole batch of product is just reckless IMHO.

 

[pretzelb]

I don't know about your thief but my backwashes into the fermentor as I'm lifting it out. Not a lot, but it doesn't hold all its' water...

What drives me nuts is mine doesn't get enough to fill my hydrometer stand so I have to dunk it twice, which gets me paranoid about re-sanitizing.

 

[mookie1010]

What drives me nuts is mine doesn't get enough to fill my hydrometer stand so I have to dunk it twice, which gets me paranoid about re-sanitizing.

The wine thief? I use that as my hydrometer stand.

 

[LarryC]

What drives me nuts is mine doesn't get enough to fill my hydrometer stand so I have to dunk it twice, which gets me paranoid about re-sanitizing.

If I am taking it from my 5 gallon carboy it takes two, if it's from the 6 1/2 gallon carboy it takes about four. I usually wait until I'm just about ready to transfer to secondary or bottle and do the check twice - two days apart. Less dipping eauls less chance of coodies.

 

[ks_medic]

+1 on spray bottle for quick testing.

If you want something to lay your thief in then use a wallpaper tray. its the perfect size to hold your thief and siphon and other misc stuff. Doesn't take much sanitizer to fill either.

 

[dantodd]

If you use a glass wine thief you can fill it half way and set it on its side in the microwave for 2 minutes, let it cool down a little and take it out. To be extra careful you could put it in a container of water (like a lasagna dish) Not quite as good as an autoclave but should do well enough for our purposes.

 

[ReeseAllen]

How is star-san expensive? I got my 16oz bottle for $16 at my LHBS. It takes 1 oz of concentrate to mix up a full 5-gallon bucket. I mix up a fresh bucket of star-san every week and my $16 bottle is still going to last me four months. For one day of brewing, I spend at least $30 on ingredients. Even if I go totally nuts with my spray bottle full of star-san, there's no way I could go through all 5 gallons of my $1 bucket of star-san solution unless I was brewing 7 days a week.

 

[Quaffer]

+1 on spray bottle for quick testing.

If you want something to lay your thief in then use a wallpaper tray. its the perfect size to hold your thief and siphon and other misc stuff. Doesn't take much sanitizer to fill either.

That's a great idea. I have been looking for something that can hold an entire racking cane. Do you think there is one large enough to hold a cane?

 

[ks_medic]

yes the one i bought will hold cane and thief.


This one is 32 inch.
http://www.hardwareandtools.com/invt/6386940

 

[mookie1010]

yes the one i bought will hold cane and thief.


This one is 32 inch.
http://www.hardwareandtools.com/invt/6386940

What a great idea. As I was brewing yesterday I was thinking about starting a thread titled "what do you hate to clean / sanitize" and the auto siphon / racking cane was first on my list. I'll have to stop at the Depot this week.

 

[pretzelb]

yes the one i bought will hold cane and thief.


This one is 32 inch.
http://www.hardwareandtools.com/invt/6386940

Well I'll be darned. I didn't think there would be one large enough to hold the thief. I will need to keep an eye out for one of these.

For the record, I overheard someone at the LHBS say something about using some wide PVC with a cap at one end to make a large soaking tube for items like the thief. I would assume this would work well too.