How much steam time is necessary for mere sanitization?

[javert]

Hi.

We are on a conundrum regarding whether to sanitize bottles via chemicals vs using an autoclave. Last two batches when we bottled using a disinfectant (it isn't Starsan: judging for the smell, I suspect it is a mixture of peracetic acid and hydrogen peroxide) for the bottles the beer came vastly undercarbonated and morale is low.

I'm under the impression that more than 75 % of the steam sterilization cycle in an autoclave is aimed toward bacterial spores and that nonsporulated bacteria die much more easily. Given that we just want to sanitize the bottles and aren't going to store culture media in them, is there a standard and shorter steam cycle for it (like, say, 115 °C for 5 minutes)?

 

[govner1]

In most autoclaves it is a combination of steam and pressure. You can "flash"
autoclave at higher temp and pressure. I think that generally 5-10 minutes.
Personally, I would use StarSan.

 

[triethylborane]

Peracetic acid is stabilized by hydrogen peroxide, so if it smells like vinegar and the effervescent hydrogen peroxide, it probably is. But labeling should tell. If you don't have labels, that is an issue in your sanitation problem. It might not even be a sanitation problem, you just mention under carbonation, not an infection.


Sounds like a commercial op if you have access to an autoclave. You have to ensure you are following the autoclave procedures . . . is the vacuum pump removing trapped air?

 

[Weezy]

Yeah, you kinda lost me when you went from bottling to autoclav too. Kinda skipped the keg step there.