Sanitation routine

[wittymonkey]

Hi, I am new to homebrewing wine and I don't really have anybody to learn from. I read that sanitation is important so my routine is :

1. Wash everything (with dish soap, that doesn't leave a flavor)
2. spray with sanitization liquid made from the powder the wine making kit had ( from a spray bottle, I mixed a gallon and I put it in the spray bottle as needed. The gallon is stored capped, in a cool place, away from light).
3. Then wash again just with water , cold water

Then use on wine (to measure SG, mix ...)

Then go over 1 , 2 , 3 again and store in a clean place.

So each time I do anything it takes these 7 steps.
Am I doing too much ? Not enough ? Just right ?

Thanks

George

 

[Inner10]

Dish soap isn't great, I've used it many times but it takes a good lot of rinsing in really hot water to get the film off. A seasoned favorite here is OxyClean.

What is the powder in the wine making kit? If it's sodium or potassium metabisulphite you need not rinse with water, infact rinsing with water brings about another opportunity for infection.

Clean before you store, it isn't necessary to sanitize, if you spray sulphites on everything you will come back to a rash of sulphite crystals on everything and any metal tools you have used will be rusted. Except carboys I like to leave a little sanitizer in them.

Get yourself a little bottle of starsan and put it in a sprayer. It has to be the nicest sanitizer to work with.

So my routine is as follows:

After I use my gear I rinse with oxyclean, then hot water, then put away. Before I use next time I blast with starsan.

 

[wooda2008]

Dish soap will leave a film. Oxyclean is the cat's meow, but I can usually get away with just very hot water if nothing is visibly soiled.

Rinsing after sanitizing doesn't do you anything, if you're using a good no-rinse sanitizer. The kitchen faucet is a pretty germy place.
Good sanitizers are Starsan, Iodophor, and potassium metabisulphite, or a recipe of bleach and vinegar you can find on the forum.

 

[Shred]

If you're mixing and storing sanitizer you should be doing so in distilled water.

 

[wittymonkey]

Thanks for all the help.

I am using potassium metabisulphite now.
So :
1. no washing after I sanitize, ok
2. And better to use something else then dish soap ( I do wash it a lot under hot water to get rid of it. My logic was that if it's good for the glasses I drink water from every day, it's certainly good for cleaning what I make wine with).

I'll try the oxyclean, then hot water, then put away. Before I use next time I blast with starsan.

Thanks.

George

 

[Inner10]

Thanks for all the help.

I am using potassium metabisulphite now.
So :
1. no washing after I sanitize, ok
2. And better to use something else then dish soap ( I do wash it a lot under hot water to get rid of it. My logic was that if it's good for the glasses I drink water from every day, it's certainly good for cleaning what I make wine with).

I'll try the oxyclean, then hot water, then put away. Before I use next time I blast with starsan.

Thanks.

George

Its not like dish detergent is a heinous crime, it's just a pain to get all the residue off.

 

[ReefKeeper]

George, the KMS that came in the kit was, most likely, not for sanitizing. It is used to prevent oxidation and bacterial spoilage in the wine. Every kit I've made has had me add the KMS packet after primary fermentation.

Buy yourself a few ounces of KMS and Citric acid for sanitizing (the citric makes the KMS more reactive so you can use less.) 3 grams of KMS (about 1/2 teaspoon) and 12 grams (just under a tablespoon) of citric per gallon should do the job just fine. Add the citric just before using, as it will cause the KMS to become very reactive. Stored in a sealed jug it should last a week or two. BTW, don't breathe the fumes if you can avoid it.

 

[saramc]

Good sanitizers are Starsan, Iodophor, and potassium metabisulphite, or a recipe of bleach and vinegar you can find on the forum.

I would highly recommend keeping bleach (and any raw vinegar) out of your sanitizing routine for any winemaking. Bleach is well known to cause cork taint, the WinemakerMag article link explains the issue.

Good reads here.. http://www.grapestompers.com/articles/sanitation.htm & http://www.winemakermag.com/stories...ble-to-others-for-certain-pieces-of-equipment

A great resource for basic/advanced steps, glossary of terms, recipes, and a blog (that many visit) is http://winemaking.jackkeller.net/.

Winemaker Magazine has a great online presence and you can search to your heart's delight. May want to consider subscribing to hard copy.

*Sara*

 

[Yooper]

K-meta (potassium metabisulfite) powder is fine for sanitizing. I've used it for many years. No need to add citric acid.

In a weaker dilution, it's used as a wine preservative and antioxidant. In a stronger solution, it's a great sanitizer. No worries!