Sanitize Question

[Bush_84]

This may sound like a silly question, but may save me some work. So I don't have enough secondary containers at times to rack directly into another carboy. So I often times have to sanitize my bottling bucket, rack into the bucket, clean/sanitize my carboy, and rack back into my carboy. I'm still a newb, but the thought came to me that maybe I don't need to sanitize my carboy if I'm putting the drink right back in. Usually I'm just racking to get off the lees anyways. So what do you think? Can I just rinse out the carboy and rack it directly back in?

 

[Rick500]

My first suggestion is that you don't need to rack to a secondary.

The only reason I ever rack to a secondary is if I want to wash and reuse the yeast from the primary, before I dry hop...just to keep all the hops debris out of it.

There's really almost never a reason to use a secondary.

If you still want to use a secondary, though, yeah you could probably save a few minutes not sanitizing the primary and it'll *probably* be okay, but you've already invested quite a bit of time and money in the batch of beer, and there is a greater chance that you will have a contamination problem if you don't sanitize the carboy, than if you do sanitize the carboy. If it were me, and I was hell bent on using a secondary, I would sanitize.

 

[MedsenFey]

The only reason I ever rack to a secondary is if I want to wash and reuse the yeast from the primary, before I dry hop...just to keep all the hops debris out of it.

There's really almost never a reason to use a secondary.

Rick, your situation may be different, but I virtually never use hops in a mead (other than a braggot) so hops debris is not a concern. Most meads need to sit for several months in order to clear, and if you keep them sitting on a heavy bed of lees you run the risk of developing sulfur odors in addition to yeast breakdown products from autolysis which can taste down-right nasty. At best, you get a lees aged flavor that may not (or may) be desirable. All in all, it is usually wise to rack off the lees unless you have a specific plan for lees aging and battonage.

Bush, you can always take short cuts avoiding sanitation, but I would not recommend it. I would however recommend getting an additional carboy so you don't have to rack it twice exposing it to double the aeration in the process.

Medsen

 

[Rick500]

Heh, sorry, totally did not realize this post was in the mead forum!

I know nothing about mead other than I like it. Don't mind me... Carry on...

 

[MedsenFey]

Rick, maybe you just haven't met the right mead yet. Have you tried a braggot?

 

[Rick500]

You may have misread my previous post. I do in fact like mead. I've only tried two or three, but I have enjoyed them all. I'm not sure what category of mead they were... the one I remember liking best was from Lurgashall. I don't remember the name other than that.

I don't think I have tried a braggot, but I just looked it up and it sounds intriguing.

 

[MedsenFey]

You may have misread my previous post. I do in fact like mead.

Yes, I misread that.
Meads can certainly vary quite a bit so there is usually something to please most every palate. If you decide to make a braggot, let us know.

 

[KCWortHog]

This may sound like a silly question, but may save me some work. So I don't have enough secondary containers at times to rack directly into another carboy. So I often times have to sanitize my bottling bucket, rack into the bucket, clean/sanitize my carboy, and rack back into my carboy. I'm still a newb, but the thought came to me that maybe I don't need to sanitize my carboy if I'm putting the drink right back in. Usually I'm just racking to get off the lees anyways. So what do you think? Can I just rinse out the carboy and rack it directly back in?

No, you need to sanitize. Always, always sanitize something before it comes into contact with your mead. It may be "clean" because you just rinsed it out, but it's not sanitized.

 

[malkore]

No, you need to sanitize. Always, always sanitize something before it comes into contact with your mead. It may be "clean" because you just rinsed it out, but it's not sanitized.

but it IS sanitary. He's taking the primary carboy, draining it, dumping the lees, and then wants to immediately refill it.

If its not sanitary after dumping, it wasn't sanitary in primary.


I would indeed give it a quick rinse with sanitized water (as a precaution, rather than just hot tap water) and re-fill.

That or figure out a way to keep one carboy empty

 

[KCWortHog]

Matter of interpretation, I guess. He said "Can I just rinse out the carboy and rack it directly back in?" I pictured him racking, rinsing out the carboy with tapwater, then racking it back in.

I don't see why tossing a little star-san in there is such a huge deal anyway... better safe than sorry, right?