Sanitizer Drama

[goforevercrazywithit]

I have a few questions about sanitization because this is my first week as a homebrewer couldn't be more pumped about it

I have basic no rinse sanitizer that you mix a tablespoon into a gallon of water. I dip whatever will fit into the bucket containing the sanitizing water but with the more akward objects I decided to fill a spray bottle with the sanitizer and spray the hell out of them. My questions are...

-Is the spray and pray method with the spray bottle effective enough or do I need to get some scrubbin' involved?

-Do you have to let the sanitizer dry before it comes into contact with the beer/wort? Could this produce a few gnarly off flavors or something?

-How long after you sanitize an object will that object stay "sanitized"? (I got nervous about how much the seasoned brewers stress sanitization so I would spray (the hydrometer, for example) only seconds before letting it come into contact with the wort)

-How hard or easy is it for wort/beer to get an infection. I mean do you have to blast a snot rocket down in there to ferment with it or can a few moments of household air leave you tipping the bucket towards the drain?

I think that about covers it. Just let me know what you can. THANKS GUYS!!!

 

[sculpin]

- ***clean*** first, then sanitize. if its clean the spray is ok

- if its no rinse you dont have to let it dry and should be no off flavors

- it shoud stay sanitized long enogh (hours) after it dries, dont worry

- if everything is cleand properly, its hard to infect a beer, even without sanitizing

 

[Schumed]

Remember you only need to sanitize the items that will touch the wort after the boil...

Its natural to go a little crazy the first couple times...you will soon learn just use common sense. Also invest in Star San...its the best...

 

[brewvac]

Its natural to go a little crazy the first couple times...you will soon learn just use common sense. Also invest in Star San...its the best...

So true. After only brewing a handful of times, keeping things cleaned & sanitized is a lot less of a problem than I thought it would be.

Once you do it a couple of times you'll get a system that works for you and then you can just worry about the actual beer making. Hope the first brew goes well. Good luck!