Sanitizing bottles and brewing pot question?

[BansheeRider]

Hello guys and gals!

I will be doing my first 5 gal batch soon (autumn amber ale). I am wondering how I should sanitize bottles when the time comes. Is it ok to wash in the dish washer if it doesn't have a sanitation setting? Or is it better to mix a 5 gal bucket with StarSan? I was thinking of using the bucket method so I can sanitize all my equipment at once.

I am also wondering how much water to start with in my brew pot. I have a 5 gal pot and bayou outdoor burner. The instructions do not say how much water to start with. I was thinking of starting with 2-3 gal of tap water to brew the wort. Then add 2-3 gal of water to the fermenting bucket at the end. Also I know if I add water to the bucket it will help in cooling the wort before pitching the yeast. The other option is to start with 5 gal of water in the brew pot. I am hesitant on doing this because of the possibility of boil over. Also what type of water is recommended, tap or gallons of drinking water from the store?

Thanks!

 

[dstranger99]

Dish washer or Star San will work for the bottles.

I'm gonna assume your doing an extract, so 1.5 to 2 gallons to boil should be fine.

If your water tastes ok use it, otherwise buy some spring water.......

 

[inhousebrew]

When I bottled I sanitized everything in a large bucket. Just seemed easiest.

As for how much to start with I'd use as much as you can to begin with. If you have a 5 gallon kettle you could get away with four gallons. The less dense the wort the better hop utilization you get.

A good way to go about this would be to fill your fermenter with exactly five gallons of water from a measured source and put a tape marker or something to note the line that equals five gallons. This way you can start with however much you want and boil off any amount so long as you top off to that five gallon mark on your fermenter.

 

[ncbrewer]

I’ve read that the dishwasher doesn’t spray into bottles very well because of the narrow opening – haven’t tried it for myself because I don’t want to take the chance. For the first batch with newly acquired bottles, I soak them in Oxiclean for a few hours and then rinse well with hot water – including inside with a jet washer. Then on bottling day I rinse one at a time with a vinator. This doesn’t really take long because one is upside down draining while I’m filling the previous one.

For extract, 2-1/2 gallons of water is fairly common. I agree you don’t want to have the kettle too full. I use tap water, but add about 1/3 of a campden tablet before boiling to remove the chlorine from the water treatment plant.

 

[unionrdr]

I use a 5 gallon BK & 3 gallons is better just in case you get a wild foamy hot break. And use the starsan to sanitize your bottles. It's a no rinse santizer that works best when still wet.

 

[BansheeRider]

Awesome sounds good. I'll just brew with 3 or 4 gallons and top off the fermenter with cold spring water. I think the fermenter I'm getting is already marked at 5 gallons on the bucket. I agree in not trusting the washing machine. I'll just use my StarSan to be on the safe side. As far as cleaners I ordered B-Bright. Anybody have experience with this cleaner? I read that Oxi Clean is a cheap alternative but it was too late to cancel my order.

 

[BansheeRider]

Dish washer or Star San will work for the bottles.

I'm gonna assume your doing an extract, so 1.5 to 2 gallons to boil should be fine.

If your water tastes ok use it, otherwise buy some spring water.......

Tap water is not sanitary correct? Would you boil the water first before using it in the fermenter?

 

[unionrdr]

Some do,but I don't in cold weather. But I did take to using distilled water on my 1st pm brew. Spring water on my 2nd partial mash that'll be in the FV 2 weeks this Saturday. The spring water did taste a tad better in my extract recipes. So I tried it in this latest pm batch to see how it goes. The airlock smells were interestingly a bit different,in a good way,for a pale ale on the English side.

 

[FuzzeWuzze]

Tap water is not sanitary correct? Would you boil the water first before using it in the fermenter?

You boil the water that your making your beer with, part of the process is pouring in the extract when the water is boiling.

If your tap water tastes fine to you use it, otherwise get spring water.

 

[dstranger99]

Tap water is not sanitary correct? Would you boil the water first before using it in the fermenter?

If your water tastes fine, use it......I chill my tap water in a jug, then add it to top off........

 

[Steve_in_PA]

I have always used a dishwasher and have always have had excellent results. I stand the bottles upside down on the plate holder and they come out crystal clear. I use a high temp rinse and the bottles are sometime almost to hot to handle. I let them cool and double check right before bottling. Works great.

 

[homebrewjoevictoria]

Buy some Iodophor. Most homebrew shops supply it. It's a really concentrated sanitizing agent. It won't clean though so make sure your bottles are washed thoroughly first. But it sanitizes like Santa Clause brings gifts. Mix 1 milligram of the **** per 1 litre of water. Make a large batch in a large bucket. Place bottles in it and swish and swirl the stuff around in it. Rinse out with hot water and dry your bottles. Good as gold!! It's probably the best product out there that you can use to sanitize. You can also use it in a spray bottle to sanitize all of your other equipment. Just be careful, it stains clothes, and the concentrated **** is poisonous.

 

[unionrdr]

Exactly why I don't use it. Starsan doesn't stain like iodine sanitizers do. And it's food safe in the proper dilution ratio. Plus it breaks down into a yeast nutrient in fermenters or bottles & such.

 

[BansheeRider]

If your water tastes fine, use it......I chill my tap water in a jug, then add it to top off........

I understand if it tastes good then use it. However tap water comes from the city pipes, through your plumbing, then out the faucet. All of which have not been sanitized. If sanitation is so important to brewers, then why chance it with city water that may have bacteria in it? I am not arguing with the statements, just trying to learn the correct way of doing things since I am a brew noob.

 

[ncbrewer]

You can find varried opinions about using tap water. Lots of brewers use it for top-off water without any problem, but some advise boiling and cooling it first. My old Complete Joy of Home Brewing book doesn't say to boil it first. I think the chlorine or chloramine used in tap water generally makes it ok, but you can boil and cool first if you're concerned.

I think the fact that you wondered about it and asked the question shows you're giving proper consideration to sanitation - a really good thing. Brewing is all about cleaning and sanitation.

 

[unionrdr]

It looks like many folks forget that even though the water travels through many pipes to get to our home,it still has chlorine,etc in it. I've looked under microscopes at it & stuff is dead,even ameobas. Some filtering would be nice,but for topping off it's ok as long as no chloromines are used & it doesn't taste like flat alkaseltzer.

 

[Swarley88]

Star San is awesome to use for all your sanitizing needs. Plus you can save it for a long time and keep reusing it... just make sure the Ph is below 3 I believe...

 

[unionrdr]

Yeah,3 or lower with those litmus paper test strips. I wonder if homer cheapo would cost less for them than the brew sites?

 

[Swarley88]

Yeah,3 or lower with those litmus paper test strips. I wonder if homer cheapo would cost less for them than the brew sites?

That's a good question, I feel like they would be a little cheaper. I work in a place where we use them all the time so I just snag a couple when I need em'.

 

[solbes]

I'm not a fan of reusing star san; its just so inexpensive. No need to test the pH, my diluted 1 gallon jug gets turned over every few weeks. If the starsan did somehow become ineffective, you could have problems thoughout all of your equipment and in a batch or two before you realized it.

I don't use much star san either though. You only need 6-10 oz per use. Swish it around fermenters and carboys, wipe bucket lids, etc. Get a Vinator for bottling. You only need 6 oz of Star San solution and you can quickly sanitize all 50 bottles. I did the dishwasher thing for awhile and don't miss it. Cheers!

 

[dstranger99]

It looks like many folks forget that even though the water travels through many pipes to get to our home,it still has chlorine,etc in it. I've looked under microscopes at it & stuff is dead,even ameobas. Some filtering would be nice,but for topping off it's ok as long as no chloromines are used & it doesn't taste like flat alkaseltzer.

And we have both seen Craig use his garden hose to top off at Craigtube. lol

 

[unionrdr]

Yeah,I remember Craig saying he was lucky that the lil piece of garden hose he uses on his utility sink didn't give any funny flavors from the rubber liner.

 

[BansheeRider]

Lots of good info. Thanks guys for the advice. I will be brewing this weekend for sure, and I now have a better foundation to work on. Gallons of water at my store is less than a buck. I think I'll play it safe and buy about five gallons to use after the boil.

 

[unionrdr]

I believe I mentioned it,but I used distilled for my 1st pm pale. One of you guys said he used spring water for his partial mash,finding that the trace minerals in it were of benefit. So I used it for my 2nd pm in the fermenter now. The airlock smells I was getting during initial fermentation were pretty darn good. So his replies may have merit.

 

[solbes]

I use RO water from my grocery store @ $.39/gallon for refills. Ususally use 3-4 gallons and add declorinated tap water to get the necessary calcium, hardness, and in certain styles alkalinity. Small lactic acid additions to get the mash pH down.

 

[HeadyKilowatt]

I use bottled water for mashing and boiling wort, but if I need a little top-off water in the fermenter, I just use straight tap water and never worry about contamination. Remember, as long as you pitch a healthy yeast colony, any microbes that might be in the top-off water will be there in such small amounts that they won't be able to take hold- the yeast will out-compete them.

 

[FunCat1828]

I am assuming well water is a whole different ball game though... Probably okay in the boil, but wouldn't want to top off with it.

 

[F250]

I'm fortunate I guess, our city water tastes good and hasn't caused me any problems when used as top off water. I'm thinking tap water in most locals must be pretty clean as we drink it from the faucet and don't get sick.

I think what HK said is true and I'll add to it; regardless of your cleaning and sanitizing routine, your equipment will never be truly, completely sterile. It's just that with good procedures you keep the critters to such small counts that they can't get a foothold and be noticed. As long as it's consumed before anything is noticed you're okay.

Rick

 

[ncbrewer]

I'm fortunate I guess, our city water tastes good and hasn't caused me any problems when used as top off water. I'm thinking tap water in most locals must be pretty clean as we drink it from the faucet and don't get sick.

I top-off with city tap water, too - and I don't get any off flavors from the chlorine. I do use 1/3 of a campden tablet in the boil water, and I figure it's still in there when I top off, preventing off flavors. Does anybody know if that's really right (campden still being present and getting rid of the chlorine)?

 

[HeadyKilowatt]

I am assuming well water is a whole different ball game though... Probably okay in the boil, but wouldn't want to top off with it.

I use well water to top off. No problems yet.