Sanitizing Fermenter Bucket

[Ale to the Chief]

Hey guys, first time brewer here with a question about sanitation. From all I've been reading good sanitation is one the most important parts of the process so I want to make sure I'm doing it right. The instructions on the packet of Easy Clean that I have tell me that it should have 1 minute of contact time with the equipment. Does this mean I need to make enough to fill up the entire 6 gallon fermentor bucket and let it sit? Or is it enough to slosh it around real good all over the bucket?

Thanks in advance for your help! Just want to make sure all my efforts don't go to waste.

 

[sTango]

for me I sanitize that way. I scrub the bucket and then mix iodiphore and water and slosh it areound in the bucket and then pour the bucket out while rotating it to get all the way to the top all the way around.

some others really take sanitzing to the next level, but i try to keep it simpler.

havent had any infections that I can tell.

 

[TheJadedDog]

You want to make sure that every surface of the bucket comes into contact with the sanitizer. This can mean sloshing, sponging, whatever, just as long as there is some contact.

I typically make up 2 gallons of solution and use a sponge to cover every surface, typically going over the whole bucket a few times.

 

[SixFoFalcon]

I agree with the first 2 responses.

When I first started brewing, many of the articles I read led me to believe that I needed to have some significant volume of sanitizer sitting on the surfaces to be sanitized for the full recommended contact time. I filled my carboy with like 3 gallons of solution and made sure to have it upright for a few minutes, and then upside down for a few minutes, so that whole volume of sanitizer was soaking everything.

I quickly found out that was severe overkill and a waste of sanitizer and my time. The clean surfaces just need to be wet--not fully submerged--for the recommended contact time. I now mix up 1 gallon of Iodophor solution and that is plenty to sanitize my 6 gallon carboy, funnel, racking cane, tubing, scissors, theif, etc. Just make sure that everything is squeaky clean before you sanitize, and when you sanitize make sure that everything that will contact the wort/beer gets wet and stays wet for a few minutes (or whatever time period is required).

 

[5 Is Not Enough]

Even a good misting from a spray bottle works fine.

 

[malkore]

I mix up 1-2 gallons of star-san, put the lid on, plug the airlock with my finger, and jostle it around several times while I'm waiting for everything else to finish cooling, etc.

as long as all surfaces get wet and stay wet for a moment, its good to go.

I mentioned star-san because you should try it out. its probably the most popular no-rinse sanitizer around.

 

[Ale to the Chief]

Thanks for all the replies and advice. I've read alot about Star San on this site. It seems to be the preferred sanitizer of most people. I'll pick some up before making my next batch. What about this stuff "easy clean" that came with my brew kit? Has anyone heard of it/know if it is any good? I can't find mention of it anywhere.

 

[rdwj]

Thanks for all the replies and advice. I've read alot about Star San on this site. It seems to be the preferred sanitizer of most people. I'll pick some up before making my next batch. What about this stuff "easy clean" that came with my brew kit? Has anyone heard of it/know if it is any good? I can't find mention of it anywhere.

Never heard of it.

Star San is excellent. It works quickly, lasts a good long time and doesn't stain. Keep some in a spray bottle and you can keep it for weeks.

 

[EdWort]

I mix up 2.5 gallons of starsan (uses 1 Tablespoon). I then pour about a gallon of it into my buckets. I then use a plastic cup to pour starsan down the sides. I sanitize the lid by standing it up in the bucket and pouring starsan on the inside side. Rotate to get all of it. I do this a couple of times in a 5 minute period, then I pour the starsan back into my sanitizing bucket.

Easy, uses less, and works every time.

 

[SixFoFalcon]

I mentioned star-san because you should try it out. its probably the most popular no-rinse sanitizer around.

Star-San is a great product that gets a lot of attention on the forums, but I bet there are still more people using Iodophor than Star-San. There are many people that don't want to mess with a good thing, and have been using Iodophor for years and years.

Easy-Clean sounds like a knockoff of One-Step. I used One-Step for a few batches because it came with by starter kit, but it's not really a one-step product! You can't really claim to be sanitizing an object until after all the dirt and debris has been removed. Sure you can use One-Step to clean, and then again to sanitize, but that's two steps.