Taking a Sample Reading

[LiquidFlame]

I've always gone a little overboard when it comes to my cleaning and sanitation process, but thankfully I have never had an infection in my beer. I have a mead fermenting right now and I want to take a sample, but I'm wondering if I need to go through my whole process.

I'm not sure the last time I used my white plastic wine thief, but after each use, I thoroughly clean it with PBW, let it dry and store it with my beer equipment in the basement. Now would I be fine with just taking it out, let it soak in star san and then use it, or should I clean it thoroughly first?

Also just to ask, after you guys use your wine thief, how do you clean yours? Just rinse it off, let it soak in PBW, etc?

Thanks.

 

[Watzee]

For the thief or similar equipment after I use it, I give it a serious rinse and inspection. The next time I use it I use starsan, never had an infection with 4 years doing cider/wine, and at least 30 batches of beer.

I have soaked in PBW or the equivalent, overnight, probably once a year.

 

[flars]

I rinse the wine thief after use and put away to dry. When it comes time to use it again I rinse then sanitize with Starsan solution.
I don't do long soaks in a cleaning solution unless it is glass. Some plastics can retain a residue from some cleaners that is hard to scrub off.

 

[Cyclman]

If it's fermented, you have alcohol (typically much higher alcohol in a mead or wine than in beer) so that, and especially the greatly reduced sugar available, significantly reduces infection chances.

I would always check visually to be sure anything touching a fermenter is clean, then soak in StarSan for a few minutes. Even with alcohol, better safe than sorry.

 

[heckels]

Rinse with warm water, dry and then a soak in StarSan prior to reuse is all I've done for 5 years.

I've had an instance of acetaldehyde and an instance of acetobacter.

Neither were due to my thief though.


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