[Snowbird]

I used B- Brite to clean my carboy's. I thought that's all I had to use. That's all I've been using, since I started my wine. I bought some more the other day and she asked if I needed anything to sterlize....What should I use ????? Am I ok even though I didn't use sterlizing products...?

[Green Mountains]

Clean....then sanitize. The most important first steps in any wine making venture.

[Green Mountains]

Actually, I've used B-Brite in the past as a sanitizer...........it's worked for me.

[Snowbird]

? wash+ rinse then its sanitized...?

[Green Mountains]

Below is off of the EC Kraus web site:

PRODUCT QUESTIONS Dan (Angora, NE)
In my stock of supplies I have B-Brite cleanser and the instructions refer to cleaning equipment, but does not use the word sterilize or sanitize. Do you know if B-Brite will be OK for this purpose?

CustomerService@ECKraus.com
B-Brite does sanitize as well as clean.


that said, I've always washed equipment and then resanitized just prior to use.

[NSwiner]

When doubt do it because you don't want all your hard work & money going down the drain because some bug decided to make it's home in your wine .

[BobF]

Originally Posted by Snowbird

I used B- Brite to clean my carboy's. I thought that's all I had to use. That's all I've been using, since I started my wine. I bought some more the other day and she asked if I needed anything to sterlize....What should I use ????? Am I ok even though I didn't use sterlizing products...?

Personally, I prefer cleaning with Dawn and sanitizing with k-meta. Dawn cleans VERY well and rinses VERY easily.

I use a spray bottle with k-meta on EVERYTHING before it touches must/wine.

So far, so good.

[mmdavis4]

I have an audio CD of an excellent presentation on cleaning and sanitation that Jef Stebben did at the 2008 Winemaker Magazine conference. If you listen to his talk (and some of this is in his slides, see below) you learn that B-Bright (or things like it) is not technically a sanitizer AND that K-meta at room temperature is not a great sanitizer (it IS at 148 degrees for 20min). That said, it seems clear to me that both B-Bright and K-meta are "good enough" at sanitizing for many home wine making purposes.

Being a rather obsessive person, I clean with One Step and sanitize with IO Star Iodine Sanitizer. Neither require rinsing, and IO Star will sanitize in 1 minute at room temperature. It is also easier on the lungs than K-meta. Iodine will stain plastics, but I have not found that to be a problem.

Jef's slides are at his website which is stebbenwine. com. It is on the Links page.

[BobF]

Originally Posted by mmdavis4

I have an audio CD of an excellent presentation on cleaning and sanitation that Jef Stebben did at the 2008 Winemaker Magazine conference. If you listen to his talk (and some of this is in his slides, see below) you learn that B-Bright (or things like it) is not technically a sanitizer AND that K-meta at room temperature is not a great sanitizer (it IS at 148 degrees for 20min). That said, it seems clear to me that both B-Bright and K-meta are "good enough" at sanitizing for many home wine making purposes.

Being a rather obsessive person, I clean with One Step and sanitize with IO Star Iodine Sanitizer. Neither require rinsing, and IO Star will sanitize in 1 minute at room temperature. It is also easier on the lungs than K-meta. Iodine will stain plastics, but I have not found that to be a problem.

Jef's slides are at his website which is stebbenwine. com. It is on the Links page.

I think "good enough" is the key. I adopted most of my practices from Berry and Keller. I figure if something is "good enough" for those guys, it should work fine for me.

I think environment has *everything* to do with each individual's minimum sanitization requirements.

[Snowbird]

Thanks for all the replies....!