cleaning/equipment sanitation

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Loxalibations

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Sanitation is critical...but do I really need all those brushes and sodium metabisulfite or will a good dishwashing in the sink, lots of rinsing and a good vigorous shake (for bottles, buckets and jugs) or soak (for everything that does not hold water) in steaming (bring to a boil first type steaming) water do the trick?
 
If you plan on making wine, you'll need meta even if just to stabilize the wine, it's always good to keep some on hand.
Remember, there is a difference between Washed and sanitized.
There is a difference between washing and sanitizing. Washing removes visible soil and contamination and sanitizing kills and reduces the number of harmful bacteria that you cannot see.
I recommend both.
 
I can't imagine that any two people on this forum clean and sanitize the same way. Just my belief but I think a good hot water rinse between rackings or bottlings is underrated. Clean when you are done, sanitize before you start.

BC
 
I agree with the above. There clean and sterile are two different things. A bottle can be clean, but not sterile and also be sterile, but not clean.

Continue using meta. I strongly suggest that you switch from sodium meta (na-meta) to potassium meta (k-meta). Both will do the same job as far as sanitizing bottles, but k-meta has other benefits to the wine itself.

If you have a dishwasher, you can sterilize clean bottles through the heated drying that normally happens on the pot-scrubber setting, but I would also recommend a quick rinse with k-meta solution just prior to filling.
 
wash and sanitize gets my vote..
I even fill a carboy with hot water,run that through my hose with my syphon and then run one step through them..
 
Be reluctant to use any soaps and definitely no chlorines (bleach). Hot water rinses thru any processes and "spritzing" with a K-meta sanitizing solution keeps stray stuff away!
 
There's also a difference between Sanitized & Sterilized. (And cleaning)

Most winemakers never achieve Sterilized. This would indicate that there's nothing left alive on the surface that was cleaned. Sterile, void of life.

Sanitizing, is to remove the populations of unwanted/unhealthy organisms to an acceptable level - this is why most dish soaps and things of that nature only claim 99% effectiveness; they're sanitizers and not sterilizers.

To be 'clean', something just needs to be free of physical debris, as was pointed out

The dishwasher will sterilize on the setting JohnT mentioned, but it's overkill for most of us.
 
I only have 2 brushes.
1 for small wine bottles.
1 L shaped one for carboys
And I use neither very often

On the other hand I have many, many packs of K-meta!
use it all the time.

I clean with one step. Put airlock on and let dry.
Spritz down with K-meta before use!
 
Mr Detail,
Check out Presque Isle Wine Cellars http://www.piwine.com/, they are one of our sponsors, not to mention that Dan - Runningwolf is a winemaker there. They are in PA, and ship fast.
These guys are top notch, A local winery purchases their chemicals from them, very much trusted resource!
 
Wow...lots of answers. The starter kit I bought came with campden tabs, so I'll stick with that for now...but will also continue to use boiling warter after washing and prior to using for containers (plus the solution after)
 
Thanks Pumpkinman,
I will indeed check out "Presque Isle". Always like to help out our sponsors if possible.
 
Does the temperature of the water matter when rinsing with Potassium Metabisulfite?
 
Is it ok to mix up a jug of sanitizer to have when you just a few things that need sanitized. i.e. Hydrometer.
 

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