Cleaning vs Sanitizing

[gfmonk]

I'm sure this has been asked before but I don't see a recent thread. I'm new to making wine and I thought I read that you shouldn't use dish soap to clean your equipment. Is that true? If so what do you use? I bought StarSan to sanitize everything but I'm wondering what to use to wash it before I use the StarSan.

Thanks,
Gary

 

[TonyP]

You're asking a very broad question and my suggestion is to search some of the forum topics (invest an hour or so) to get a variety of perspectives. Overall, though, 90%+ of wine makers use one a just a few products to clean and I'd use one of those at least until you have experience. (Keep in mind that failing to properly clean and sanitize is probably the number one reason for problems.) Wine making websites and stores sell these products: primarily Easy Clean, One Step, and B-Bright. Some wine makers use OxiClean, but only go with OxiClean Free.

Don't use dish soap, car soap, body soap, pet soap or any other kind of soap that contains chlorine, bleach, ammonia, fragrances, or any other additives.

Always clean before you sanitize and rinse if cleaner instructions require it. Star San is an excellent sanitizer that doesn't require rinsing. Keep some in a spray bottle to spray everything. If you want to rinse Star San don't use tap water, which can reintroduce microbes.

Tony P.

 

[joeswine]

Sanataztion and cleaning

TAKE THE TIME TO READ WHEN GOOD WINES GONE BAD(CLEANING UP )AND WHEN GOOD WINES GONE BAD PHASE 1,,VERY INSTRUCTIVE FOR YOUR QUESTION.

 

[mjrisenhoover]

Hey Gary, there is a lot of info about cleaning this thread, it helped me out . . .

http://www.winemakingtalk.com/forum/f5/mass-cleaning-bottles-33486/

Michael

 

[gfmonk]

Thanks for the replys!! I have always used dish soap when making beer. It seems like I'll be changing to one of the other products in the future. Thanks again.

 

[gfmonk]

I just looked at the web site for our local wine making store and he doesn't have either Easy Clean or One Step (He does carry B-Brite but it seems the weakest of the three). What he does have is Bru-r-eze.
Has anyone tried this product?

Thanks,
Gary

 

[TonyP]

I just looked at the web site for our local wine making store and he doesn't have either Easy Clean or One Step (He does carry B-Brite but it seems the weakest of the three). What he does have is Bru-r-eze.
Has anyone tried this product?

Thanks,
Gary

I think it's Bru-r-ez. If so, it's a cleaner used in beer making at something like 140 degrees and I'm not familiar with it in wine making. Also, I see no reference to it on this forum.

I agree with you on B-Brite; my preference would be either of the others. Having said that, though, I'd use it over a product never mentioned here.

Tony P.

 

[gfmonk]

I have another question, I'm not sure if I should start another thread. Yesterday when I stirred and tested my must, I didn't sanitize the top again. Should I spray and rinse the top before putting it back on the fermenter? I make sure that the bottom doesn't touch anything.

 

[robie]

I have another question, I'm not sure if I should start another thread. Yesterday when I stirred and tested my must, I didn't sanitize the top again. Should I spray and rinse the top before putting it back on the fermenter? I make sure that the bottom doesn't touch anything.

Unless you set the bottom side of the top down on something, you don't need to re-sanitize it.

Get yourself some B-Brite to clean, then to sanitize, use Kmeta solution of 3 tablespoons of Kmeta to one gallon of water. An alternative for sanitizing is StarSan. StarSan is a contact sanitizer; Kmeta solution sanitizes by its fumes. Each has its own place in the wine making room. In my opinion, learn to use both these. I keep a jug of each and a spray bottle of each.

 

[gfmonk]

Thanks again for the tips robie. I'm currently using StarSan to sanitize. I'll have to get some Kmeta.