Sanitizing

[Big Port]

I read the other post about sanitizing (all 5 pages) to see if I could answer this question but had no luck. Kind of a basic question.....
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When sanitizing a with a no rinse sanitizer like “One Step”, do you fill the carboy or bucket to the top? Or, do you just add a gallon of water or so and swirl it around to get all surfaces wet with the sanitizer? I have been adding 1 tablespoon per gallon and filling everything up to the top…..I am going through what seems like a ton of sanitizer when I use the larger carboy’s and buckets. I have been filling a couple gallon tub with the water after sanitizing my carboy to use for sanitizing utensils, that should be fine right?

Thanks,
Eric

 

[Steve]

Eric,


For my large carboys i usually mix up about 1/2 to 1 gallon in the carboy and swirl it around for a minute and then put it into another container to sanitize the other equipment I am using.


I have not been in the hobby very long but, have not had any sanitation problems yet... I am sure others may have a different way to do it.

 

[PolishWineP]

No need to fill things up! A baster is great for making sure all surfaces get contact with the sanitizer. When we sanitize equipment we usually put it all into a plastic bus tub, like what they use in restaurants. If we have to sanitize a primary or secondary fermenter we sanitize that, (put sanitizer into carboy, swish, cover opening with hand and shake) and then pour it all into the bus tub. The baster will force sanitizer through tubing, etc. It's also good to make sure that the outside of long pieces of equipment get hit too. Just about everything goes into the tub. During a session, equipment will just sit in sanitizer until we're ready to use it and then we know it's good to go. When the session is over we try to run sanitizer through everything before draining and putting things away.

 

[peterCooper]

Sounds like the way I do things.
When doing bottles, I clean, then about a baster full ofs anitizer solution
goes in, gets shaken for a while and the left until right before I'm ready to
bottle. THEN I go sanitize everything else, including my hands. I never wear
gloves when cleaning. I figure that if my hands stay in the solution long
enough they'll be clean enough to mess with all the other equipment.

I do put a little solution in a measuring jug and soak paper towel to wipe
down exterior surfaces. With the bottles on the floor when I bottling,
sometimes the low end of the siphon comes outand hits the floor. I like to
give the inside and outside a wipe with the paper towle when that happens.

 

[smurfe]

The only time I "fill up" is sometimes I will fill my fermenter all the way up. I will throw all kids of stuff in it that I can and let soak. I will then drain it into the sinks with the stoppers in them to sanitize my bottles as well as larger stuff. I save this while I work a batch and then use this solution to clean up and sanitize before I put stuff away. Other than that, I to just make up a gallon or so ans swoosh it around for a while.


Some sanitizers have a contact time that is needed to be effective. Make sure you know what that contact time is to obtain the full potential of your sanitizer. I use Easy Clean. I believe it has a required 30 second contact time to actually do it's duty.


In regards to the glove, remember, you are not sterilizing, you are sanitizing and you are correct that if your hands stay in contact with the sanitizer, they should stay clean. I wouldn't be taking the garbage out or cleaning the cat's litter box and expect them to stay sanitized though.


The biggest thing is to just keep stuff clean, it isn't sterility that is important as much as cleanliness. Clean the spilled must out of the groves on the fermenter, scrub the grunge out of the carboy, clean your bottler and filter machine. Keep your equipment and work area clean and you shouldn't have any problems. Remember, if it's clean to start with, the alcohol will take care of the rest in the long run.


Smurfe

 

[MedPretzel]

The biggest thing is to just keep stuff clean, it isn't sterility that is important as much as cleanliness. Clean the spilled must out of the groves on the fermenter, scrub the grunge out of the carboy, clean your bottler and filter machine. Keep your equipment and work area clean and you shouldn't have any problems. Remember, if it's clean to start with, the alcohol will take care of the rest in the long run.


Smurfe

Halleluja.

 

[NorthernWinos]

We use One Step for the first sanitizing....rinse....then we use a solution of Sulfite [2 oz/gallon]for the final sanitizing of everything..then drained. Keep it in a marked gallon jug. They say you can reuse this solution till it doesn't smell so strong. Some equipment is dipped in it, other things are squirted with the turkey baster, everything has contact with sulfite. When carboys and primary buckets are stored they are rinsed with sulfite, and rewashed and sulfited before the next use. Be sure to run the Sulfite through the bottling spigot too. Our carboys get about 2 quarts in them, put on a solid bung and swished around and drained.
Our bottles get a final rinse of double strength Sulfite [4 oz/gallon]...not rinsed, but drained. [Mark this jug of solution when storing] We do not add Sulfite to the wine before bottling....the winemaking book I have said there is enough on the bottles when rinsing with the double strength soulution....what do you think about this???? No headaches from our wine and it appears to keep well, so...what ever works for yourselves, do it.Till next time...
Edited by: Northern Winos

 

[Glenimus]

Mr. Northern Winos,


That is good information that I can use. Thanks and I very much appreciate you taking time to write it.


Glenimus

 

[Big Port]

Thanks for all the great responses. I had a feeling I may have been going a little overboard. The one thing that got drilled into my head from all of my research is that sanitation is one of the most critical aspects of wine making. Glad to know I can start saving a little time (from filling a 6 gallon carboy or bucket to the top) and money in sanitizer.


Thanks again,
Eric

 

[bilbo-in-maine]

Eric - What you have been doing (filling the buckets up) is a great way to
clean bottles just before bottling. Obviously, it takes several buckets for
30 bottles. Let them soak overnight even, then brush clean and inspect
on bottling day, rinse and sanitize with k-meta close to the time you
actually start. The whole affair is an effort in logistics, timing and
syncronization.

Bill

 

[smurfe]

Thanks for all the great responses. I had a feeling I may have been going a little overboard. The one thing that got drilled into my head from all of my research is that sanitation is one of the most critical aspects of wine making. Glad to know I can start saving a little time (from filling a 6 gallon carboy or bucket to the top) and money in sanitizer.


Thanks again,
Eric

Just don't get complacent though. I have caught myself a few times taking shortcuts and have to stop myself and say do it right the first time.


Smurfe