Sterilization Steps

I am racking my wine for the first time, and wanted to verify that I am sterilizing it correctly. This is what I have done...

1. Clean food grade 6 gallon bucket (same bucket I got juice in) with soap and water.
2. Put approximately 1 gallon of water into bucket, and add 3 tablespoons of metabisulfite (per instructions on bottle). Stir well, put on lid, and slosh the mixture around.
3. Rinse out bucket. Do same for siphon.
4. Siphon wine from carboy into bucket.
5. Clean out carboy and sediment with soap and water. No sediment remained, so no brush necessary.
6. Put approximately 1 gallon of water into carboy, and add 3 tablespoons of metabisulfite. Stir well, put on bung, and slosh the mixture around.
7. Rinse out carboy.
8. Let carboy dry.
9. Siphon wine from bucket back into carboy, putting airlock on top.

Any steps to add/change? Should I add any sulfite to the wine?

0. Racking the first time? Shouldn't that be from primary to carboy, not carboy (to primary) to carboy?

1. Not sure what you mean by "soap". I don't use soap, I use a cleaner like TSP.

2. You're wasting K-meta. Get a one gallon jug, add the 3 tbsp and re-use the stuff for a few months.

3. Not necessary to let the carboy dry. Turn the carboy upside down, shake, and drain. (or is it shake to drain?)

4. add sulfite to the wine? What are you making? Where are you at in the process? Is the wine finished fermenting? IE what is the sg?

Steve

I agree that soap is not a good idea as soap can leave residue behind unless rinsed again and again and again. As cpfan said you can use that sulfite solution much better by at least using it for both vessels. Also, when doing your primary bucket you can throw all your stuff in there you can fit like all your hoses right in there will sloshing. You dont need to use a gallon to do this either. Its mainly the fumes in there that do the work so probably a cup would work perfect for doing this. Im guessing that you fermented it in the ucket and have had it in carboy for awhile and now racking it off the lees in the carboy and putting it back in right?

stolen said:

Put approximately 1 gallon of water into carboy, and add 3 tablespoons of metabisulfite. Stir well, put on bung, and slosh the mixture around.
7. Rinse out carboy.

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Once sulfite soultion is in bucket or carboy and has been sloshed around With top or bung on/inserted it's a good idea to give it some contact time (3 or 4 min.) as Wade said the fumes are what do a lot of the work.

Do you have a hydrometer? It's probably worth waiting to rack untill you have one to see if fermentation is done.

cpfan said:

0. Racking the first time? Shouldn't that be from primary to carboy, not carboy (to primary) to carboy?

1. Not sure what you mean by "soap". I don't use soap, I use a cleaner like TSP.

2. You're wasting K-meta. Get a one gallon jug, add the 3 tbsp and re-use the stuff for a few months.

3. Not necessary to let the carboy dry. Turn the carboy upside down, shake, and drain. (or is it shake to drain?)

4. add sulfite to the wine? What are you making? Where are you at in the process? Is the wine finished fermenting? IE what is the sg?

Steve

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What is TSP? Also, you don't use soap at all? Not for any of the equipment from start to finish?

Never. I use oxygen based detergents like Oxyclean or C-Brite, but never liquid or a bar of soap. For sanitizers I use Starsan, k-meta or Iodophor.

TSP = tri sodium phosphate

cpfan said:

TSP = tri sodium phosphate

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Tri sodium phosfate is a major component of dry detergent - it is soap............

JDC said:

Tri sodium phosfate is a major component of dry detergent - it is soap............

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TSP is not soap. It may be part of a detergent (although not so much any more). I buy TSP that is sold as a wine making cleaner, and I believe that it is mixed with a surfactant to make it easier to rinse off the equipment.

BTW TSP (perhaps not the TSP that is sold in hardware stores) is reported to be used in some cereals.

Steve

cpfan said:

0. Racking the first time? Shouldn't that be from primary to carboy, not carboy (to primary) to carboy?

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I misspoke (or mistyped), this would be the second time racking (meant first time during malolactic fermentation).

1. Not sure what you mean by "soap". I don't use soap, I use a cleaner like TSP.

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I used regular dish soap. I made sure to rinse thoroughly, but I'll use something else next time.

2. You're wasting K-meta. Get a one gallon jug, add the 3 tbsp and re-use the stuff for a few months.

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Your'e right, just couldnt find another container.

3. Not necessary to let the carboy dry. Turn the carboy upside down, shake, and drain. (or is it shake to drain?)

Click to expand...

4. add sulfite to the wine? What are you making? Where are you at in the process? Is the wine finished fermenting? IE what is the sg?

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Old Vine Zin, racking for second time. I didnt check the sg (but didnt add sulfites either. I think I'll add when I rack again, after checking the sg to make sure fermentation is complete.

Wade E said:

Im guessing that you fermented it in the ucket and have had it in carboy for awhile and now racking it off the lees in the carboy and putting it back in right?

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You are correct.

If you use Oxyclean, get the Oxyclean Free. It doesn't contain perfume, dyes, or clorine. I use B-Brite and Oxyclean Free.