Easy Clean v KMeta as Sanitizer

[Grasshopper]

I noticed in the recent thread
Wine Making & Grape Growing Forum > Wine Making > Beginners Wine Making Forum > first time bottling tomorrow (June 29, 2012)
that there might be different opinions on using Easy Clean vs. K-Meta as a no rinse sanitizer. As a newbie, I am not familiar with what the pluses and minuses of each might be. If I am correct, Easy Clean is OxyClean without the perfume and sanitizes because it is a strong oxidizer. K-Meta is a SO2 generator and sanitizes because it is a strong acid. Both claim to not need rinsing.

Before I started my first kit wine, I went to a kit wine making class/demo at my LHBS. If I understood what I heard (a big IF), they recommended using a 1 TBLS/gal Easy Clean solution to sanitize equipment. Thus I have been misting my mixing spoon, hydrometer, wine thief, etc. with a Easy Clean solution before using the equipment and I have not been obsessive about rinsing it off or even wiping it off prior to contacting my wine.

Reading the threads, it seem that most people use a 3 TBLS/gal k-meta solution for this purpose.

The other day I spilled a few drops of grape juice on the floor and gave it a quick spritz of Easy Clean solution prior to wiping it up. I noticed that the juice changed from purple to an interesting, but not attractive, shade of green almost immediately on contact. This has me somewhat concerned about my technique of not rinsing/wiping.

Any thoughts on the merits of Easy Clean vs. k-meta and the need to dry/rinse/wipe either would be appreciated.

Thanks,
Bob

 

[TonyP]

Bob:

You ask several questions and I'll leave some of the specifics to others. First, however, the most important step of winemaking relates to preparation: cleaning AND sanitizing. There will probably be many replies to your questions relating to which products to use and in what measurements, but preparation requires both cleaning and sanitizing anything that may come in contact with your wine. Cleaning is the removal of dirt and foreign objects. For most purposes involving food items, cleaning is satisfactory. However, winemaking involves grape juice (a fertile ground for microbes, wild yeast and other living stuff). Leave wine juice in a clean bottle with a few microbes and you'll have a microbe farm. To kill the microbes, you must sanitize. Easy Clean is a good cleaning product, and there are many others. K-meta is a great sanitizer, almost without equal. The other main choice (my favorite) is Star San, but there's others as well.

There is no need to rinse after cleaning and doing so is of no value. Neither K-meta nor Star San require rinsing after use but many winemakers do, including me. Note, however, that if you rinse with tap water you run the risk of adding microbes after sanitizing so you may want to avoid doing so.

Tony P.

 

[Grasshopper]

Tony, my post was referring to sanitizing. When sampling a batch underway I typically sanitize the thief, hydrometer, etc. with Easy Clean, clean them after use, then just sanitize prior to reuse. I do reclean the primary fermentor and related equipment prior to starting a batch especially if they have sat for a while.

 

[TJsBasement]

I cant say whats right but I'm watch to see whats said here, I been doing it as a two part thing, clean with Easy Clean/ One Step and then sanitize with k-meta spritz. But I do use the kmeta spritz as a quick wash like when doing 2 SG readings from 2 different wines back to back. I figure the wine already gets kmeta so whats a touch more.

 

[TonyP]

Bob:

Keep in mind that Easy Clean does not sanitize. It is a cleaner.

I can't judge the risk of creating a problem by not cleaning and sanitizing each time. For me then, I clean and sanitize. Cleaning is usually a quick process. I keep a gallon of Easy Clean solution in an old spring water jug. I use a 3 gallon bucket (like those at Home Depot) and quickly clean everything I'll be using - including my hands. Sometimes I return the Easy Clean solution to the jug for next time. I keep K-meta and Star San in 32 oz. spray bottles. When I use K-meta I just put everything in the bucket, spray, and close the lid. When I use Star San, I just spray everything and wait a few minutes. The first time it took over an hour. Now I'm down to a few minutes.

Tony P.

 

[BobR]

Go to this web page, which was posted on another site. Very interesting and might be helpful to your questions.

http://www.bayareamashers.org/articles/Comparison of cleaners and sanitizers.pdf

 

[cindy]

I've been using one step and while the thread above says its NOT being marketed as a sanitized^^^
I have found that it is being sold/marketed as a cleanser and sanitizer is this faults advertising? so far I have not had any issues with using this but I am also a clean freak and my kitchen is bleached daily..I think I will start using a different product I tend to trust the experts here so I will change to what ever SANITIZER you all reccomend.
very confusing! this is just an example there are many sites out there saying it cleans and sanitizes:
http://www.listermann.com/Store/Details.asp?ID=248

 

[TonyP]

I've been using one step and while the thread above says its NOT being marketed as a sanitized^^^
I have found that it is being sold/marketed as a cleanser and sanitizer is this faults advertising? so far I have not had any issues with using this but I am also a clean freak and my kitchen is bleached daily..I think I will start using a different product I tend to trust the experts here so I will change to what ever SANITIZER you all reccomend.
very confusing! this is just an example there are many sites out there saying it cleans and sanitizes:
http://www.listermann.com/Store/Details.asp?ID=248

Cindy, I'm not familiar with One-Step and am interested in what others say, as well. Sanitizing is such a quick and inexpensive (especially Star San) process using a spray bottle, I doubt if I'll change. However, I use Easy Clean for cleaning and I'm thinking about using One-Step going forward.

On sanitizers, there are a few choices. Most home brewers use Star San. Wine makers seem split on Star San or K-meta. Here's a previous forum on the two: http://www.winemakingtalk.com/forum/f3/star-sans-k-meta-pros-cons-30882/

Tony P.

 

[joea132]

I wouldn't use Easy Clean without rinsing, that just scares me a little. It's been tried and proven by winemakers over years that K-Meta is a no rinse sanitizer.

I rinse out my used bottles very well with pressurized hot water from a bottle washer and then I have a pump that squirts a bit of sanitizer into an inverted bottle that I place onto my bottling tree. The inverted bottle holds in the SO2 gas and will sanitize the bottle right up until bottling.

 

[derunner]

I also heard Easy Clean is a no rinse cleaner / sanitizer, but I was checking and I don't think it is offically listed as one by the EPA. I'm also from Newark area so we may go to the same store at Louviers shop? I am also wondering about putting oxyclean into my wine even if it is a few drops. Are you still using Easy Clean as an all-in-one solution?

 

[TonyP]

I also heard Easy Clean is a no rinse cleaner / sanitizer, but I was checking and I don't think it is offically listed as one by the EPA. I'm also from Newark area so we may go to the same store at Louviers shop? I am also wondering about putting oxyclean into my wine even if it is a few drops. Are you still using Easy Clean as an all-in-one solution?

Easy Clean is not a sanitizer and is not no-rinse. One Step is both. Why on earth would you want to put Oxyclean in your wine?
Tony P.

 

[derunner]

Easy Clean is not a sanitizer and is not no-rinse. One Step is both. Why on earth would you want to put Oxyclean in your wine?
Tony P.

Tony,
Being new to this, so i was going with what my local store said but it did make me wonder when i found out easy clean is oxyclean. If you google easy clean non rinse sanitizer you get a lot of hits. Even northern brewer [ame]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hh6zrS-Dl5c[/ame] has a video saying it can be used to sanitize and is non-rinse. So it must be a somewhat common practice. But i think i want to change. It seems to me that k-meta might be something I don't want to go spraying around my basement pipes, furnance etc since it eats through metal. So perhaps the Star Sans for most sanitizing would be best and k-meta to rinse out bottles.

Do you use the k-meta on your corks? Or do you use star sans on them?

 

[Runningwolf]

You can use oxy-clean, but rinse it out. I use meta to santize my bottles.

 

[TonyP]

I use k-meta and Star San at times and keep a spray bottle of each. Since k-meta sanitizes with fumes, it's easy to use in a closed bucket or bin. For corks many wine makers use a "corkidor" approach. Put the corks loosely in a bucket. In the middle of a bucket place a jar or bowl of k-meta solution. Close the bucket and SO2 fumes will sanitize; I give it a day or two. You can do the same with other equipment. K-meta is also good for hoses.

Often, though, I use Star San for most things because spraying it on sanitizes in 30 seconds. I also soak corks in Star San solution for 1 minute after sanitizing with k-meta. It does not sanitize throughout the cork but I find a damp cork is easier to use.

Tony P.

 

[Grasshopper]

Derunner, yes we are using the same LHBS.

I changed my procedures after reading the early responses to this post. I am now using Easy Clean for cleaning equipment and K-Meta for sanitizing. As for Easy Clean's no rinse qualities, I think rinsing or wiping dry after using Easy Clean is a good idea. It is a high pH chemical and will neutralize some of the SO2 from the K-Meta plus K-Meta works best in an acid environment. Note that One Step and Easy Clean are very similar as both are based on the active ingredient of Oxy-Clean.

I haven't tried Star San but I think I will look into it. Your point about the acid fumes from K-Meta being hard on metal is a valid one.

As for any cleaner or sanitizer's claim to be "no rinse"; I think that the only safe assumption is that you wont be poisoned if you don't rinse. It is also likely true that any taste changes will be subtle. I don't think it is true that this should be interpreted as "don't bother to try to keep as much as practical out of your wine".

 

[dessertmaker]

I use Kmeta and toss it out in the back yard when I'm done. No worries about metal pipes out there. I guess eventually it will start killing my grass and ill have to start dumping it in the ditch instead. It can kill all the grass in the ditch. I hate weed eating.

 

[TonyP]

Grasshopper, if you care about cost, Star San is far superior. It costs something like 1/4 that of k-meta, stays active longer (years instead of months) and can even be reused if you want to bother.
Tony P.

 

[robie]

I really like StarSan. One half-pint concentrate of it, bought 3 years ago is not even a quarter gone, yet.

I put it in a spray bottle and use it on things like the hydrometer, spoon, ..etc. Things that need a contact sanitizer, rather than a fumes sanitizer like Kmeta solution. Of course I also use a lot of Kmeta solution where applicable.