K-meta/Citric solution
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At end of siphoning I will run water through to remove any visible dirt. > They will then be hung from a nail on a ceiling joust to drip dry. I am concerned about any area that is constantly wet. Bacteria have minimum requirements for free water, ,,, if it is dry they can not grow. I expect nylon tubing to last a year then replace it. When doing an elderberry primary that racking will be when it ie replaced. If I have had an infection I am likely to replace any tubing used on that batch.
If I can’t break it apart as a BuonVino pump head I will pump soap/ One Step through followed by pumping clean water. If I don’t think it can quickly dry example 1/8” tubing, I will vacuum grain alcohol through.
When setting up I will siphon some metabisulphite sanitizer through the system to reduce micro count. This is not a sterilization treatment.
Food rules, “wine is a preservative system” I will try to always aim for pH under 3.5 since pH kills many families of microbes. When we get down to it a milk plant or high pH wet food has extremely critical food rules. Wine has a lot of innate safety.
Thanks for sharing.
If all you do is flush with water after you use it and then drip dry, then most of what I do is a waste of time.
I guess I like the idea of running sanitizer through it after use and using compressed air to remove any residual moisture. I also would like to get more than 1 year of use from my hoses.
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My routine is to run clean water through the hose then StarSan or a K-Meta solution. My hoses are generally five feet long so after the sanitizer bath I am able to whip the hose like a lasso to get the drying process started then hang to complete drying.
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I typically use One Step twice a year (sometimes more often) and rack/pump it through all equipment at those times.
My tubing lasts years -- IME keeping it clean and letting it dry, and running One Step through it periodically works.
@Johnd posted a tip a while back for running a string with a weight on it through the tube, and pulling a cleaning cloth through.
Not IMO. As David said, water is necessary for microbial growth, so if you are eliminating the water, you're eliminating a source of problems.
Using a sanitizer as the final step may not be useful. I tried leaving K-meta solution in carboys to keep them sanitized, but unfortunately, the solution goes neutral (SO2 evaporates) and the remaining liquid will cheerfully grow mold. From that experience, in the long term it doesn't help to use a sanitizer before storage. I always rack K-meta solution through tubing before usage, so anything in there is treated.
@mainshipfred, I 'spose I shouldn't be surprised at how quickly a thread is derailed ... 
Could you please explain this? When I first started making wine, the instructions I found said to use citric acid with Kmeta for sanitizing solution. How does citric acid create problems?
https://www.awri.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2011/06/Avoiding-spoilage-from-LAB.pdfOnly an issue if it ends up in the wine. Citric acid cycle is also called Krebs cycle, can be utilized by cells to produce energy. In LAB it can produce Diacetyl as a metabolic by-product.
So if your pH and FSO2 are enough to inhibit LAB you shouldn't have a problem.
We use tartaric in the winery in the storage solution for barrels, don't have to worry about residue that could potentially create 'buttery' flavour. You can get away with it in some white styles but not really in red wine. I mean that somebody will drink it but buttery reds are an acquired taste I think.
I know a couple of wineries that make 'old school' chardonnays add a bit of citric into chardonnay barrels that were going through MLF to get some blending components.
So if your pH and FSO2 are enough to inhibit LAB you shouldn't have a problem.
We use tartaric in the winery in the storage solution for barrels, don't have to worry about residue that could potentially create 'buttery' flavour. You can get away with it in some white styles but not really in red wine. I mean that somebody will drink it but buttery reds are an acquired taste I think.
I know a couple of wineries that make 'old school' chardonnays add a bit of citric into chardonnay barrels that were going through MLF to get some blending components.
@Jeriatric, thanks for the reference and explanation. I keep a bookmark for AWRI, as they're a great reference, and more understandable by the average person that most research organizations.
If the K-meta solution residue is shaken off, there shouldn't be enough citric acid to make a difference. However, it's good to know the potential problems of using citric acid.
If the K-meta solution residue is shaken off, there shouldn't be enough citric acid to make a difference. However, it's good to know the potential problems of using citric acid.
@Jeriatric Thanks for the explanation. Since we are talking about sanitizing solution, very little citric acid will end up in the wine.
Some fruits such as Blueberries are naturally high in citric acid, so some fruit wines will contain citric acid. But if we treat berries up front with Kmeta, that should kill off naturally occurring microorganisms. Plus, as the article that you cited states, if the pH is < 3.5 that should inhibit LAB growth.
Some fruits such as Blueberries are naturally high in citric acid, so some fruit wines will contain citric acid. But if we treat berries up front with Kmeta, that should kill off naturally occurring microorganisms. Plus, as the article that you cited states, if the pH is < 3.5 that should inhibit LAB growth.
@winemaker81 Yeah, AWRI is an industry group with government funding. So they publish a lot of practical information and enough theory to be useful. They run a really good helpdesk for specific questions if you pay the levies which are built as a part of commercial winery permits in Australia.
@Raptor99 The pH <3.5 is with a combination of SO2 but most definitely can use citric to acidify sanitizing solution, especially in fruit wines that have a higher ratio of citric in its acid profile. Sorry, I just reflexively blurted out why I thought citric was not being recommended out of habit from working with wine from grapes.
@Raptor99 The pH <3.5 is with a combination of SO2 but most definitely can use citric to acidify sanitizing solution, especially in fruit wines that have a higher ratio of citric in its acid profile. Sorry, I just reflexively blurted out why I thought citric was not being recommended out of habit from working with wine from grapes.
No, you're fine. Knowing all the issues, even if one is not a significant threat, is good. Keep on blurting!
Understanding the uses, features, and drawbacks of the acid types is useful, and in some situations critical. Early in my winemaking career I used a wide variety of acids, without having a clue, as some of my mentors made suggestions. In hindsight, they didn't have much of a clue, either. This was pre-internet, so there was no easy way to look things up, and the books I had didn't mention it.
