Sanitizing long tools (24" auto siphon) with oxyclean and sodium metabisulfite

[jay2020]

My small auto siphon I use with one gallon carboys fits in a dish pan. The 24" autosiphon I use with three gallon carboys does not fit in a regular dish pan.
Is it okay to use something like this to sanitize with sodium metabisulfite and/or oxyclean?

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000RXA8IY/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o01_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1






Is that ok to use? Is it food safe? Or is there a better option?
I'm basically looking for a long narrow shallow dish pan.

Yes I have a five gallon bucket. But that is not very easy to use for this purpose, as I do not want to make 2.5 gallons of sodium metabisulfite solution to soak each half of my autosiphon at a time.

 

[cmason1957]

First to clear up a misconception, oxyclean is for cleaning, not sanitizing. Second, with metabisulphite, it is the fumes you care about more so than the being in the liquid. The trays like that are fine to use to put a small layer of liquid in.

 

[David Violante]

I don’t see why not, that looks like a great idea. You’re not going to have items in there for a prolonged time.

The site doesn’t say what kind of plastic it is made from. It looks like a number of comments relate to using it for the same purpose you propose (although I usually take those comments with a grain of salt).

Also, you could clean your equipment to remove any gunk (oxyclean) and then sanitize it with a small amount of potassium Metabisulfite solution in a closed container. The solution will produce a gas that will permeate the container and sanitize your equipment. I wouldn’t store equipment that way, however, as some materials may break down over a prolonged constant exposure. Make sure the container is closed or the fumes will dissipate, and you don’t want to be overcome by them either. StarSan is another solution you can use to sanitize, but not in the same way as KMeta in a container.

Check out This Thread on storing KMeta and This Thread on equipment cleaning and storage. Search in here for sanitizing as well...

 

[jay2020]

First to clear up a misconception, oxyclean is for cleaning, not sanitizing. Second, with metabisulphite, it is the fumes you care about more so than the being in the liquid. The trays like that are fine to use to put a small layer of liquid in.

Right. I meant I would first clean with oxyclean if necessary, then fully rinse, then sanitize with sodium metabisulphite.

Thanks!

 

[Sailor323]

First to clear up a misconception, oxyclean is for cleaning, not sanitizing. Second, with metabisulphite, it is the fumes you care about more so than the being in the liquid. The trays like that are fine to use to put a small layer of liquid in.

I would never use oxyclean for anything food related. It's too hard to rinse off. There are plenty of other products for cleaning. I use a dairy detergent. And yes, it's the fumes from meta that sanitize. I use a racking tub to pump a bit of meta solution into a carboy and then I put my racking tube in the carboy and let it sit for a while.

 

[cmason1957]

I would never use oxyclean for anything food related. It's too hard to rinse off. There are plenty of other products for cleaning. I use a dairy detergent. And yes, it's the fumes from meta that sanitize. I use a racking tub to pump a bit of meta solution into a carboy and then I put my racking tube in the carboy and let it sit for a while.

I don't think I have ever had that problem with oxyclean, not sure what is in dairy detergent, if it is a soap based thing, I probably wouldn't use it. But each to their own and what you are comfortable with.

 

[mikewatkins727]

For racking tubes and hoses I use a 2" PVC pipe (3 to 4 feet?) and capped one end, leaving the other end open. I then put enough K2S2O5 (k-meta) into the pipe and siphon the solution into the tube and hose, leaving long enough to sanitize.

As for OxiClean, I use it solely for my equipment, no soap or detergent.

 

[Raptor99]

Contrary to what some have said, I use a small amount dish soap (Dawn) to clean all my equipment, and then rinse it 3-4 times. I have never detected any soap odor or taste. Dish soap is made to rinse off with water, but you should stay away from any dish soap that has additives to keep your hands soft (e.g. Palmolive). If you are concerned about perfume in dish soap you can get dish soap without perfume. One brand is Seventh Generation Free and Clear. Like everything else, not all dish soap is the same. Use whatever works for you.

I sanitize my autosiphon and bottle filler by siphoning some Starsans through it. I figure that whatever the wine is going to touch will also come in contact with the Starsans. I also rub some Starsans on the outside of the autosiphon.

It's interesting to read about the different procedures that each of us follow. Always a learning experience.

 

[winemaker81]

I have a scrubby pad (sponge on one side, abrasive pad on the other) dedicated for the winery, it never touches soap or other chemicals. I use this to clean all surfaces I can reach with it, including the inside of fermenters, and the outside of the auto-siphon, racking cane, filler tube, wine thief, and stirring tools.

For cleaning inside things, I use One Step. I found references that say prepared One Step has an effective life of 5 to 7 days. I typically make a gallon of solution and go on a cleaning binge and clean everything that isn't in use, then toss the solution.

I have a 2 gallon food grade bucket that I use for cleaning -- put an item in it and pour the solution into the item and let it soak a bit. It doesn't take long. This preserves the solution so I can use it for other items during my binge.

Racking tubes? I siphon One Step from container to container, so the solution passes through the auto-siphon and tubing numerous times. For carboys I use a carboy brush to remove anything visible and generally hit as much of the inside as I can. Next I siphon One Step into it, splashing all interior surfaces, then swish it around when the gallon is transferred. That carboy stands while I scrub the next one, then the One Step goes into it.

@Johnd, a while back you posted a method for cleaning the inside of tubing, but I cannot locate the post. Please repost your tip.

Prior to use the same bucket is used to douse with the K-meta solution, letting items stand for a bit while I'm prepping other things, and I rack K-meta into each container so the inside of the cane and tube are covered.

 

[ratflinger]

I use Easy Clean followed by Beer Clear. BC is used as a no rinse sanitizer at bars, does not leave any aftertaste. The main reasons the synthetic peroxides aren't listed as a sanitizer is that they have never been tested and certified as a sanitizer. Apparently not worth the time and effort to do that.

 

[Johnd]

I have a scrubby pad (sponge on one side, abrasive pad on the other) dedicated for the winery, it never touches soap or other chemicals. I use this to clean all surfaces I can reach with it, including the inside of fermenters, and the outside of the auto-siphon, racking cane, filler tube, wine thief, and stirring tools.

For cleaning inside things, I use One Step. I found references that say prepared One Step has an effective life of 5 to 7 days. I typically make a gallon of solution and go on a cleaning binge and clean everything that isn't in use, then toss the solution.

I have a 2 gallon food grade bucket that I use for cleaning -- put an item in it and pour the solution into the item and let it soak a bit. It doesn't take long. This preserves the solution so I can use it for other items during my binge.

Racking tubes? I siphon One Step from container to container, so the solution passes through the auto-siphon and tubing numerous times. For carboys I use a carboy brush to remove anything visible and generally hit as much of the inside as I can. Next I siphon One Step into it, splashing all interior surfaces, then swish it around when the gallon is transferred. That carboy stands while I scrub the next one, then the One Step goes into it.

@Johnd, a while back you posted a method for cleaning the inside of tubing, but I cannot locate the post. Please repost your tip.

Prior to use the same bucket is used to douse with the K-meta solution, letting items stand for a bit while I'm prepping other things, and I rack K-meta into each container so the inside of the cane and tube are covered.

Pretty simple, tie a little piece of cloth to the end of a string. While running water into the tube, feed the tag ended into the tube and the water stream will feed it through for you. Then just pull the rag through. If you use a longer string, you can tie the rag in the middle and pull it both ways without re-feeding it.

 

[Sailor323]

I don't think I have ever had that problem with oxyclean, not sure what is in dairy detergent, if it is a soap based thing, I probably wouldn't use it. But each to their own and what you are comfortable with.

Dairy detergent is designed for cleaning milking equipment. It has no odor and rinses easily and completely.

 

[Old Corker]

My process is similar to @winemaker81 but I clean my carboys as soon as I empty them. After rinsing thoroughly with clean water I put a half tbsp of One Step in, add about a half gallon of warm water and swish it by rolling back and forth on a towel on the counter until it is fully dissolved. If I have a something else that needs cleaning at the time I'll use it again but don't store it. Let the carboys air dry and they are ready to be sanitized and used again. When I have found myself out of One Step I've used Oxyclean with no ill effects. My only concern with Oxyclean is that its very slippery so calls for extra caution when handling glass.