Total newbie questions about sanitizing equipment

[wooky]

Hi, this is my first post. I'm just starting up with winemaking and I have a question about sanitizing equipment. I know that I need to sanitize my primary fermenter, carboy, tubing, etc. with Campden tablets/potassium metabisulphite, but my question is about the equipment that touches the fruit at the very beginning.

Let's say I want to cut up some fruit on a cutting board before I put it in a mesh bag in the primary, and then I'm going to pour boiling water over it. Do I need to sanitize the cutting board and knife with the potassium metabisulphite as well, or is that overkill? I figure that the boiling water will kill off any germs? What does everyone do?

Thanks!

 

[Runningwolf]

Wooky first off welcome to WMT, I like your avatar. Be prepared for many answers. Truth be told, start off using clean utensils as you would when preparing food. Now think about this, grapes coming in from the vineyard go straight to the crusher and press. Think about the bird, snake, bug and whatever other droppings. Enough said. Fruit is now ready for fermentation and now you're in control! Practice the best sanitation you can going forward.

 

[olusteebus]

I would first have it clean and then anything that touches the wine could be sprayed with Potassium metabisulfite (Kmeta) It is very easy to do. Keep a spray bottle full around.

Tubing for me is a real problem. I rinse in hot water good and soak in starsan. I then store it in a large baggy with a touch of kmeta in it.

 

[Rocky]

Wooky, welcome to the forum.

I think the answer to your question comes down to, Yes, you probably would be all right but why take the chance? I always error on the side of caution. I might over sanitize things but there is so little involved in sanitizing why not do it?

 

[cmason1957]

We just cored 80 pounds of apples, which are now freezing away in the freezers. I don't sanitize everything at that stage. I assume the hot water that will be added and the k-meta I add along with pectin enzyme and water will take care of any problems.

This really is an ask 11 winemakers beg 12 opinions type of question and certainly one worth asking.

 

[dangerdave]

I agree with Mason. If you are going to sanitize the must before fermentation, having well cleaned equipment while handling the fruit is good enough.

 

[Turock]

Since you are going to be hitting the must with meta on that first day, there is no need to worry about sanitizing cutting boards, knives,etc. in the preparation of the fruit.

Why are you using boiling water? What kind of wine is this? Most fruits should have no water added to them because it dilutes the flavor.

 

[wooky]

Thanks for the opinions, everyone. I'll just do my best and try not to worry about it after that.

Why are you using boiling water? What kind of wine is this? Most fruits should have no water added to them because it dilutes the flavor.

I'm thinking of making clementine wine first. Most of the recipes I've seen for most kinds of fruit involve pouring boiling water over the fruit. I'm looking at Terry Garey's Orange Wine recipe (p. 114 of The Joy of Home Winemaking) and Jack Keller's clementine recipe. Really though, the boiling water seems to be very common in wine recipes?

 

[vernsgal]

welcome to the forum wooky,I love your avatar.

I agree with Turock on the sanitizing. You will need water with a citrus type wine.
Turock is referring to most fruits such as blackberries,blueberries. etc.The less water used the more body and flavor.

Keep us posted on your wine and asking before doing is always the better way to go

 

[wooky]

Interesting. I just flipped through the Joy of Home Winemaking book and pretty much every recipe calls for the addition of water, including berries, apples, etc. It makes sense that using less water would make a stronger flavored wine though.

Thanks for the welcome!

 

[Turock]

There ARE some fruit wines that actually need water--red raspberry, cranberry,black raspberry. The flavor comes thru better with the water addition. And I would say that a citrus wine will probably need some water addition, also. Especially to get the acids under control.

The reason all recipes use water is to make an acceptable wine for people who are just starting out. But once you get some experience, you'll want to start making fruit wines with no water. The flavor is just so excellent and tastes just like the fruit when you get rid of the water dilution.

Remember that when you add water, you'll almost always have to add some acid back in to acidify the water. But when you go off recipe and use no water, you only add acid if the PH demands it.

For now--especially if you are just starting out as a new winemaker--you can go the recipe route to get some experience under you. When you want to attempt your first fruit wine with no water, we can lend you a hand with it.

 

[jamesngalveston]

i have to agree with turock and runningwolf.

Now think about this, grapes coming in from the vineyard go straight to the crusher and press. Think about the bird, snake, bug and whatever other droppings. Enough said. Fruit is now ready for fermentation and now you're in control! Practice the best sanitation you can going forward.

Since you are going to be hitting the must with meta on that first day, there is no need to worry about sanitizing cutting boards, knives,etc. in the preparation of the fruit.