WineXpert Winexpert Sanitizing instructions

[termini]

We have 4 winexpert kits under our belt now,( Island Mists)another one started (Liebfraumilch) and two other homade batches also.
My question is concerning the instructions on all the WE kits that we do....all the steps say to " sanitze all equipment, THEN RINSE".
From what I have seen on most of the forum discussions, I have NOT done this, I have cleaned with One Step, and then sanitized with K-Meta, letting BOTH of them letting drip--drain.
Is this correct? I am not leaving enough of the K-Meta behind to hinder yeast production am I?
I always wondered about this and the fact that it burns my nose so much when it comes in contact with outside air that it doesn't affect the taste of the wine?
I am pretty sure that I should apply and let drain, or drip andNOT rinse with water, but I wanted to get the opinion of the vetrans.

 

[Wade E]

You should not rinse after sanitizing but should rinse after cleaning. Rinsing after sanitizing would or could introduce bacteria all over again. Anything left over after sanitizing and drip drying would only protect your investment although dont eave excess sanitizer in your fermenting bucket as this could hinder INITIAL fermentation.

 

[termini]

Copy that------what you said about hindering INITIAL fermentation I bet means that there will be enough of the yeast population to overcome the initial shock if there is a little too much K-Meta left over---but it will soon kick up and be right on track?

 

[PeterZ]

I used to be concerned about the amount of sanitizing solution left behind on the equipment, mostly because I would sanitize my wine thief, leaving several drops of solution on it, then thief out an ounce of wine for a taste. I could taste the excess in the sample. Then I put pencil to paper.


There are 768 fl. oz. in a 6 gallon batch of wine. To get 3 drops of sanitizer per fl. oz. means 2304 drops per batch. There are 20 drops in 1 ml, so that is 115 ml, or about half a cup of solution. If the solution is the standard strength, 3 TB per gallon, there are 32 half cups per gallon,then that half cup of solution delivers 1/4 tsp of K-meta. That's what we add for bulk aging anyway.


No worries, as it would be hard to miss half a cup left on the equipment after drip draining. It's more like half an ml.

 

[Jack on Rainy]

Termini,
I'm surprised none of the more experienced vintnors present on this thread didn't mention this. The yeasts supplied with the kit are resistant to K-meta so they go to work anyway. One Step may be a different matter, however.
You might also consider what you are rinsing with. I tend to skip the rinse after sanitizing because I use untreated lake water and don't want any of those live things trying to get in on my wine.

 

[Wade E]

I disagree with the RESISTANT comment as anyone who has over sulfated a batch of wine by switching from tablets to powder will tell you that the wine will never start or take many days of stirring vigorously to drive off the m-meta. I had to dump out 2 batches when I started making wine as I misread the Vintners harvest instructions on the can and over sulfated these batches and would not ferment for 7 days and then I gave up.