Complete Newbie after advice again

[Hightower]

Hi, I am planning my first brew day next Thursday, I have a starter kit with all the gubbins but it has only cone with enough sanitizer for 2 gallons, do I have to sanitise right to the brim of the buckets or can I just go up to the 5 gallon mark? And which sanitiser is recommended as I'm going to have to get more.
Thanks

 

[Clint]

With it being all new kit you'll just need sanitiser,or should do. Give it a rinse first As you progress and get everything cankered you'll need cleaner AND sanitiser. For cleaning I use oxi,pure sodium percarbonate,bought off eBay very cheaply. For sanitising I use either starsan or malt miller's own version,both a no rinse,acid style product. You don't need to fill to the brim unless the vessel is very dirty and needs soaking. Cleaning can be done by swishing the solution round and using a SOFT cloth...take care not to scratch your buckets etc as muck and bacteria can get in there. As with cleaning,sanitiser can be swished around the bucket and also applied with a spray bottle. The no rinse stuff is great just spray it on and drip dry/shake off excess.

 

[Bigcol49]

Hi!
Without knowing the exact kit or steriliser, it's tough to advise you.
Star San is a good no-rinse sanitiser but most people prepare it with bottled water, rather than tap water.
I use a no-rinse sanitiser which needs only 30 seconds application to work. I add a small amount of sanitising solution to th FV, put on the lid and shake it around to ensure that all surfaces are covered. Even though the FV won't be filled to the brim with wort, the whole interior should be sanitised.
As @Clint wrote, cleaning all items before sanitising them is essential. Washing -up liquid is known to be one cause of poor head retention so use something else.

 

[matt76]

I'm new too (so treat my advice with caution!), I started with a Northern Brewer "Block Party" kit...

Remember, you won't be bottling for a few weeks so you don't need to sanitise everything in one go yet... that also means you have time to plan longer term so don't panic about your brew day :)

"How to Brew" by Palmer actually recommends, among other things, diluted bleach for cleaning and sanitising, which I've seen others here also recommend.

I found a bottle of Milton sterilising fluid under the sink which I've used at times - if it's good enough for baby bottles...

I've since invested in some StarSan as it's quicker than Milton (2 mins vs. 15), especially useful when it comes to bottling.

One major tip I'll give you if you're bottling - rinse your old bottles thoroughly as soon as you pour your beer! It will save a lot of time and elbow grease later removing sticky beer residue and yeast (and mould!) from 50+ bottles Once they're clean then you only need to worry about sanitising them.

Good luck!

 

[Bigcol49]

Hi!
Great advice from @matt76
I'll add one tip - after rinsing out your bottles after use, cover the spout of the bottle with aluminium foil during storage.