Keeping stuff sterile

[gillonstewart]

Hi guys. I'm going to be putting on another few batches of country wines which will need stirring in the bucket every day for a week or so. My last few batches I've had a spare bucket with water and steriliser powder in (troclosene sodium disodium metasilicate according to the label, Young's steriliser to you and me).

For these next brews I won't have any spare buckets. How do you guys keep your tools sterile for a week or so at a time or is it enough to just clean them under running water?

TIA

 

[Tanglefoot]

I've made quite a few country wines and just leave them to it once fermentation is under way.
Opening the FV unnecessarily means more chance of introducing infection.

If I need to sterilise a few bits and pieces such as hydrometer and paddle, I'll mix up half a gallon of PBW solution which takes no time at all.
If you've not got a spare bucket use a jug or similar. Once done ditch it and make a fresh lot next time.

 

[sifty]

A good wash and spray with starsan or similar? I keep a spray bottle full and change it whenever I make a new batch...

 

[Agentgonzo]

Starsan in a spray bottle for me as well.

 

[gillonstewart]

Thanks, I'll look up starsan, a spray bottle seems like a good idea.

I've made quite a few country wines and just leave them to it once fermentation is under way.
Opening the FV unnecessarily means more chance of introducing infection

There's always that risk, hence the sterilising I suppose. It depends on the ingredients and method for the particular wine though in my experience. Any recipe that needs boiling and straining into the primary fermentation bucket, I never bother stirring but cold extraction recipes benefit from stirring because all the solids float to the top and form a cap which hinders flavour/sugar extraction.

I'm planning on starting another CJJ Berry recipe today, a ginger wine of which the main ingredient is bananas.

The recipe calls for simmering the bananas until mushy then straining into the bucket but the stirring twice daily for ten days. I've not made this one before so I'm not sure why it would need stirred twice a day if it's strained but I'm assuming the straining removes relatively little of the solids and a fruit cap will still form. Looking forward to finding out though (a year to mature though )

 

[Cwrw666]

Just boil a kettle and rinse your spoon etc. with the boiling water.

 

[Dutto]

Don’t really like to be pedantic, but I think most on the Forum prefer “sanitising” to “sterilising”!

The main reason (as far as I am aware) is that to “sterilise” something “ and thereby remove all bacteria, yeasts and viruses, is only possible with long submersion in boiling water, radiation etc; a situation that is impossible when you consider what is involved in brewing.

On the other hand, “sanitisation” indicates that you tried your best to get rid of the bacteria and yeasts that could be harmful to the brewing process.

Pedantic? Yep! Sorry!
:hat:

 

[Cwrw666]

Pedantic? Yep!

Yes. Look them up in a dictionary - pretty much identical definitions.

 

[user 44889]

Pour boiling water over plastic spoon then spray with Chemsan, leave 2 to 3 mins then stir away,
Bit over the top i know but that's me lol
I make a lot of country wines that need daily stirring.

 

[Dutto]

Yes. Look them up in a dictionary - pretty much identical definitions.

Er … “pretty much”?

That’s like being “Nearly a virgin.”
:hat: