Sterilisation of kit

[user 44889]

One little tip. Never use a metal spoon in a plastic bucket... it scratches and gives a place for bugs to make home. Get a brew plastic one, you probably got one with new kit. Just thought I'd mention just in case. I use Chemsan... brilliant stuff and available from brew2bottle.

 

[War Grade Vaux Stout]

One little tip. Never use a metal spoon in a plastic bucket... it scratches and gives a place for bugs to make home. Get a brew plastic one, you probably got one with new kit. Just thought I'd mention just in case. I use Chemsan... brilliant stuff and available from brew2bottle.

Thanks for that tip. With Chemsan, can you use it on the fermentation tub out of a spray bottle? Do you dilute it?

 

[Davegase]

Thanks for that tip. With Chemsan, can you use it on the fermentation tub out of a spray bottle? Do you dilute it?

Dilution rate is 10ml to 5L
You don't need to fill the fermenter. But put your stirring paddle or spoon, plus airlock in the fermenter with a couple of litres of chemsan, put the lid on and give it a good shake.
A spray bottle is also a must have.

 

[Agentgonzo]

Dilution rate is 10ml to 5L
You don't need to fill the fermenter. But put your stirring paddle or spoon, plus airlock in the fermenter with a couple of litres of chemsan, put the lid on and give it a good shake.
A spray bottle is also a must have.

I've done both approaches (I use starsan, rather than chemsan, but it sounds like they both act the same).

Sometimes I spray the inside of the fermenter with a spray bottle. Sometimes I pour a litre of solution into the fermenter and slosh it around, then pour it back into my storage bottles for further use.

Both wet all parts with sanitiser. I don't know whether one is better than the other

 

[Nidger]

One little tip. Never use a metal spoon in a plastic bucket... it scratches and gives a place for bugs to make home. Get a brew plastic one, you probably got one with new kit. Just thought I'd mention just in case. I use Chemsan... brilliant stuff and available from brew2bottle.

I've got a Boots fermentation bucket that is at least 20 years old. I used to throw all my equipment in it.
Still doing it's job.
Mind, I wouldn't use a metal stirrer
I still use Milton for sanitiser too.
Cheap and readily available anywhere

 

[Nidger]

I've done both approaches (I use starsan, rather than chemsan, but it sounds like they both act the same).

Sometimes I spray the inside of the fermenter with a spray bottle. Sometimes I pour a litre of solution into the fermenter and slosh it around, then pour it back into my storage bottles for further use.

Both wet all parts with sanitiser. I don't know whether one is better than the other

Apparently from what I've read they are the same, just a name change for European market or whatever.
None rinse almost instant sanitiser.
But very foaming.

Milton, none rinse, 15 minutes contact time, none foaming.

Swirl everything about in bucket, wait 15 minutes (no big deal), and I give a quick rinse,
Jobs a good un.


Which is better ? Depends whether you want to wait 15 minutes or save money.

Personally I'd rather clean something with lemon juice or white vinegar than caustic acid

I'm not comparing chemsan to that but then Milton has been used for many many years for babies bottles

 

[Agentgonzo]

I remember listening to a podcast about Starsan. There are only two ingredients:
* Phosphoric acid (used in brewing anyway, and exists in lots of common foods/drinks, including coca cola)
* Dodecylbenzenesulfonic acid - the thing in toothpaste that makes it foamy.

In short, don't be concerned that it has "nasty chemicals" in it :wink

 

[user 44889]

Thanks for that tip. With Chemsan, can you use it on the fermentation tub out of a spray bottle? Do you dilute it?

Yeah, i make up 1 ltr in spray bottle and as agentgonzo said i pour about half into the fermenting vessel and slosh it all around. Make sure all surfaces come into contact and wait the specified time then pour back in to spray bottle. I do the same with anything that comes into contact with the must. Same at bottling time all the tubing, bottles, capes or corks, i even spray my hands. 2ml to 1 ltr of water

 

[user 44889]

Thanks for that tip. With Chemsan, can you use it on the fermentation tub out of a spray bottle? Do you dilute it?

Sorry forgot to say contact time in which all surfaces must stay wet is 2 minutes, i do minimum of 3 just to be safe. I purchased 1 ltr of Chemsan so will make up 500 ltrs. Hope this all helps

 

[War Grade Vaux Stout]

Sorry forgot to say contact time in which all surfaces must stay wet is 2 minutes, i do minimum of 3 just to be safe. I purchased 1 ltr of Chemsan so will make up 500 ltrs. Hope this all helps

great thanks.
Do you need to use your chemsan immediately before the boil? Is that the way to avoid contamination or can you do it the day before your boil? Also with it being no rise do you not dry the tub and actually leave dregs of chemsan in the tub?

 

[War Grade Vaux Stout]

Dilution rate is 10ml to 5L
You don't need to fill the fermenter. But put your stirring paddle or spoon, plus airlock in the fermenter with a couple of litres of chemsan, put the lid on and give it a good shake.
A spray bottle is also a must have.

I have some tubing which the Wilko guide said I needed. Is that the air lock? How and where does this fit into the process?

 

[Davegase]

I have some tubing which the Wilko guide said I needed. Is that the air lock? How and where does this fit into the process?

I've never seen the Wilco guide, I'm guessing you might have basic kit which may not include an airlock.
An airlock which is sometimes called a bubbler is just a basic indicator of active fermentation. The tubing, I'm guessing is just a siphon tube for bottling or transfer to a pressure barrel. If your fermenter lid hasn't got a hole and a grommet to fit the airlock, then during fermentation you can just loosely fit the lid.

 

[War Grade Vaux Stout]

I've never seen the Wilco guide, I'm guessing you might have basic kit which may not include an airlock.
An airlock which is sometimes called a bubbler is just a basic indicator of active fermentation. The tubing, I'm guessing is just a siphon tube for bottling or transfer to a pressure barrel. If your fermenter lid hasn't got a hole and a grommet to fit the airlock, then during fermentation you can just loosely fit the lid.

Ok thanks. There's no hole so I'll forget that I imagine. I do have a hydrometer?

 

[Agentgonzo]

great thanks.
Do you need to use your chemsan immediately before the boil? Is that the way to avoid contamination or can you do it the day before your boil? Also with it being no rise do you not dry the tub and actually leave dregs of chemsan in the tub?

You should sanitise equipment soon before use. If you sanitised it a day before, wild yeast and other bugs could contaminate it. In theory, if you kept it sealed it would be ok, but it's safer to do it just before.

It is a no rinse sanitiser, so is designed for you to leave the dregs in the tub. You will get a lot of foam. This is normal and by design. Pour out as much liquid as you can then just rack your wort onto the foam

 

[user 44889]

Sorry never made Beer, only Wine and Cider but if you look at my profile picture the thing in the top of the Demijohns is an Airlock/Bubbler. You can drill a hole in your lid and fit a grommet and Bubbler if you so wish or as Davegase said you can just fit it loosely.
Ref the Chemsan you use it just before whatever your doing. Your supposed to let it air dry after spraying or soaking but i don't. They say don't fear the foam but i do so i rinse in cold water...... i know people will be saying so what's the point but I've never had an infection from the tap water and air drying takes to long....... ok im ready for the flak lol

 

[Davegase]

Sorry never made Beer, only Wine and Cider but if you look at my profile picture the thing in the top of the Demijohns is an Airlock/Bubbler. You can drill a hole in your lid and fit a grommet and Bubbler if you so wish or as Davegase said you can just fit it loosely.
Ref the Chemsan you use it just before whatever your doing. Your supposed to let it air dry after spraying or soaking but i don't. They say don't fear the foam but i do so i rinse in cold water...... i know people will be saying so what's the point but I've never had an infection from the tap water and air drying takes to long....... ok im ready for the flak lol

It's actually the acidity of the chemsan that does the sanitisation, so if you rinse the acidity off with tap water you have wasted your money on the chemsan or starsan.
If you get into all grain brewing you may have to adjust acidity depending on what you're brewing.
So the minute traces of starsan or chemsan will have no ill effect on anything you make ! If anything it will act positively as a yeast nutrient.

 

[DocAnna]

Sorry forgot to say contact time in which all surfaces must stay wet is 2 minutes, i do minimum of 3 just to be safe. I purchased 1 ltr of Chemsan so will make up 500 ltrs. Hope this all helps

Just bear in mind that the temperature is important in the contact time, if you store the made up solution outside or in a cold garage , the contact time required will be longer.

 

[Nidger]

I remember listening to a podcast about Starsan. There are only two ingredients:
* Phosphoric acid (used in brewing anyway, and exists in lots of common foods/drinks, including coca cola)
* Dodecylbenzenesulfonic acid - the thing in toothpaste that makes it foamy.

In short, don't be concerned that it has "nasty chemicals" in it :wink

I'll still rinse either.
Margarine and artificial sweeteners were pedalled as healthy alternatives to butter and sugar
Water is ok



Look up Dodecylbenzenesulfonic acid

 

[Davegase]

I'll still rinse either.
Margarine and artificial sweeteners were pedalled as healthy alternatives to butter and sugar
Water is ok



Look up Dodecylbenzenesulfonic acid

There was a time when beer and wine were considered a healthy alternative to water

 

[Old Fart At Play]

Look up Dodecylbenzenesulfonic acid

I did. Yes it is harmful if you swallow it neat. So is table salt if you swallow it at the strength of sea water.

If you want to rinse that is fine, but Starsan is perfectly safe to use without rinsing. (See eg Environmental Working Group report).