A question for the hombrew folks here, when I make my sanitizing solution can I just transfer it from my fermenting bucket to my bottling bucket and leave it there tilll I bottle? Does the solution ever lose its power, can I reuse it to sanitize for the bottling process?
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homebrewing sanitizing question
- Thread starter BigFoot
- Start date
The sanitizing solution does have a lifespan. I would recommend mixing new solution each time. You greatly reduce risk contamination. This is the biggest key to brewing process is clean. Pay absolute attention to your bottling stem also. I wrecked an entire batch of steam once. It blows
whats the bottling stem? do you mean the stem of the bottle? can i sterlize both fermenters on cooking day and top the 2nd fermenter till the transfer? and then just sterlize the bottling bucket and so forth on bottling day...:dunno:
I cannot remember actual name but it is a solid tube of plastic that has a spring loaded valve at the bottom. U use it to fill your bottles so from the bottom up so you do not mix too much air in with the brew while filling bottles. I had a problem with mine. I did not get it clean enough and contaminated the entire batch. I was pissed enough to not do any cooks for over two years. As for sharing sanitizer between primary and secondary fermenters. I would not trust your secondary fermenter to sit two to three weeks full of used sanitizing solution. Keep in mind you do not need to mix up a five gallon batch of sanitizer for this. Sanitizer is essentially used as a final rinse after you have washed your bucket or carboy or bottles. This can be a bleach solution (look up bleach sanitize on google ita like a capfull per gallon)or sanitizer solution. If you use bleach give it a hot water rinse intil you can smell no more bleach. Were not talking about complete sterilization. That is impossible. Just keep it as clean as possible.
Yup, make a fresh batch, better to be safe.
kmckinn3
Learning from the best
The night before I bottle I get 2 big coolers and fill them with a little bit of sanitizer and a lot of water. I'll fill them up with about 30 bottles each and let them soak over night. Then the next day I'll scrub off the lables, give them another dunk, and let them air dry until bottling. I use a really weak acid for sanitization. It leaves no residue, taste, and is safe if some is left in your bottle. Hope this helps. Have fun!
To address the question of "can you sanitize in the dishwasher?", I do. I feel that the hot as hell water does a fine job of sanitizing. However I would put nothing else in the dishwasher in there with your bottles and only a very small amount of detergent if any. I've bottled a few batches of my cider/beer hybrid this way and have had no problems.
I'm actually bottling today. I have a ton of bottles chilling in a 18 gallon rubber made tote in an Oxyclean solution. The labels float off the damn bottles. As soon as my dishwasher is done cleaning dishes I will load it with two cases of bottles and let it go. When I get home from doing some errands today I'll bottle. I don't use a bottling wand. I just go real low tech and bottle using some tubing with a tube clamp.
I'm actually bottling today. I have a ton of bottles chilling in a 18 gallon rubber made tote in an Oxyclean solution. The labels float off the damn bottles. As soon as my dishwasher is done cleaning dishes I will load it with two cases of bottles and let it go. When I get home from doing some errands today I'll bottle. I don't use a bottling wand. I just go real low tech and bottle using some tubing with a tube clamp.
I've never used the dish washer, but I know people use it with no problems. I've also heard of people boiling the bottles or using the oven. For bottles with no labels on them I usually give each one a quick rinse and interior inspection and then a soak for one minute in a san-star solution.