All in One cleaning and sanitising?

[gingerneil]

I'll be using my shiny new All In One for the first time soon (as soon as GetErBrewed kit order gets delivered!).
I have read and watched guides on cleaning AIO systems using PBW after a brew, and all seems clear. However, do I need to also sanitise before I brew, or does the heat of the mash and boil take care of that?

 

[Stu's Brews]

I'll be using my shiny new All In One for the first time soon (as soon as GetErBrewed kit order gets delivered!).
I have read and watched guides on cleaning AIO systems using PBW after a brew, and all seems clear. However, do I need to also sanitise before I brew, or does the heat of the mash and boil take care of that?

No need to sanitise anything that is used before / during the boil.

Anything that you use post-boil after the wort is cooled (include the chiller itself, although that can be done with the hot wort) need to be sanitised.

 

[RichardM]

Sanitise everything that the wort will come in to contact with after the boil. The boil will sanitise before then

 

[gingerneil]

Great - thanks. I assume putting a clean immersion chiller into the boil for the last 10 mins is enough to sanitise that?

 

[Stu's Brews]

Great - thanks. I assume putting a clean immersion chiller into the boil for the last 10 mins is enough to sanitise that?

Correct, was just going back to my original post to clarify that.

10 minutes is probably longer than is actually needed. I run wort through my counterflow for about 1-2 minutes max.

 

[RichardM]

Great - thanks. I assume putting a clean immersion chiller into the boil for the last 10 mins is enough to sanitise that?

that's what I do, but for 15 minutes

 

[AnimatedGIF]

Do give a good clean prior to first use - there will be residues etc from the manufacturing process that you'll probably want gone. I can't remember what I used on mine - maybe ChemClean.

 

[Cheshire Cat]

The instructions for mine with to heat 10 litres of water add the sanitiser and run the pump for 30 minutes . I did this a cleaned all surfaces then rinsed. I used VWP.

 

[gingerneil]

Great - thanks all. I'll get it flushed through and prep'd ahead of brew day.

 

[Cheshire Cat]

My question is do I need to ensure the pump is clean prior to my next brew.

 

[Stu's Brews]

My question is do I need to ensure the pump is clean prior to my next brew.

I always run some cleaner (ChemClean) through my pump and counterflow chiller after each brew day. Depending on how long it has been since the last brew I'll run some more through before starting a brew day as well.

 

[Cheshire Cat]

I always run some cleaner (ChemClean) through my pump and counterflow chiller after each brew day. Depending on how long it has been since the last brew I'll run some more through before starting a brew day as well.

Thank you I’ll do the same.

 

[Agentgonzo]

I run Grainfather cleaner/PBW through the pump/CFC for 15 minutes at the end of each brewday, then water for 5 minutes. This ensures that the pump is clean. However, I'm certain that there will be water sitting in the pump between brews. I'll normally just flush a few litres of water through it at the start of each brewday just in case. If something nasty came out, I'd probably put cleaner through it again, but it always comes out clear. No special cleaning done at the start of the brewday.

 

[Cheshire Cat]

I blew down the vertical pipe and got residue out of the bottom hole to the pump After my first brew.

 

[YeastFace]

I flush some CO2 through my CFC to ensure as little water is left after it's been cleaned, but probably overkill.

 

[MrJay83]

Get some GEB oxi no rinse san clean for your bucket, bottles, etc. I use VWP to give everything a really good clean and sanitise after fermentation.

 

[Jiffy176]

Vwp for me run through the system at 60 degrees for 5 mins then let it cool followed by cold water rinse.

 

[HarryFlatters]

r me run through the system at 60 degrees for 5 mins then let it cool followed by cold water rinse

Careful with VWP on stainless steel, it can apparently cause pitting. Keep contact time to a minimum.

 

[hoppyscotty]

I give it a good clean out with hot soapy water after every use and will do a 20 or so minute 60 degree Sodium Percarbonate deep clean every now and again to make sure there are no nooks and crannies that old grain or hops have got stuck in. Don't bother sanitising. Never had any issues with this regime. I do give the recirculation pipe a good backflush too in order to get the crud out of the pump and it seems to be effective. Some say don't do this as you can push off the plastic pipes with he force of the water, but I don't give it the full beans and give it a gentle flush and has worked a treat with no issues for over 2 years now. In fact about time I thought about replacing the plastic pipes that link the pump to the recirculation pipe as it seems to me they do deteriorate over time and can burst or start leaking. A good point of pro active preventative maintenance I think.

 

[Scrattajack]

Food for thought in this thread: I may have the answer to the cause of occasional infections.

Brew days start with a run of some cold water through the pump to look for signs it hadn't been cleaned properly at the end of the previous sessions. Any bits or discolouration and it's out with the Chemclean or sodium percarbonate. When happy, it's mash time with recirculation with a high temperature at a mashout of 77c. It's off for the sparge and the boil.

So, when the cooled wort is pumped to the fermenter, the pump hasn't had any boiling liquid through it.