Cleaning products and regime

[shd]

So i'm contemplating starting my 2nd only beer kit brew (a Wherry) so am thinking about cleaning steps of my kit
As my plastic bucket, spoon, jug, pipes etc were all brand new for my 1st attempt in Nov last year, i only needed/used the no rinse cleaner/steriliser with soft cloths, more for the case sanitising than cleaning as as i say, all my kit was new and sparkling
After bottling, i washed and rinsed everything down and put my kit away
But now, considering getting my next brew on, i would like some advice as to what products everyone uses (washing up liquid ?, cloths or brushes, brillo pads (...are they too scratchy ???) etc), how to clean down piping, the nooks and crannies in the tap on my fermenter bucket etc etc

Is anyone able to offer some advice please and share your regime as i'm planning on getting the next brew on next weekend

Thanks in advance

shd

 

[Agentgonzo]

I clean everything when it's wet. That way, you don't need to scour it. Scouring pads etc will scratch plastic which can make sanitising harder as bugs get lodged in the scratches.

I only ever used water and a sponge. Some use mild washing up liquid. But you need to rinse it well otherwise it'll kill beer foam.

Care and diligence is a good starting point. Let everything dry thoroughly before getting it out. That way, all you need to do to use it is Sanitise it.

 

[klaus]

Good point: clean everything when it's still wet and I include in this beer bottles, when you have emptied one, or more, rinse them out as soon as possible otherwise the sediment dries and it will take more time to get them ready for the next brew. I don't use washing up liquid, just VWP for everything.
Otherwise, once your approach is established stick with it.

 

[Nottsbeer]

Up until about a year ago I used to make a VWP solution in my FV and put all items in there to soak for 20 mins, then rinse 3 times in water. I'm becoming either lazy or less paranoid now so just use boiling water in the FV for a swirl around and then all items apart from tubing gets no rinse santitser (I still make a VWP solution for tubing and the bottle wand and let them soak). Works fine for me - so far no infections .

 

[Nottsbeer]

Good point: clean everything when it's still wet and I include in this beer bottles, when you have emptied one, or more, rinse them out as soon as possible otherwise the sediment dries and it will take more time to get them ready for the next brew. I don't use washing up liquid, just VWP for everything.
Otherwise, once your approach is established stick with it.

Def +1 for rinsing out used bottles. I use the old cap to keep things out until next use. Quick blast with no rinse and they are ready to be filled again.

 

[Agentgonzo]

Def +1 for rinsing out used bottles. I use the old cap to keep things out until next use. Quick blast with no rinse and they are ready to be filled again.

I often find that rinsing isn't enough. I stick some water in, stick by thumb over and give it a good shake, but sometimes I can still see some sediment on the bottom,/sides. But a quick in and out with a cutie brush a few times cleans it. Do it when you pour the beer and it's dead easy

 

[shd]

Good point: clean everything when it's still wet and I include in this beer bottles, when you have emptied one, or more, rinse them out as soon as possible otherwise the sediment dries and it will take more time to get them ready for the next brew. I don't use washing up liquid, just VWP for everything.
Otherwise, once your approach is established stick with it.

with any of my existing beers, once emptied, i filled half with water, put the lid on (as i used plastic) and gave a vigorous shake before emptying and repeating to get any old yeast out before leaving to dry
as i say, i used plastic for my first brew but have some brand new glass bottles for my 2nd attempt

 

[shd]

Up until about a year ago I used to make a VWP solution in my FV and put all items in there to soak for 20 mins, then rinse 3 times in water. I'm becoming either lazy or less paranoid now so just use boiling water in the FV for a swirl around and then all items apart from tubing gets no rinse santitser (I still make a VWP solution for tubing and the bottle wand and let them soak). Works fine for me - so far no infections .

the tubing and inners of the tap on my bucket i admit are my biggest concern and worry

 

[Nottsbeer]

the tubing and inners of the tap on my bucket i admit are my biggest concern and worry

For my buckets I empty some boiling water into them, give a careful swill around then empty via the tap. Seems to do the job well. Tubes are def ones for VWP. Any sign of discolour/bits in them they get chucked! Good luck

 

[Agentgonzo]

Drying tubes. Take them outside and whirly them around a lot.

 

[Brewnaldo]

I'm thinking about buying a 5 litre drum of food safe disinfectant, and making my regime a clean with washing up liquid or Oxy to remove physical grime, disinfect, thorough rinse then starsan for storage or prior to use

 

[Nottsbeer]

Drying tubes. Take them outside and whirly them around a lot.

Lol...yes, I should do this next time.

 

[Sadfield]

It's more a question of what are we trying to remove, rather than what product?

Washing up liquid is next to useless for brewery cleaning. It's designed as a degreaser and mainly consists of surfactants. Brewery contamination is largely proteins, minerals and microbes, which requires a strong alkali detergent (caustic or non-caustic) to remove organic matter and acid to remove the minerals, then a sanitiser. Sodium Percarbonate (Oxy) or Sodium Metasilicate (PWB) alkaline cleaning followed by Phosphoric Acid (Starsan/Chemsan), that also doubles as a sanitiser, is a pretty safe, easy and reliable combination for homebrewers.

 

[Bzee]

I only sterilise my bottle tops, siphon and teaspoon and funnel used to prime. The bottles go in the dishwasher and that's enough. My fermenter is metal so the wort goes is at just under 100 Celsius. I bought a kilo of percarbonate yonks ago I use 1 tsp in warm water. I don't use a hydrometer but if I did I would sterilise that. Been doing so for years and no issues. Anything hotside will sterilise itself. All bottles are rinsed well after use and kept clean and dry.

 

[shd]

Hi again all,

I never got around to doing this brew but i'm going to have a go this weekend
Quick question :
I've got some VWP although i've never used this product before
All i've done to date is a single brew kit on brand new vessels, pipes etc, and used the no rinse cleaner/sanitiser that came with it

Is it a bit overkill to clean and sterilize with VWP then rinse with cold (both as per instructions), and then use Starsan/Chemsan too, or isn't this step necessary ?

My brew equipment has only been used once and its been in the loft since although i did give it a good clean before packing it away

#paranoid

 

[Sadfield]

Use both. You can't clean and sanitise too much. Starsan is so quick and easy to use, you'd save very little from not using it.

 

[Agentgonzo]

Doing both is overkill. Vwp will do both clean and sanitise. Starsan will just sanitise (no clean).

Even though it was clean in the loft, it'll probably have roof detritus on it (mine would), cobwebs etc. I would go with vwp only and think the starsan is unnecessary. I used just vwp for around 15 years and never had a problem. Though an extra starsan obviously won't hurt.


(There is the argument that if you have to rinse you sanitiser (Vwp) then it's no longer sanitary, hence why no rinse sanitisers exist. But you'll be fine with vwp + rinse)

 

[shd]

thanks @Sadfield @Agentgonzo
Agent - your comment about rinsing with just cold water was my thought that its no longer sanitary
I'll give it a thought and may do both and i plan to pay particular attention to the tap with a toothbrush just to be safe

Final question (honestly !).......i assume everyone just gets their hands in there and no one feels the need for rubber gloves during cleaning/sanitising ?
The assumption here is that i haven't been doing an oil change on the car immediately prior of course

 

[Agentgonzo]

No need for rubber gloves when cleaning* as it's just you cleaning the kit (like doing the dishes).

When I clean my kit, it's just warm water and a scrubby brush.

*Provided you don't have sensitive skin or unless the cleaning chemicals say so (I think vwp does).

 

[MashBag]

#paranoid

This was the most pertinent thing you said imo.

Stop it. Peeps have been making beer for 1000s of years, without even potable water.

In case you missed that. Stop it

If its clean enough to eat off/cook with, you have cracked it. Kitchen clean is fine, operating theatre clean is not required, this isn't brain surgery