I can't seem to brew!

[Hazelwood Brewery]

Isn't Sodium Percarbonate a cleanser? I've never heard of it being described as no-rinse either.

It’s a no-rinse steriliser and all I’ve used for years. Take a look on somewhere like the LoveBrewing website (or other homebrew website of your choice) for no-rinse steriliser.

 

[user 18729]

Remove chlorine- Don’t use chlorine based cleaners/sterilisers and as already mentioned use a Camden tablet.

Ensure you pitch enough yeast for your batch (and select a yeast strain based on the temperature you will ferment at) and you should be half way there. Water treatment will refine any off flavours but initially just focus on the basics

 

[trueblue]

It’s a no-rinse steriliser and all I’ve used for years. Take a look on somewhere like the LoveBrewing website (or other homebrew website of your choice) for no-rinse steriliser.

The malt miller only lists it as a cleaner Sterilisers, Chemicals and Sundries - Sodium Percarbonate Cleaner - The Malt Miller | The Malt Miller I've only ever used it as a cleaner and always rinsed.

 

[user 18729]

https://www.thehomebrewforum.co.uk/threads/sodium-percarbonate-as-a-no-rinse-steriliser.81854/
This was discussed a while ago.
The alkaline nature of the stuff would make me want to rinse it...

 

[Hazelwood Brewery]

Maybe the technicalities between sanitisers and sterilisers get in the way.

Sodium percabonate (see edit) is an organic bleach, bleach is not friendly to bugs (it kills 99.9% apparently) so that’s good enough for me. It decomposes into oxygen, water, and a tiny amount of inoffensive salts that just get tipped away in solution.

Rinse if it pleases you.

Job done.

Edit: Sodium Percarbonate NOT permanganate. Thanks to @Andrew Elliott for spotting my error. :hat:

 

[AnimatedGIF]

Yes, unfortunately, I did.

In that case I'd be so bold as to say maybe you need to work on being patient more than anything. It seems a tad drastic to discard a batch based on observations made knowing you sampled too early.

 

[trueblue]

Maybe the technicalities between sanitisers and sterilisers get in the way.

Sodium permanganate is an organic bleach, bleach is not friendly to bugs (it kills 99.9% apparently) so that’s good enough for me. It decomposes into oxygen, water, and a tiny amount of inoffensive salts that just get tipped away in solution.

Rinse if it pleases you.

Job done.

If it is a bleach surely it should be rinsed.

 

[Hazelwood Brewery]

If it is a bleach surely it should be rinsed.

Ah! That’s the neat trick - it’s only a bleach for a few minutes, then it isn’t. It decomposes into harmless and tasteless by-products : water, oxygen, salt.

 

[dwhite60]

Maybe the technicalities between sanitisers and sterilisers get in the way.

Sodium permanganate is an organic bleach, bleach is not friendly to bugs (it kills 99.9% apparently) so that’s good enough for me. It decomposes into oxygen, water, and a tiny amount of inoffensive salts that just get tipped away in solution.

Rinse if it pleases you.

Job done.

This sounds like the description for the "One-Step" sanitizer I use here in the states. Due to U.S. EPA regulations it's not classified as a sanitizer but it works as one. Been using it a couple years without problems.

I like that it's got a pretty low environmental impact. No iodine like iodophor. No chlorine like bleach. I know Star-San says "Don't fear the foam" but when it's coming out of your bottles onto the floor when you're bottling, it's a pain in the backside.

 

[Noodlebrew]

Hey dude, I'm no expert here! Only been brewing a few years. I also had some very mixed results, but i think I'm slowly getting somewhere now. I've written down every single brew day from start to finish, and tried to figure out what went wrong and make note of that for next time.

If you're methodical And patient, good beer will come. Also it depends on how far down the rabbit hole you wanna go. How about a 2nd hand fridge, with an inkbird controller thingy. I set one up in my garage and it helps loads with keeping a stable temperature from beginning to end.

You're probably just around the corner from making a decent brew, and once you nail one, it'll give you confidence... And make more notes! It really helps

Goodluck dude

 

[labrewski]

The three things most people would say contribute most to a successful brew are cleanliness, temperature control, and time/patience so this is a good place to start.

I would say scrap all non-organic bleaches. Wash (you can use Fairy liquid) and rinse everything thoroughly, then sterilise with a “no rinse” steriliser like sodium percarbonate - don’t be tempted to make a stronger mix thinking this will be better, it isn’t.

Make sure you control the temperature of the mash, that you pitch the yeast at the right temperature, and that you ferment at the right temperature, ideally for two weeks. When you bottle, leave the bottle somewhere around 20C for at least two weeks then store somewhere cool for another month before you drink it.

Starsan is back one of the best mo rinse sanitize brands I think

 

[Leon103]

Be patient. Put the brew on and leave it alone for 2 weeks, there is no need to do anything else with it (unless dry hopping).
Bottle and prime. Leave somewhere warm for 2 weeks and then condition for a minimum of 2 weeks.

 

[Gerryjo]

I remember when I first joined the forum...and mentioned washing up liquid...and I had a bollocking off someone...
DONT USE WASHING UP LIQUID!
There...I've passed it on...it's a steep curve...I'm sure you'll sort it out.

I use fairy myself to give it a good cleaning but have a hose on straight after with hot water flushing then drip dry.

 

[MickDundee]

I use fairy myself to give it a good cleaning but have a hose on straight after with hot water flushing then drip dry.

I use it on my boiler (and now my all in one), always have, but never on my cold side stuff.

A little mixed in a basin of hot water, into the boiler and sloshed around And scrubbing of crud done. Fill with plain water (hot) then empty, same again with cold.

 

[Noodlebrew]

I use a non scented washing up liquid, then hose it out before the star san. Not caused me any problems so far!

 

[MmmBeer]

A couple of tips with campden tablets, don't use too much and give them time to work. Although they are very small, one tablet is sufficient to treat 60+ litres of water, so if you are making small batches, it may be best to crush a tablet and add the appropriate fraction of the powder. This was a problem I encountered a while back, I had a series of brews that were unpleasant due to putting a whole tablet in the mash (~20l) and another in the sparge water (~15l), rather than a quarter in each.

 

[Binkei Huckaback]

Make an immersion chiller. All you need is a roll of cooper tube, something to wind it round to create a coil, some compression fittings and spanner (adjustable will do) and some hosepipe. Go to a plumber's merchant though, somewhere like B&Q will charge you a fortune. There are lots of plans and videos on the internet.

 

[Andrew Elliott]

Maybe the technicalities between sanitisers and sterilisers get in the way.

Sodium permanganate is an organic bleach, bleach is not friendly to bugs (it kills 99.9% apparently) so that’s good enough for me. It decomposes into oxygen, water, and a tiny amount of inoffensive salts that just get tipped away in solution.

Rinse if it pleases you.

Job done.

I would be careful with Sodium permanganate as it isn't an organic bleach it's inorganic and contains managnese. Sodium percarbonate is in my opinion the best solution in that it is firstly oxidising so sanitises also it's decomposition product is sodium carbonate which is a pretty good cleaner and de-greaser. It is suitable for no rinse as tou are left with a mild solution of Sodium CArbonate which will effectively just raise pH slightly.

I'm not sure what manganese tastes like but wouldn't fancy it. Sodium Permanganate is very toxic to aquatic life!

 

[Kuabi]

It's a shame..but at least you keep trying...
Do as M says to start. If you have an infection you need to absolutely clean everything and sanitise before starting again. Cheap bleach solution is as good as anything but will need a good rinse.
Cooling can be an issue as the weather turns hotter as the longer you leave the wort exposed the more risk there is. Leaving it overnight is a good option but you must seal it properly...cling film is ok. As you've found patience is your friend...
Ares you trying random brews,ones you've seen recommended or trying to make what you like?
Chin up... you'll get there.

If heat is the problem then try some Kveik yeast that enjoys a high temperature for pitching and fermenting. It also seems to clear easier and quicker.

 

[Gerryjo]

I use it on my boiler (and now my all in one), always have, but never on my cold side stuff.

A little mixed in a basin of hot water, into the boiler and sloshed around And scrubbing of crud done. Fill with plain water (hot) then empty, same again with cold.

Much the same as myself though I do give my cold side stuff a dose of Hypochlorite about twice a year and pull them apart when cleaning.
I pulled my ball valve and filter from the mashtun as I was building a manifold and had to steam clean the valve as I found a stray grain lodged in the ball section and I really find the handheld steamer great for brewing equipment.