SANITIZERS
Sanitation is one of the most important considerations in fermentation. The key to sanitation is to minimize the population of undesirable organisms (bad bugs) that come into contact with your ferment. Starting with a low concentration of these undesirables, we hope that the yeast population works fast enough to create an unfavorable environment for them to thrive in. Higher alcohol levels and change in pH work to our advantage.
Remember, everything that comes into contact with your ferment should be sanitized prior to use. When rinsing, be sure your water is free from contaminants. Most city water is fine, but untreated well water is questionable. Here are some common sanitizers used with home fermentation.
CHLORINE (bleach) - Household bleach is the least expensive sanitizer. Use regular (unscented) only, 1-2 oz. per gallon in cold water and do not mix with other chemicals. Contact time should be about 30 min. Use only on plastic and glass surfaces. Chlorine can oxidize metal surfaces with prolonged exposure.
IODINE (Iodophor) - Iodophor is is much quicker and more expensive, but can be used on metal such as kegs. Required contact time is only one minute. When mixed properly, rinsing is not required. Let the equipment air dry or rinse with water.
TSP - Great for cleaning. Some people soak bottles in this solution to remove lables. Use 1 oz. per gal. and rinse well.
CAMPDEN TABLETS (sulphite) - Used primarily in winemaking and meadmaking. Not actually a sterilizer, but supresses the bad guys until the yeast does its job. Most wine yeasts are selected in part for their tolerance to sulphites. I usually use no more than 4 tablets in five gal. of grape juice (called must). With mead, I usually use 1 tablet per gal. of freshly crushed/pressed fruit.
Other available sanitizers - B-Brite, One Step, Saniclean. I don't know anything about these products, but they are available. Check with your shop for availibility and their recommendations.
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