Well, I use a converted cooler to mash in. I'm pretty finicky when it comes to mash temps. I use 5.2 ph buffer. So I'll mash at around 152 for 60 min or so, sparge with water 160-170. Never higher. At this point, I do my best to clean out my mash tun, removing that which is visible, and do a thorough rinse with very, very hot water from the tap (steaming hot). I soak my hoses used for this process (mashing and sparging) in very hot water until any visible solids are removed, and use a hose brush to scrub the inside of the hoses.
I'll sparge to my desired volume, then begin my boil. I boil at a rapid, vigorous boil, which occasionally drops to a very light boil and back up again, but most of the time it is a very vigorous boil. I use a plate chiller. For a while I was using my pressure cooker as an autoclave to sterilize the plate chiller in, because I was so nervous to just be flushing (or back flushing) cleaner or starsan through it. I just never felt that was a good method with all the plates to hide bacteria.
I chill my wort and run it into a 6.5 gal glass carboy. The hose running from the boil kettle to the plate chiller, and the hose running from the plate chiller to the carboy, are both washed in very hot water, scrubbed with a brush, and soaked in starsan. I take them out of the star san just before I use them. The carboy is scrubbed with hot water. I visually inspect the carboy for any signs of visible contamination. I also use about 5 very hot, steaming water rinses using my spray nozzle and kitchen sink. I then swish starsan solution (at recommended concentration) and get it foaming real well, and continue the swish for a few minutes. I then rinse the excessive foam out with very hot tap water, and cap the carboy with alum. foil sanitized.
I fill the carboy, pitch the yeast. The yeast I work over open flames and use the same hot water wash and then starsan to sanitize all the equipment. I make a yeast starter with a stir plate.
I use pure oxygen and a stone to aerate my wort prior to pitching the yeast. My fermentation's start within hours and usually complete within a week.
I transfer to a secondary fer mentor, again, washed and sanitized. I use an auto siphon. One thing I notice is that occasionally the auto siphon will run small bubbles through the tubing. Maybe the gasket of the auto siphon isn't making a good seal with the siphon wall, and allowing air to enter?
I rinse my keg out with hot water and PBW. I use a hose brush to scrub the dip tube. I also completely disassemble the keg and soak all the parts. I reassemble and soak with starsan. I fill the keg once the secondary is done, and purge the O2 out with CO2. I let the CO2 naturally carbonate for about a week, and serve.
