MichaelRyanSD
Member
How long after I sanitize my brewing equipment can I use it before its considered no longer sanitary? For example, if I sanitize my equipment in the morning, would it be fine to use late in the afternoon?
Noobiest of all noob questions, how long are things sanitary?
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titansvol
Well-Known Member
I would not recommend it. I always sanitize immediately before using the equipment.
There is no real way to answer this question...
When you sanitize your brewing equipment you are not sterilizing it, you are merely reducing bio burden.
The goal is to reduce the population of nasty organisms to a low enough level that you give the yeast enough time to take hold and create an environment in the wort that discourages foreign growth.
Even if you could sterilize your instruments, they will immediately begin to pick up bacteria, mold sports and natural yeast from dust in the air (and god forbid flies and mice hanging out in our brew areas...). The amount of these foreign bodies will vary greatly depending on the environment.
Although you may get lucky and not have an infection, the safest bet is to sanitize immediately before using your equipment and establish fermentation as soon after the boil as possible.
I would hate to spend all day brewing, and weeks waiting only to ruin a beer because I didn't take 5 minutes to dunk some equipment in a bucket of starsan.
When you sanitize your brewing equipment you are not sterilizing it, you are merely reducing bio burden.
The goal is to reduce the population of nasty organisms to a low enough level that you give the yeast enough time to take hold and create an environment in the wort that discourages foreign growth.
Even if you could sterilize your instruments, they will immediately begin to pick up bacteria, mold sports and natural yeast from dust in the air (and god forbid flies and mice hanging out in our brew areas...). The amount of these foreign bodies will vary greatly depending on the environment.
Although you may get lucky and not have an infection, the safest bet is to sanitize immediately before using your equipment and establish fermentation as soon after the boil as possible.
I would hate to spend all day brewing, and weeks waiting only to ruin a beer because I didn't take 5 minutes to dunk some equipment in a bucket of starsan.
Hamaki
Well-Known Member
I make it a practice to sanitize items immediately before use. They were cleaned after the last use and possibly again just before the present use (if I have doubts about dust, flies, mice, etc). I like my gear wet with no rinse sanitizer when I use it. A bucket & spray bottle of starsan are always handy.
Anything after the boil....... I am pulling it out of a tub of starsan, letting it drip off for a few seconds and using it while it is still wet. For instance, I will dump the starsan out of my fermenter, and almost immediately drain my chilled wort into it.
I do this as well, and though I am still a noob, I have had 13 batches without a problem. Everything is in Starsan before I use it and, when in doubt, it gets sprayed/dunked again.
-J-
Black Island Brewer
An Ode to Beer
Yes to the replies above - consider everything contaminated and sanitize as you go.
When I first started brewing, before starsan, most homebrewers sanitized with bleach, which had to be rinsed off. Total pain. With starsan, as long as it's still wet (including the foam) it's still sanitary. If it's dry, re-sanitize.
When I first started brewing, before starsan, most homebrewers sanitized with bleach, which had to be rinsed off. Total pain. With starsan, as long as it's still wet (including the foam) it's still sanitary. If it's dry, re-sanitize.
I like to use right after giving them a spray down. I'd imagine that as long as you are careful enough and have a clean brew environment that all will be ok with a little leeway. We probably tend to err on the side of caution just in case.
I tend to starsan swish my carboy and drain all that is practical out of it while my wort is chilling. Is there sometimes a dry spot (being starsan no longer effective) in that area? Occasionally. Is Braufessors method better? Probably. Scrap that, yes. It is better. Have I ever had a problem because my carboy was left "at risk" for 15 minutes? Nope. Would I leave it around for a few hours? Probably not.
Only exception to that is when I clean and sanitize my kegs. Difference being that they're sealed up and under pressure so nothing can get in. Just a dash of starsan around the lid before opening it and on the posts before connecting to anything and life is good.
I tend to starsan swish my carboy and drain all that is practical out of it while my wort is chilling. Is there sometimes a dry spot (being starsan no longer effective) in that area? Occasionally. Is Braufessors method better? Probably. Scrap that, yes. It is better. Have I ever had a problem because my carboy was left "at risk" for 15 minutes? Nope. Would I leave it around for a few hours? Probably not.
Only exception to that is when I clean and sanitize my kegs. Difference being that they're sealed up and under pressure so nothing can get in. Just a dash of starsan around the lid before opening it and on the posts before connecting to anything and life is good.
Make a 5 gallon bucket of starsan part of your equipment and keep all you "tools" in there.
dadshomebrewing
Well-Known Member
this^^^
when i'm brewing EVERYTHING stays in the starsan until it's used.
like somebody else said, i don't want to spend all day brewing, and then wait 6 weeks, and go through all the steps, and screw it up by being short sighted.
no payback.
I'm going to add onto this question as another who would be considered the noobiest of noobs. How well does boiling cover the sanitization process?
For my specific example, my wife gave me a Mr. Beer kit for Christmas. Last night I began my first batch. I didn't do much research beforehand and just dove right into it. Anyway, things were going along swimmingly until I dumped my pre-made malt extract mix that came with the kit into my boiled water. The problem was that when I removed the can lid with the can-opener, I discarded it back into the empty malt extract can. I forgot about that detail and then noticed some remaining extract that hadn't poured out. I scraped as much of it with a sanitized spoon, forgetting that the unsanitized can lid was still in there!! Am I totally screwed with this first batch? The good news is that I transferred the extract to water that was just recently boiled and still pretty hot, so I am hoping the mixture was hot enough to kill the microbes that were on the lid. Other than that I feel pretty confident with my procedure.
For my specific example, my wife gave me a Mr. Beer kit for Christmas. Last night I began my first batch. I didn't do much research beforehand and just dove right into it. Anyway, things were going along swimmingly until I dumped my pre-made malt extract mix that came with the kit into my boiled water. The problem was that when I removed the can lid with the can-opener, I discarded it back into the empty malt extract can. I forgot about that detail and then noticed some remaining extract that hadn't poured out. I scraped as much of it with a sanitized spoon, forgetting that the unsanitized can lid was still in there!! Am I totally screwed with this first batch? The good news is that I transferred the extract to water that was just recently boiled and still pretty hot, so I am hoping the mixture was hot enough to kill the microbes that were on the lid. Other than that I feel pretty confident with my procedure.
my favorite response to that question was answered by the master brewer that taught me...Things are sanitary until they are not.....he also used that for cooking too... how long do i cook this for...till its done..
i usually sanitize right before i use it..when in doubt...wash it and sanitize it again...you can ever be to sanitary.
i usually sanitize right before i use it..when in doubt...wash it and sanitize it again...you can ever be to sanitary.
dadshomebrewing
Well-Known Member
assuming you aren't referring to the "boil" phase of brewing, but rather boiling your equipment to sterilize it (which is different than sanitizing it).
sterilizing isn't the same as sanitizing, just like washing the dishes isn't the same.
you can wash your gear (or bottles, or whatever)... you can boil them... you can do whatever you need to do to make them clean...
then you sanitize them... and keep them in starsan while brewing... a little starsan in the bottle, or on a spoon isn't going to do anything bad... but having un-sanitized gear will.
and regarding your little hickup with the can lid... if it were me, i would quit messing with it and ride it out, and take your chances... the more you mess with it, the more opportunity there is to screw it up.
a lot of really smart (and good) home brewers will have ways to "fix" everything, and tinker and fret.
i'm not one of those... i'm sorta like the father who after the second kid stopped worrying about every fart and burp...
my advice is to just go with it... make good notes... learn what you learn... and don't do that again.
sterilizing isn't the same as sanitizing, just like washing the dishes isn't the same.
you can wash your gear (or bottles, or whatever)... you can boil them... you can do whatever you need to do to make them clean...
then you sanitize them... and keep them in starsan while brewing... a little starsan in the bottle, or on a spoon isn't going to do anything bad... but having un-sanitized gear will.
and regarding your little hickup with the can lid... if it were me, i would quit messing with it and ride it out, and take your chances... the more you mess with it, the more opportunity there is to screw it up.
a lot of really smart (and good) home brewers will have ways to "fix" everything, and tinker and fret.
i'm not one of those... i'm sorta like the father who after the second kid stopped worrying about every fart and burp...
my advice is to just go with it... make good notes... learn what you learn... and don't do that again.
dadshomebrewing
Well-Known Member
my post above was intended for you... i forgot to qoute it.
No problem. I was actually referring to the boiling of water step before adding the pre-made malt extract to it to make the wort. I scraped remaining extract that was in contact with the can lid and added it to the wort. I was hoping that since it was so recently boiled, it would be OK. We'll see.
If the water was still over about 170°F, you should be ok. You'll just have to wait for the beer to finish to know for sure. At least if it doesn't work out, you'll know why, and what not to do to prevent it from happening again. Just remember every brewer makes mistakes, but we still make a lot of great beer.
Brew on
dadshomebrewing
Well-Known Member
If the water was still over about 170°F, you should be ok. You'll just have to wait for the beer to finish to know for sure. At least if it doesn't work out, you'll know why, and what not to do to prevent it from happening again. Just remember every brewer makes mistakes, but we still make a lot of great beer.
Brew on
this^^^
the fact is that lots of extract brewers don't even add the extract until the very end of the boil (last 10 minutes)... and it's not uncommon to add things right at the very end of the boil... as long as the water is still above 160, and stays there a while... you will be ok.
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