cleaning

[Otto Von Blotto]

Dishwashing liquid kills beer foam. It's also almost impossible to rinse all of it off things, and while whatever might be left behind in a fermenter probably won't cause any issues, it's still down the list of preferred cleaning agents. 

The chlorine in bleach can cause off flavours if it is not thoroughly rinsed and/or allowed to completely dry before the fermenter is filled with wort. I think the acid or iodine based sanitisers are better in this instance. They're no rinse and don't have the potential to affect the beer in the amounts used. No need to allow the equipment to dry out first when using these either. 

I wouldn't use sodium percarbonate or nappy soakers as a no rinse sanitiser either, not because it's dangerous but the residue it leaves behind. It's quite slimy and just not something I really want in my beer. With this one, it's a case of personal preference. I use percarbonate for cleaning, then rinse off and spray with starsan. Never had a problem using this procedure. You definitely want to rinse it out of bottles or kegs though, as it contains oxygen. 

I do use bleach occasionally when I want to absolutely nuke something, but it's not often. In those cases the equipment is rinsed and air dried, usually in the sun, just to make sure all the chlorine is gone.

[Aussiekraut]

32 minutes ago, Otto Von Blotto said:

Dishwashing liquid kills beer foam. It's also almost impossible to rinse all of it off things, and while whatever might be left behind in a fermenter probably won't cause any issues, it's still down the list of preferred cleaning agents. 

The chlorine in bleach can cause off flavours if it is not thoroughly rinsed and/or allowed to completely dry before the fermenter is filled with wort. I think the acid or iodine based sanitisers are better in this instance. They're no rinse and don't have the potential to affect the beer in the amounts used. No need to allow the equipment to dry out first when using these either. 

I wouldn't use sodium percarbonate or nappy soakers as a no rinse sanitiser either, not because it's dangerous but the residue it leaves behind. It's quite slimy and just not something I really want in my beer. With this one, it's a case of personal preference. I use percarbonate for cleaning, then rinse off and spray with starsan. Never had a problem using this procedure. You definitely want to rinse it out of bottles or kegs though, as it contains oxygen. 

I do use bleach occasionally when I want to absolutely nuke something, but it's not often. In those cases the equipment is rinsed and air dried, usually in the sun, just to make sure all the chlorine is gone.

Ok, I just ordered a tub of sodium percarbonate and a bottle of StellarSan. 

How do I spray the equipment? Just pour some StelarSan into a spray bottle? So no wiping down or soaking?

  

[Otto Von Blotto]

Yep just mix it up at the required dosage in a spray bottle. I have a 1L spray bottle so I use 1.5mL of the concentrated sanitiser in it, topped up to a litre. Not sure of the ratio for stellarsan but it will be on the label. 

Then I just spray whatever needs sanitising. With fermenters and kegs I usually just tip some from the spray bottle into them and roll it around to ensure the sanitiser coats all surfaces, then drain it out and wait a minute or so, and it's ready. No wiping necessary.

Some people like to soak things in it but I don't find this necessary either. It's a contact sanitiser, so soaking stuff in it isn't gonna do anything more than spraying said stuff with it.

[EWildcat7]

what is recommended for cleaning a brand new fermenter?  Does it only have to be sanitized?  Or is there something additional that should be done before it is first used?

[GolGolPistola]

I'll definitely be leaving my FV to drip dry in the sun from now on.

[Shamus O'Sean]

1 hour ago, EWildcat7 said:

what is recommended for cleaning a brand new fermenter?  Does it only have to be sanitized?  Or is there something additional that should be done before it is first used?

I just gave mine a wash out with warm tap water first and let dry.  I thought that they had been well packaged and therefore, just needed to have any possible loose dust and manufacturing process floaties rinsed off.  Then I sanitised before using.  I did the same with brand new PET bottles.

[Smash]

1 hour ago, EWildcat7 said:

what is recommended for cleaning a brand new fermenter?  Does it only have to be sanitized?  Or is there something additional that should be done before it is first used?

I'd be treating it as a dirty fermenter, so clean & sanitize with what has been mentioned earlier. 

[GolGolPistola]

I'm really concerned now. I have tasted by brew after 4 days of fermentation and I think I can taste that same nail polish flavour/odour my previous brew had. Both of them I used Napisan and only rinsed with water and clean cloth before sanitising. Hope it's just my paranoia but has anyone had this experience?

[Otto Von Blotto]

That's usually caused by stressed yeast or the fermentation temp being too high. 

What's the recipe, yeast and at what temperature is it fermenting?

[GolGolPistola]

27 minutes ago, Otto Von Blotto said:

That's usually caused by stressed yeast or the fermentation temp being too high. 

What's the recipe, yeast and at what temperature is it fermenting?

It's the SMOTY Ale from my other thread, kit yeast and 18-24C (26C absolute max)

[Titan]

When you mix up the ingredients where do you get the water? You dont use a garden hose by any chance?

[GolGolPistola]

Straight from the tap in my kitchen.

[headmaster]

That will most likely be ethyl acetate, some information here: https://beerandbrewing.com/dictionary/O1rjQz3DYu/

Concludes what Otto said, plus discusses production by wild yeast, exposure to oxygen, underpitching etc

[Otto Von Blotto]

If it's both kit yeasts it's unlikely to be stressed or an underpitch. Probably the temperature. 

[GolGolPistola]

Think it was just my paranoia. Taste normal today.