# sanitizing



## Snowbird (Dec 8, 2009)

I used B- Brite to clean my carboy's. I thought that's all I had to use. That's all I've been using, since I started my wine. I bought some more the other day and she asked if I needed anything to sterlize....What should I use ????? Am I ok even though I didn't use sterlizing products...?


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## Green Mountains (Dec 8, 2009)

Clean....then sanitize. The most important first steps in any wine making venture.


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## Green Mountains (Dec 8, 2009)

Actually, I've used B-Brite in the past as a sanitizer...........it's worked for me.


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## Snowbird (Dec 9, 2009)

? wash+ rinse then its sanitized...?


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## Green Mountains (Dec 9, 2009)

Below is off of the EC Kraus web site:

PRODUCT QUESTIONS Dan (Angora, NE)
In my stock of supplies I have B-Brite cleanser and the instructions refer to cleaning equipment, but does not use the word sterilize or sanitize. Do you know if B-Brite will be OK for this purpose? 

[email protected]
B-Brite does sanitize as well as clean. 


that said, I've always washed equipment and then resanitized just prior to use.


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## NSwiner (Dec 9, 2009)

When doubt do it because you don't want all your hard work & money going down the drain because some bug decided to make it's home in your wine .


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## BobF (Dec 9, 2009)

Snowbird said:


> I used B- Brite to clean my carboy's. I thought that's all I had to use. That's all I've been using, since I started my wine. I bought some more the other day and she asked if I needed anything to sterlize....What should I use ????? Am I ok even though I didn't use sterlizing products...?


 
Personally, I prefer cleaning with Dawn and sanitizing with k-meta. Dawn cleans VERY well and rinses VERY easily.

I use a spray bottle with k-meta on EVERYTHING before it touches must/wine.

So far, so good.


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## mmdavis4 (Dec 9, 2009)

I have an audio CD of an excellent presentation on cleaning and sanitation that Jef Stebben did at the 2008 Winemaker Magazine conference. If you listen to his talk (and some of this is in his slides, see below) you learn that B-Bright (or things like it) is not technically a sanitizer AND that K-meta at room temperature is not a great sanitizer (it IS at 148 degrees for 20min). That said, it seems clear to me that both B-Bright and K-meta are "good enough" at sanitizing for many home wine making purposes. 

Being a rather obsessive person, I clean with One Step and sanitize with IO Star Iodine Sanitizer. Neither require rinsing, and IO Star will sanitize in 1 minute at room temperature. It is also easier on the lungs than K-meta. Iodine will stain plastics, but I have not found that to be a problem.

Jef's slides are at his website which is stebbenwine. com. It is on the Links page.


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## BobF (Dec 9, 2009)

mmdavis4 said:


> I have an audio CD of an excellent presentation on cleaning and sanitation that Jef Stebben did at the 2008 Winemaker Magazine conference. If you listen to his talk (and some of this is in his slides, see below) you learn that B-Bright (or things like it) is not technically a sanitizer AND that K-meta at room temperature is not a great sanitizer (it IS at 148 degrees for 20min). That said, it seems clear to me that both B-Bright and K-meta are "good enough" at sanitizing for many home wine making purposes.
> 
> Being a rather obsessive person, I clean with One Step and sanitize with IO Star Iodine Sanitizer. Neither require rinsing, and IO Star will sanitize in 1 minute at room temperature. It is also easier on the lungs than K-meta. Iodine will stain plastics, but I have not found that to be a problem.
> 
> Jef's slides are at his website which is stebbenwine. com. It is on the Links page.


 
I think "good enough" is the key. I adopted most of my practices from Berry and Keller. I figure if something is "good enough" for those guys, it should work fine for me.

I think environment has *everything* to do with each individual's minimum sanitization requirements.


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## Snowbird (Dec 9, 2009)

Thanks for all the replies....!


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## Green Mountains (Dec 10, 2009)

I have actually adopted the Bleach WATER Vinegar concoction for a cheap and effective NO RINSE sanitizer. USE FULL CAUTION to make sure you understand the ratios and HOW to mix them without killing yourself....seriously!!

The Web Podcast is here...very interesting stuff (if you like sanitizer talk, and I know you do.)

The Blog is here

Darren


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## Wade E (Dec 10, 2009)

Dont like that idea at all. Vinegar and bleach!!!!!! Both of those if not rinsed off very well will ruin your wine, and rinsing off that stff defeats the purpoase of sanitizing it in the first place!!!!!!!!!!


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## Manimal (Dec 10, 2009)

You can make your KMS a much better sanitizer by adding a little bit of citric acid... this sulfur/citric sanitizer is what alot of commercial wineries use.


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## Green Mountains (Dec 10, 2009)

it's Science, man.


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## Snowbird (Dec 11, 2009)

I hope my wine turns out clean cause the only thing I used was the b-brite i had....


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## Green Mountains (Dec 11, 2009)

Wade E said:


> Dont like that idea at all. Vinegar and bleach!!!!!! Both of those if not rinsed off very well will ruin your wine, and rinsing off that stff defeats the purpoase of sanitizing it in the first place!!!!!!!!!!



If you listen to the podcast he makes a great case for why neither of these are an issue if done properly.


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## wyntheef (Dec 11, 2009)

i use one step which i think is a similar product to b-brite.

when they say no rinsing needed, do you still have to wipe off the liquid or wait until it dries?

how much can you leave behind? after all, we try our dmdest to keep foreign stuff out of our wine, and then we let this stuff in? i don't get it.

is it the same as water somehow?


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## Green Mountains (Dec 12, 2009)

In theory you let it dry, but then again if you listen to the podcast in the prior post you hear that it isn't necessary.

I've tried different versions of cleanser/sanitizer and have let it dry and not let it dry and all has gone well.

Sanitize but not at the cost of sanity.


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## arcticsid (Dec 12, 2009)

I've heard mention in here many times of using the NON CHLORINATED "Oxi-Clean" or similar product for CLEANING. For sanitizing there are other options, but most, I said most, will agree on a metabisulfite solution, potassium or sodium. Its science man!

Personally, I would eliminate the word bleach from your wine making vocabulary all together. Not worth the risk of contaminating your wine.

Just my take. 
Troy


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## gawine (Jan 6, 2010)

So Dawn and maybe other dish detergents are okay to clean with? I was told not to use any normal dish detergernt as they have heavy prefumes. I only have some oxy powder at the moment to sanitize and hadn't given to much though to cleaning just yet as i'm doing my first kit and only in the primary.


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## rawlus (Jan 6, 2010)

some use dish detergent.. for me i think it requires too much additional water to thoroughly rinse and the perfume thing.

most of my stuff never gets absolutely filthy, PBW cleans it, K-meta sanitizes it and that has been fine for every need from equipment to fermenters to carboys/better bottles to wine bottles.


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## Malkore (Jan 7, 2010)

gawine said:


> So Dawn and maybe other dish detergents are okay to clean with? I was told not to use any normal dish detergernt as they have heavy prefumes. I only have some oxy powder at the moment to sanitize and hadn't given to much though to cleaning just yet as i'm doing my first kit and only in the primary.



oxy powder is not a sanitizer. its a cleanser. clean with oxy, sanitize with a sanitizer.


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