# Suggestions for storing tubing



## kzacherl2000 (Jun 18, 2012)

I have read the cleaning and sanitizing forum topics, so I apologize if the answer to this is buried in one of those threads. Who has suggestions on how to store tubing after it is cleaned, and sanitized (but still wet). I hang mine now, just from a hook made for a bicycle. I wondered if there was a product out there made for this, or if anyone has any clever ideas? Thanks, Kim Z.


----------



## vacuumpumpman (Jun 18, 2012)

That is exactly how I do it as well !


----------



## winemaker_3352 (Jun 18, 2012)

You can make a corkidore to store them in.

I used to do this - but now i just rinse with warm water and sanitize them and hand to air dry.

When i get ready to use - i just run k-meta in the tubes and wait a few mins then use.


----------



## DirtyDawg10 (Jun 18, 2012)

I hang mine from a hook to dry as well


----------



## roadpupp (Jun 18, 2012)

Not sure I'm doing it right but I spin it around a few times after washing then put it in a small sealed plastic tub with a bowl of kmeta to keep it sanitized. I top it up every time I use the tools and tubing.


----------



## kevinlfifer (Jun 18, 2012)

I loop mine with one-step or (oxyclean) in the loop. A quick flush with k-meta and rinse before using.


----------



## kzacherl2000 (Jun 20, 2012)

Thanks for all of your comments. Sounds like I am doing what most of you do, anyway. I don't know what a corkidore is?! Isn't that something to clean corks with?


----------



## joea132 (Jun 20, 2012)

kzacherl2000 said:


> Thanks for all of your comments. Sounds like I am doing what most of you do, anyway. I don't know what a corkidore is?! Isn't that something to clean corks with?



You take a large container and throw your tubing and other equipment in there including corks. In that large container you place an open topped smaller container of sanitizer solution (K-Meta and water). The solution will off gas and fill the container with SO2 effectively sanitizing everything in there. The name comes from a humidor. 

I made one a few years ago but I'm in it so much it was more of a pain to keep. I just have a spray bottle with sanitizer solution and spray everything liberally before use. I have more of a problem with keeping my darn tubing straight. I've heard of winemakers hanging them with weights from the ceiling to keep them straight.


----------



## joea132 (Jun 22, 2012)

On a side note if you decide to make a corkeador make sure you dont get a big whiff of the gas in there. Burns like heck and ruins your sense of smell!


----------



## MonkeyK (Jan 1, 2017)

I know this thread is old, but I am wondering if anyone here has had problems storing tubing in a corkidor.
I tried doing this and my tubing became cloudy and sticky. 
I am pretty careful about cleaning. so I don't think that there was anything in the tubing. But it did sit in the corkidor for a few months.


----------



## Johnd (Jan 1, 2017)

MonkeyK said:


> I know this thread is old, but I am wondering if anyone here has had problems storing tubing in a corkidor.
> I tried doing this and my tubing became cloudy and sticky.
> I am pretty careful about cleaning. so I don't think that there was anything in the tubing. But it did sit in the corkidor for a few months.



I used to store mine in a bucket with sulfite solution, mine also turned cloudy. Now I just hang it and sanitize before each use.


----------



## stickman (Jan 1, 2017)

Wet sulfur dioxide gas can attack some formulations of PVC tubing if exposed for long periods of time. I typically flush with hot water after use, followed by RO water and then hang to dry. I sanitize with sulfite solution before use.


----------



## Stressbaby (Jan 2, 2017)

MonkeyK said:


> I know this thread is old, but I am wondering if anyone here has had problems storing tubing in a corkidor.
> I tried doing this and my tubing became cloudy and sticky.
> I am pretty careful about cleaning. so I don't think that there was anything in the tubing. But it did sit in the corkidor for a few months.



Yep. Exactly the same thing happened to me, the tubes got all cloudy. I went back to the old way, just hanging them up.


----------



## Boatboy24 (Jan 2, 2017)

Funny. I've been storing mine in a corkidor for a few years and never had an issue. A little cloudiness, but I didn't worry about that. When I went down to do some racking the other day, one of the tubes had completely clouded over and was sticky.


----------



## MonkeyK (Jan 2, 2017)

Thanks for the confirm. I will stop storing my tubing in the corkidor.


----------



## stickman (Jan 2, 2017)

The are a lot of different PVC tubing formulations. Very little information is available on the generic or hardware store type tubing, and some of these may not even be food grade. Name brand beverage tubing is significantly more expensive and indicated as wet sulfur dioxide resistant. It would be best to limit tubing exposure to sulfite solution only as necessary to sanitize.


----------



## PhilDarby (Jan 2, 2017)

for me personally I tend to swirl my tubes around, so as to dry them (ie) spin them, so the fluid flies out, this avoids trapped water etc, then leave them on the draining board a few days, so, as to ensure there is no trapped water etc, then when im sure they are completely dry I place them in an old beer fermenting vessel with my other home brew goodies including yeasts, hydrometers and other stuff.

Its my experience that most harmful bacteria, don't survive well without moisture, hence my method, same goes for all my home brew kit, I totally dry them before storage, using this methodology, I use very little sterilising stuff.

ps ive been using the same tubing for 20 years (don't laugh) without issues (it is defo food grade) in reality I don't even use tubing much these days, I tend to make small batches approx. 5 gallons max, and filter, or funnel, pouring by hand, if needs be through a sieve predominently, or a 5 micron filter, made from hypo allergenic pillow covering, which ive also, been using for years and which is very stain resistant and is probably based on polyester.

If I spied an oil slick, I would obviously use tubing to eliminate it.

In addition I tend to not let fruit sit to long on top, of the wine, although sometimes I add some fruit as a kind of f pack addition, fruit at the bottom of the vessel, I tend to leave alone, while its aging, a bit like a burgundy type wine, fruit at the bottom tends to add nuances to the flavour and provides nutrients for malo and doesn't have oxygen spoilage potential for opportunistic organisms.

In short that's my home brew philosophy, which may not be conventional, but, it works well for me personally.

In addition I tend to use a 5 gallon, beer bucket, modified to fit an airlock, for medium term storage, over a four and a half year period, this bucket has never ran less than half full and most of my wine spends some time in this bucket, on principal, I will never ever, let this bucket become dry, in similar fashion to the Spanish solera system, this is my aging bucket, which includes all my blends from the last 4 1/2 years, basically, the wine I consider worthy, of blending, recently someone gave me a microscope and out of interest I made a microscope slide and spied oenococcus oeni, the bacteria responsible for malo, meaning that, this system is aiding my wines natural aging process and introducing malo bacteria, into my aging process, meaning more mature wine at a younger age.

In addition, this idea evolves with every new batch, as the last batch adds the predominant flavour, for those familiar with blending, this is a very noticeable trait of wine, as aging wine tends to loose its basic, fruit flavours, while aging, meaning as you add more flavours It tends to become more complexed, the predominant flavour being the last one added.

Further, I tend to drink my wine from a small oak barrel, before decanting, which again, I have isolated oenus from, all these elements add up to a decent mature drink at a youngish age.

The spotting of oenococcus was retrospective, as I had deliberately provided good conditions for its survival, but, it was a good sight to behold and confirmed my suspicions.

My new, basic philosophy is natural aging, good conditions and as few chemicals as possible, I can honestly state I haven't used sterilisers, apart from the occasional campden tablet, in about 2 years haven't had a wine infection in that time, bar one, from approx. 14 or 16 ferments, have used socially hygienic conditions ie basic cleaning of stuff, the main concern being that they are totally dry before storage, rinsed in clean water, before drying and totally dry before storage, these basic principals have changed my wine making ability, meaning I no longer use chemicals, by using smaller vessels, I can isolate problems when needed and avoid spread, simply by sampling methods.

Actually this is a good question and has prompted me to make a new post.


----------



## Stressbaby (Jan 3, 2017)

One challenge is the valve in the second tubing in the Ai1. I recall someone saying not to put sanitizers through that valve, is that correct?


----------



## JohnT (Jan 3, 2017)

Why on earth would you want to store tubing in a corkidore?

As long as you keep your tubing clean, and then sanitize with k-meta solution prior to use, you should be just fine.


----------



## MonkeyK (Jan 3, 2017)

You have to store it somewhere. And before I posted to this older thread, that was the last unchallenged advice. 
I pointed out that it didn't work out for me, and others have said the same.


----------



## garymc (Jan 4, 2017)

A corkidor should be used to sanitize things without getting them wet. It should be used for minutes or hours, but never for long term storage. One of the members of another forum was storing corks long term in a sealed bucket with an open container of k-meta solution and they molded. I think the solution gives off the SO2 gas over a relatively short period of time, minutes or a few hours, and then it's just a humid, sealed place for stuff to mold. Secondly, any metal fittings should either not be exposed to k-meta or should be rinsed off immediately because it is highly corrosive. So, use a corkidor to sanitize corks without getting them wet while you're bottling, for 15 minutes to a couple of hours, but not for days, weeks, or months. 
I spray k-meta sanitizing solution on the sides and bottom of a bucket, put my corks to be used that day in a collander, and put the collander in the bucket and put the lid on the bucket. Keep the lid on for 15 minutes and it has done it's job.


----------



## MonkeyK (Jan 4, 2017)

That is not the description of a corkidor that I have seen. Nor is it consistent with it's humidor origins (where the idea is long term storage of cigars). 
My understanding of a corkidor is that the corks are stored in a sealed environment where all humidity is in KMeta. This should prevent them from drying out over a long period of time (weeks-months) and prevent mold and bacterial growth.

Totally agree about not storing metal in there though.


----------

