# stupid sanitizing question....thanks



## captainl (Dec 18, 2010)

I'm confused. What do you guys use to sanitize. All these chemicals are confusing me. I make beer and use idophor but I guess I should try the wine makers way. I have campden tablets (aren't these the same as something else??) and potasium sorbate for backsweetening my apfelwein. 

I bought My first RG spagnols kit and I don't want to mess it up with my weird ways.

So how much do I use of potassium matabisulfate, sodium matabisulfate, campden tablets, or whatever else you guys use. Will this mixture keep well in a spray bottle and will a quick spray be enough to sanitize say a thief or spoon to push the cap down?


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## cpfan (Dec 19, 2010)

captainl said:


> I'm confused. What do you guys use to sanitize. All these chemicals are confusing me. I make beer and use idophor but I guess I should try the wine makers way. I have campden tablets (aren't these the same as something else??) and potasium sorbate for backsweetening my apfelwein.
> 
> I bought My first RG spagnols kit and I don't want to mess it up with my weird ways.
> 
> So how much do I use of potassium matabisulfate, sodium matabisulfate, campden tablets, or whatever else you guys use. Will this mixture keep well in a spray bottle and will a quick spray be enough to sanitize say a thief or spoon to push the cap down?



Personally I use iodophor as a wine sanitizer. If I catch a good whiff of metabisulfilte, I'm coughing and hacking for hours.

Potassium metabisulite (note the spelling) aka K-meta, and sodium metabisulfite aka Na-meta are both good wine sanitizers. Campden tablets can be made out of either K-meta or Na-meta. Although K-meta seems to be normal in North America, and Na-meta in the UK (according to my reading of the various forums).

Meta solutions keep well in a bottle (unlike iodophor), and yes a quick spray is great for a quick sanitizing job. Spray to cover well, and shake the residue off after a few seconds (the longer the better).

Steve


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## Wade E (Dec 19, 2010)

As cpfan said above, Iodophor can be used for both and actually is a better product just more expensive and not as practicable for wine making as the k-meta can be used for other things like adding to your wine to protect it so really if not making beer also then most just use the k-meta as they have it on hand anyway and is fine for wine but not beer. Starsan is actually a better product IMO as it can be stored in a spray bottle for quite some time unlike the Iodophor which has a shelf life once opened of about 1/2 an hour or so. Wine is much more forgiving then beer when it comes to sanitation as the acids are higher from the beginning which keeps bacteria at bay and also because you can sulfite wine and still ferment it due to wine yeast being very tolerant of sulfite unlike beer yeast.


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## Dufresne11 (Dec 19, 2010)

Another vote for StarSan in a spray bottle. I use P-Meta only as an addition to wine and in my Corkidor. Everything that needs sanitation, thief, autosiphon or whatever gets placed in a bucket and spritzed good with StarSan. Also search for Corkidor on this forum. If you are going to be making more wine it is a cheap and easy way to ensure your corks and plastic equipment is sanitized. Corkidors are NOT for metal equipment though


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## PPBart (Dec 19, 2010)

captainl said:


> ...I bought My first RG spagnols kit and I don't want to mess it up with my weird ways...



Best way to avoid messing up that first kit is to follow the kit instructions to the letter.


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## Dugger (Dec 19, 2010)

cpfan said:


> Potassium *metabisulite *(note the spelling)
> 
> Steve



Oh, the irony!!


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## captainl (Dec 19, 2010)

Cool thanks guys. I want something I can put in a spray bottle and leave for a decent amount of time. I like the idea of starsan but it is expensive. So I think Ill give some K meta a try.  

So how much per liter or gallon. Wikipedia says 2 tsp per liter. Does that sound about right?

thanks


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## Wade E (Dec 19, 2010)

3 tbls per gallon of either k-meta or Na-meta to make a sanitizer solution. 1/4 tsp when adding it to 6 gallons of wine. You can use either of these in wine but some say they can taste that little bit of Na-meta in their wine. The NA is a little stronger as a sanitizer.


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## vinividivici (Dec 28, 2010)

Wade E said:


> 3 tbls per gallon of either k-meta or Na-meta to make a sanitizer solution. 1/4 tsp when adding it to 6 gallons of wine. You can use either of these in wine but some say they can taste that little bit of Na-meta in their wine. The NA is a little stronger as a sanitizer.



Do any of these sanitizers affect septic tanks? Safe to pour down the sink or should they be poured outside? 

Thanks,
Bob


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