How do you sanitize?

[AZMDTed]

Hi,

I think I've probably been doing sanitization wrong, so please help me. What I've been doing is crushing 6 Campden Tablets and adding the power to a 32 ounce spray bottle. Before anything touches the must I clean it with One Step, Rinse, then spray it down with the sanitizer. Within seconds I then use it on/in the must. I don't know of any issues that this has caused until a recent batch of Eclipse Barossa Valley Shiraz. Now I have a sheen on the surface with white floaties. I'm assuming it's mycoderma.

So, how should I santize my equipment? If I could make up a five gallon batch of K Meta and just let everything rest in there for 3 minutes before I use it I assume that would be best. Then maybe have a Gamma sealable lid for bucket so that it can be stored for a month or more. Is that standard practice? How do you sanitize and what do you use to store made up K Meta?

Any help about best practices would be appreciated.

Thanks,

Ted

 

[jumby]

I use 1 Step Sanitizer. I buy the 5 lb. tub and it usually last about a year. You mix one tablespoon to a gallon of water. I also usually keep a gallon premixed on hand.

 

[vacuumpumpman]

I use 1 1/2 tsp of equal parts of citric acid and sulfite

The acid is to drop the water ph level so it is similar to wine

 

[sour_grapes]

I do something close to what you do. I think I use 2 tablespoons of k-meta powder per quart, however. I *think* that works out to something like 24 Campden tablets. (In any event, I highly recommend buying a bag of k-meta powder -- much easier than crushing Campden tablets!)

 

[garymc]

I have a 4 ounce jar of K-meta powder. I mix up a sanitizing solution in a quart sprayer and store that in the sprayer. If I get to wondering if it still has its punch, I spritz some in a bucket and take a whiff. If it eats away my sinus linings, I know its still working. I spray the inside of a bucket, carboy, or bottle, close the container, and let the gas that comes off the solution sanitize. You don't need a bucket full of it, just the fumes trapped in the container for a few minutes. So, I wash my containers, rinse, and then spritz 15 minutes or so before use. Then, I use 1/4 teaspoon of the powder in a 5 or 6 gallon batch 12 to 24 hours before pitching yeast to kill whatever might be in the fruit (I don't do kits or buckets, only grapes and berries.)

 

[richmke]

I clean it with One Step, Rinse, then spray it down with the sanitizer. Within seconds I then use it on/in the must.

With any sanitizer, wait time is important for it to do its work. I believe with One Step, you need 10-15 minutes. With the k-meta solution, you need 2 minutes of wait time (in a sealed chamber for surfaces not in direct contact).

Wait time is dependent upon solution strength. The formula I see is 1.25% k-meta, so that is 3 tablespoons to 1 gallon, or 3/4 tbs to 32 oz. That is about 25-30 campden tablets. A weaker solution will require longer wait time.

I personally use StarSan. That has a wait time of 30 seconds.

 

[jumby]

With any sanitizer, wait time is important for it to do its work. I believe with One Step, you need 10-15 minutes. With the k-meta solution, you need 2 minutes of wait time (in a sealed chamber for surfaces not in direct contact).

Wait time is dependent upon solution strength. The formula I see is 1.25% k-meta, so that is 3 tablespoons to 1 gallon, or 3/4 tbs to 32 oz. That is about 25-30 campden tablets. A weaker solution will require longer wait time.

I personally use StarSan. That has a wait time of 30 seconds.

"1 step" only requires 60 seconds of contact time to sanitize. No rinsing is required.

 

[Boatboy24]

I use K-Meta. I have a 5 gallon bucket with my lines, airlocks, etc and a mason jar with a half cup of strong solution in it. I also use a 'corkidor' to store my corks. I keep a spray bottle with a fairly strong solution in it. For things that can't be stored in either of the two buckets I mentioned, I spray down the inside of a bucket, and spray down the items I'll be using, letting them sit in the sanitized bucket for a few minutes before use.

 

[AZMDTed]

All,
Thanks for your input. I do see now that proper strength and wait time is critical. I think I will get a sealable bucket lid so that for those things that will fit in a five gallon bucket I can let them sit for while in there for the gas to work. I guess for things like my wine whip, spoon and racking canes I'll probably spray down and let stand in an open 5 gallon bucket. Nothing like a scare of mycoderma to make one take a harder look at their practices. I'm actually hoping that it's just undisolved Kmeta or something floating to the top, but regardless I need to change my sanitization practices. Thanks again.

 

[richmke]

"1 step" only requires 60 seconds of contact time to sanitize. No rinsing is required.

1 minute if hot. 10 minutes if at room temp. One Step makes Hydrogen Peroxide.
http://www.ext.colostate.edu/pubs/foodnut/kitchen-sanitize.pdf