Kmeta?

[DaveM]

Hi all,

For starters, I've made about 15 wine kits so far, and am very familiar with that process.

I'm just about to start my first beer kit (A Brewhouse (Spagnols) Honey Blonde Ale). The owner of my LHBS says to use Sparkle Brite to sterilize my equipment when making beer instead of Kmeta. Is using Kmeta a no-no for beer? Why? It just seems that using Sparkle Brite is a longer process because you have to soak everything for 20 mins before using it. Yes, I'm lazy and impatient...horrible qualities for a wine maker.

Also, the directions on the bag she gave me say to use 4 teaspoons per litre, whereas the directions I've read online say to use a tablespoon per gallon. Which is it?

Can anyone provide some insight on this? Is there a better cleaner/sterilizer?

Thanks in advance everyone!

 

[cpfan]

Iodophor is a better choice, IMO. Was available from Spagnols dealers the last time that I bought some (spring 2009, I think)

Lots of retailers in Calgary, call around a bit.

Steve

 

[DaveM]

Thanks. I thought I'd just use Sparkle Brite this time, since I have some anyway. So I started the kit, and wow...the smell certainly isn't anything to write home about. Yuck!

Something else I noticed just now is the date code on the kit. It says 20101123. So I'm assuming that it was made on November 23 2010? For a wine kit that seems old, but what about a beer kit? The date code on the years was 20 03 2012, so at least the yeast is fine.

 

[Wade E]

Thats not old, its only a few months since being made! Do not use k/meta when making beer. Beer yeast has little tolerance to sulfite unlike wine yeast. Iodophor or StarSan are best for beer.

 

[DaveM]

Oh yeah. Why did I think it was 2012? Even worse, why did I think it was 2012 for the wort date code and obviously think it was 2011 for the yeast date code? haha Thanks for the help, guys!

 

[Tom]

I agree with above.
I also make beer. One suggestion is find a homebrew club nearby. nothing like watching someone make beer. Oh yea the drinking while making ber is a MUST!

 

[Wade E]

Please dont rush the end of the world!!! LOL

 

[DaveM]

Thanks for the info guys. What is the ratio that you use for sparkle brite to water?

Also, suppose I mix up a gallon of sparkle brite but only use 1/2 of a gallon. How long will that other half-gallon be good for? What about re-using the solution that has already bee used to sanitize, but not clean?

 

[Malkore]

never even heard of sparkle brite. its not one we see in the USA apparently.
is it a white powder? if so its an oxygen cleanser that only santizes with lengthy contact time.
See if you can order a big bottle of Star-san which only takes 30 seconds to sanitize.

as far as how long it lasts...probably not long. oxygen based stuff tends to lose efficiency within hours.
mix star-san with RO water and it'll work for months!

k-meta isn't used in beer making. perhaps the sulfites mess with the beer flavors since hops have a lot of volitile compounds in them.

 

[Mikael]

starsan iiis the absolute best stuff to use : D

 

[Dugger]

DaveM - I use a product called OxySan for both beer and wine; it is an oxygen based sanitizer and works on contact, so no waiting. If you can find it out there, give it a try. As mentioned by others, it is basically one time use ( good for 12 hours).
Malkore - I note your comment about lengthy contact time for oxygen cleanser - is this for a particular product or your understanding for oxygen products in general?