Sanitizing frequency

[Feastings]

Apologies if this has already been covered in another forum but I was unable to find details.
I have just started a winemaking journey and kicked off my first 2 batches of Craft Cellar wine kits. The kits direct you to gently stir the bag of grape skins at least once a day.
I understand that sterilizing all equipment is crucial to a good end product but is sanitizing of the stirring spoon required with each use (once or twice a day)?
Many thanks in advance of some experienced advice.

 

[AZMDTed]

I can't speak for others, but everything that touches my wine gets washed, rinsed and sanitized before each use, then washed and rinsed afterwards.

 

[wineforfun]

For me, when fermenting, I rinse my stir spoon, hydrometer, baster, etc. with very hot water, do my stirring or checking, then rinse again with very hot water and put away. Once done with fermenting or using the items for an extended period of time, I clean with OneStep, spray with StarSan and put away.

 

[dcbrown73]

Everything gets sanitized before touching the wine. Some items are just rinsed in hot water right after use, (spoon, tubing, etc) then just sanitized with kmeta solution prior to use. (stink water) Other things like carboys / fermenters get washed with oxiclean free and then sanitized before use.

 

[Feastings]

Thanks everyone for the feedback, I'll sanitize with every use.

 

[sour_grapes]

You may find it easiest to have a spray bottle filled with k-meta solution. A quick spritz is then pretty easy.

 

[cmason1957]

I leave my spoon in the bucket and don't clean until I rack the wine. But I don't put an airlock on most times.

 

[AZMDTed]

Here's a bit more information on how I do my cleaning and sanitizing because I think it makes it fairly simple.

I have three 5 gallon buckets from Lowes, each one has the added screw on, air tight lid that they sell for things like keeping dog food in the buckets. When I know that I'll be doing some wine activities I'll make a batch of OxiClean green in one, half fill another with clean water, and the third keeps about a 1/4 inch of Kmeta solution in it.

Before I do something I will clean the item in the oxiclean, rinse it in the water bucket and then either let it sit in the Sanitizer bucket for a while or spritz it with a bottle of Kmeta spray I keep and then let it sit for a couple minutes. Spoons get spritzed, and things like bungs and airlocks get to just lie on the bottom for a while.

Then I'll use the item and once used I'll clean it again in the oxi bucket followed by a rinse. When I done for the time I seal all three back up. I can re-use the oxiclean and rinse water for a few days, and then I'll make it fresh again as needed.

It's not very time consuming with three buckets. Yes I end up double cleaning everything before the next use, but I keep my equipment in a closet in a tray for air drying and I've no guarantees that bugs haven't walked over them or just anything in the air settling on them. I feel much safer about my process, even if it seems overkill because it really is efficient with multiple buckets.

Carboys will get rinsed, cleaned with oxi, rinsed several times again, and then get a half a cup or so of Kmeta solution poured into them and a solid bung. When I need to use it, I just take the bung off, pour the Kmeta into my Kmeta bucket and fill up the carboy with my wine without further cleaning.

 

[CryptoStorm]

Depending on what I'm making I may or may not sanitize prior to primary fermentation.

After primary takes place everything gets washed and sanitized. I also use inert gas blanket to rack between containers.

 

[NorCal]

Anything that touches the wine will get a spritz of starsan.

Remember to acidulate the water if you are going to use SO2, the efficacy of this as a sanitizing agent is not good at 7 pH and it will have a shelf life as it gets bound by the oxygen.