What is the longest secondary can stay unsanitized after its dry?

[abefroman]

What is the longest secondary can stay unsanitized after its dry?

Is there a general rule of thumb for this?

 

[cold]

I would say that you clean out the carboy after using and then let it dry thoroughly.

Once dry, I put a piece of paper towel in the opening to keep the dust out, but leave it loose enough so that it can breathe and stay dry.

If there is no debris and no water inside the carboy, then nothing should grow inside it while you store it.


Before you use the carboy again to store wine, you should rinse it with some sanitizing solution.


So the answer, if I understand your question right, the answer is 'Forever'

 

[Wade E]

I wouldnt go much longer then about 4 hours myself unless you have it upside down on a flat surface so the fumes cant escape as its really the fumes that do most of the work.

 

[surlees]

If it's thoroughly cleaned, sanitized, and dried it's not going to grow anything. Just keep it capped or stoppered.

I like to leave a couple inches of Kmeta in mine after cleaning and sanitizing. That way, when I get ready to use it again I just rinse out the Kmeta and it's ready to use.

Fred

** I think I misunderstood your question and I agree with Wade's answer.

 

[Runningwolf]

If it's thoroughly cleaned, sanitized, and dried it's not going to grow anything. Just keep it capped or stoppered.

I like to leave a couple inches of Kmeta in mine after cleaning and sanitizing. That way, when I get ready to use it again I just rinse out the Kmeta and it's ready to use.

Fred

** I think I misunderstood your question and I agree with Wade's answer.

Fred I do the same thing with my glass carboys. One of the reasons I don't do it with my primaries is I can't stack them in each other but some plastics react to K-meta over time. Milk jugs over time will. Also Winexpert warns not to store their wine whip in K-meta as it will harm it. I am no expert and have no clue but based on that info I don't do any long term storage in direct contact with plastic buckets. Corkidores are different because the kmeta is in a glass jug.

 

[agdodge4x4]

I usually rinse all my equipment with hot water after using, and then right before I use it again, its 'clean', and I just swish some kmeta in it and move on with life.

 

[robie]

I agree with Runningwolf.

Plastic Better Bottle carboys can take long term exposure to kmeta, but plastic fermentation buckets can deteriorate.

As others have said, I store my glass carboys and jugs with some kmeta inside, then I give them a good shake to create fumes again just before I use them next time. After I pour out kmeta, I always rinse carboy with water.

 

[Runningwolf]

After I pour out kmeta, I always rinse carboy with water.

I never rinse after dumping kmeta. That tiny little bit is just added protection.

 

[robie]

I never rinse after dumping kmeta. That tiny little bit is just added protection.

I know what you mean, lots of people don't rinse. I can't even tell you why I do, since it is not really necessary. I got in the habit of rinsing after using StarSan, so I just do the same with kmeta. That might be an interesting poll to take -
How many do .vs. how many don't rinse.

 

[Lurker]

I keep K Meta in a plastic primary bucket that is a part of my corkador. Are we saying that I should come up with a diff. corkador?

 

[Brian]

No Richard, in a corkidor usually the Kmeta is in a seperate glass container and does not come in direct contact with the plastic so there should not be an issue. BTW I hope you are feeling better!

 

[Runningwolf]

I keep K Meta in a plastic primary bucket that is a part of my corkador. Are we saying that I should come up with a diff. corkador?

refer back up to post #5

 

[robie]

I keep K Meta in a plastic primary bucket that is a part of my corkador. Are we saying that I should come up with a diff. corkador?

I have heard of plastic buckets, which have kmeta in them continuously, have their bottom fall out under the weight of several gallons of wine.

Nothing like loosing one's bottom.

I don't think that is a problem for a corkador. There wouldn';t be much weight in a corkador, In my corkador, I keep the kmeta in a bottle, setting in the middle of the corks, anyway.

 

[EngineJoe]

I know what you mean, lots of people don't rinse. I can't even tell you why I do, since it is not really necessary. I got in the habit of rinsing after using StarSan, so I just do the same with kmeta. That might be an interesting poll to take -
How many do .vs. how many don't rinse.

You shouldn't rinse starsan, either. The foam will not hurt your wine/beer. I know it's hard to overcome the instinct, but it really is OK.

 

[robie]

You shouldn't rinse starsan, either. The foam will not hurt your wine/beer. I know it's hard to overcome the instinct, but it really is OK.

Right again, but I just can't get myself to leave all that foam in my wine.

 

[Duster]

What is the longest secondary can stay unsanitized after its dry?

Is there a general rule of thumb for this?

Ok? since nobody seems to have interpreted the question quite the same way I have I'll re-ask it, since I really don't know the answer either.

How long can you keep wine in the secondary once it is dry without stabilizing it?

 

[abefroman]

Ok? since nobody seems to have interpreted the question quite the same way I have I'll re-ask it, since I really don't know the answer either.

How long can you keep wine in the secondary once it is dry without stabilizing it?

Thanks! That's what I was asking.

 

[sly22guy]

Most recommend k-meta every 3-4 months while aging. Id stick with bout every 3 months.

 

[Winot]

That is a question I often ask myself - or put in a different way if I read your query correctly - "How long can I safely bulk age wine for 'between' consecutive sulphite doses"

I understand 3-4 months is the rule of thumb. A couple of my batches of wine (being bulk aged after 1 campden tablet added per gallon at the end-of-secondary-fermentation racking) were inadvertantly left for 9 months and another batch for 12 months. I was so busy with work that time slipped by. When I realised that I was probably way overdue for sulphiting these 2 batches again, I was quite paranoid that the wine would be off. However in both cases the wine was perfectly fine.

So I guess wine can be fairly forgiving "provided" you are excruciatingly clean, and have a good robust seal. And I was probably lucky because I had sulphited (Na-metabisulphite) after secondary fermentation. If I hadn't, most of the Na-metabisulphite from the start of primary fermentation would no longer exist in the wine, having been lost during fermentation, and I would have been in a far riskier position.

In future though, I think 4 months between sulphiting is better, or every second rack if racking every 2 months.

 

[abefroman]

How long do you have before your first sulphite though? After it has finished fermenting and before you have degassed.