Sanitising Fermentor

GeorgeCostanza

Lads,

Doing my first kit brew soon and I have a couple of newbie questions for sanitising my fermentation vessel:

Do you actually fill the fermentor to capacity and sterilise everything else (hydrometer, can opener etc.) in it?

How much VWP or Milton would you use to sanitise a 25l fermentor? Which of these products are preferable?

Cheers.

wuben

hi
yea thats how i do it just fill the fermenter up with warm water and i use wvp it tells you on the back how much to use the i put my paddle airlock etc in the water i also open the tap (if you have one)let the fluid run through for a litre or so.. leave it for rounghly ten mins then you must rince everything really well to get the wvp of.there is other stuf around that you can use and you dont have to rince which are much handyer....enjot hope it turns out

GeorgeCostanza

Just read on Beoir.ord to use a Milton/vinegar solution:

30ml Milton / 30ml white vinegar / 20l water.

Anyone recommend this?

So do I just swirl this solution around the 25l bucket and then sanitise everything in it?

A good rinse afterwards presumably?

GeorgeCostanza

wuben wrote: »

hi
yea thats how i do it just fill the fermenter up with warm water and i use wvp it tells you on the back how much to use the i put my paddle airlock etc in the water i also open the tap (if you have one)let the fluid run through for a litre or so.. leave it for rounghly ten mins then you must rince everything really well to get the wvp of.there is other stuf around that you can use and you dont have to rince which are much handyer....enjot hope it turns out

Great, thanks for the comment.

rubadub

Milton is ~3% sodium hypochlorite, AKA half strength thin bleach, half the strength but several times the price, they play on the fears of doting mothers who would never dream of sterilizing the babys bottle in bleach, and do not know its really the exact same thing. I remember an auld one in work horrified to see cleaners using bleach on cups, and saying they should be using milton, she would not believe me that they were the same until I showed her the ingredients list.

You get thin unperfumed tesco value bleach for about 70c for 2L. I think its about 5% sodium hypochlorite.

pelliven

I just transfered my first brew into secondary. I filled my fermenter(25L) to the top and added 37ml thin bleach and 37ml vinegar to sanitize.threw in all the equipment needed, and fermenter cover. After 20 min took out cover and left it to one side upsidedown.then lay rest of equipment on top and emptied fermenter. no need to rinse. Had a taste while transfering and seems to be spot on.best of luck with yours

wuben

pelliven wrote: »

I just transfered my first brew into secondary. I filled my fermenter(25L) to the top and added 37ml thin bleach and 37ml vinegar to sanitize.threw in all the equipment needed, and fermenter cover. After 20 min took out cover and left it to one side upsidedown.then lay rest of equipment on top and emptied fermenter. no need to rinse. Had a taste while transfering and seems to be spot on.best of luck with yours

hey pelliven can you just confirm your method it sounds much better and easyier than mine.....do i add 37ml thin cheapo bleech to the filled fermentor and then add 37ml vinegar separately and no need to rince?this may sound silly but does it matter what type of vinger?

pelliven

I just used tesco brand clear distilled vinegar and the same bleach Rubadub mentioned above. dont forget to rinse your measuring device after one and before the other

PhiliousPhogg

Surely there's no need to use that much water to fill up the fermenter. I just make a solution with a few litres of water & give it a good swirl.