Sanitation

Have you ever toured a commercial brewery and noticed how everything is made of stainless steel? That’s because stainless steel can be cleaned and sanitized to near sterile conditions. But why are such efforts required to make beer, when beer has been made in clay pots and wooden barrels for thousands of years?

The answer is consistency of flavor and longevity of the product. True enough, beer can be made in an open wooden bucket with no lid, but you have to drink it when it is only a few days old, warm and flat. After just a few days, such a beer will sour and soon can only be used for loosening rusty bolts.

So, it’s safe to assume that if you’re going to the effort of making your own beer, then you would like reproducible great flavor and longevity in the bottle. The way we accomplish that is with good ingredients, of course, but even more importantly, with good sanitation. If you’ve washed your fermenter and bottles so they are "clean enough to eat off,” is that clean enough? In a word - no.

Two Basic Sanitizing Techniques
There are two basic sanitizing techniques: heat and chemical oxidation. With heat, one applies a heat of at least 170°F for 15 minutes ("Pasteurization”). At this temperature, beer-spoiling organisms are killed. Unfortunately, not all materials can withstand the conditions of Pasteurization, for instance, plastic fermenter components. Pasteurization is also used to kill any residual yeast in finish commercial beer, thus fixing the flavor. (A well known benefit of homebrew is the presence of living yeast in the bottle. Yeast in the bottle allows the beer’s flavor to change and improve with time, and it provides B vitamins to the drinker.)

Chemical oxidation uses a reactive chemical which destroys beer-spoiling organisms by attacking their cell walls or destroying their ability to produce proteins. These reactive chemicals are usually short-lived and they are typically “used up” as they do their work. Iodine and chlorine are quite effective, but if not mixed to the proper strength, they can easily leave a residue which will contribute a harsh off-flavor to the finished beer. They both also stain clothing. Caustic soda (sodium hydroxide) works, but it is extremely injurious to the skin and eyes. Hydrogen peroxide works, but it requires a strength greater than the 3% version commonly found in pharmacies. At higher strengths, peroxide can burn the skin.

The ideal agent would be one that targeted microbes, didn’t harm people or beer, and perhaps had additional detergent benefits. There is such a product, in fact, called One Step. Although we are not permitted to call it a sanitizer, due to FDA labeling rules, the fact is that this mixture is an excellent cleaner and has strong enough chemical oxidation properties to wipe out residual bacteria or mold cells that cause off-flavors in beer. An added benefit of One Step is that it does not require rinsing and will not cause damage to the skin with incidental contact. Containers and objects simply need to be drained free of free liquid.

Tips for Succes
Here are some things you can do to improve your sanitation and increase the quality and reliability of your finished products.

Sanitize all components used in brewing:
- fermenter, spigot assembly
- slotted metal spoon or whisk, cup measure or funnel
- large plate for setting/draining sanitized equipment

With One Step:
- 1 Tabl. of One Step to 1 gal. of warm water
- allow 10 minutes of contact time with surfaces
- drain until most liquid is gone

With bleach:
- 1 Tabl. of bleach to 1 gal. of cold water
- allow 10 minutes of contact time with surfaces
- rinse until no chlorine odor is left

Other tips:
- avoid wooden spoons (they can harbor bacteria)
- don’t scratch the fermenter with abrasive pads
- avoid opening the fermenter (look through the side)
- rinse bottles immediately after pouring
- brew and bottle in still air, avoid dusty conditions
- if your water quality is questionable… switch water sources or boil and cool 2½ gal. the night before

 

Copyright 2003-2005 Y2K Software Ltd UK, All Rights Reserved.
Privacy Statement     Shipping Policy     Terms & Conditions

 Customer Service  - 01424 777996