1.4 KiB
Sanitation is important when brewing alcohol, as bacteria can cause the alcohol to turn to vinegar or cause illness upon consumption. Sanitation is not the same as cleaning. Cleaning is removing large things like fruit pulp and dirt. Sanitation has the goal of removing micro-organisms like unwanted yeasts and bacteria. There are two main ways to sanitize: heat and chemicals.
The most accessible heat sanitation method is your dishwasher's sanitation cycle. This is most useful for things like bottles and other larger glassware, as the cycle often takes many hours, and leaves your items hot enough to potentially kill your yeast.
Chemical sanitation is useful for small items, items you want to use immediately, and temperature sensitive plastics. There are many different brands of chemical sanitizer, which can be purchased online, at restauraunt supply stores, and homebrew stores. Star-San is quite common, and what will be described here. Mix 1oz of product per 5 gallons of tap water. Wet whatever surface you want to sanitize for one minute. Allow to air dry. Use your solution within the same hour it was made.
If you are brewing with heat, everything that touches the brew after heating must be sanitized. If you are brewing without heat, all containers, presses, and equipment should be sanitized before use. An important use of chemical sanitizers is to fill airlocks to prevent airborn microbes or fruit flies from getting into your brew.