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