Do I have to dry my container before putting the brewing ingredients? My tap water contains chlorine and fluoride and I don't want this in my brew. Are clean towels or napkins safe to place the stirring rod onto? How long do items remain sanitized?
Ian - Thanks, getting ready to prepare my first brew
@ianmullen If you can get your hands on a no-rinse sanitizer, like StarSan, you don't have to rinse it off and you can use bottled (R.O. or distilled) water to mix the starsan and it will be re usable for months.
I have a question do u have to throw the solution away after you use it? I've seen it on other videos i just want to make sure. Or can the sodium metabisulphite be re used? also what is your opinion on easy clean i think its called?
@AllahWhoakbar1 The sod-med can be re used over and over again. I'm not sure about the Easy Clean, as I've never used it. Star San is very good as long as your water is not too hard.
@CraigTube Ok thanks for the tips/advice ill keep it in mind when make n my own. These videos really help u did a good job as far as explaining evrything to the T
hey craig im having trouble using the hydromete. i forgot to get a reading at the start . so i bottled it and the hydrometer reads 10. is that normal?
@bluelagoon10023 Not sure where you're getting the reading of 10. Usually a hydrometer reading looks like this: x.xxx for example, 1.012 . Do you mean 1.010?
@Adol666 even though He said its not good to breathe in dry or wet? The name doesnt sound appealing in ne way... how much r u legally able to mke a year?
@AllahWhoakbar1 Sulfites are not good to breath in true. Its a very strong oder. But Injested it is non toxic in doeses that we are talking about. In fact many foods and all commercially made wines have Sulfites in them to protect from oxidization or bactieria. As for how much you can leagally brew. I believe its 200 gallons of wine or beer a year or 1000 750ml bottles. Who is going to know though? As long as your not selling it the Feds dont really care
Craig, how do you sanitize your PET caps? Do you remove the inner diaphram? Do you need the diaphram at all, or will it keep tight without? I would guess a lot of lurking bacteria underneath...
@Viking1899Norway I've never thought of removing the liner. When you tighten the cap, the underneath of the liner gets sealed off. Simple answer.. no I don't remove it, but it's a thought.
Craig, how do you sanitize your PET caps? Do you remove the inner diaphram? Do you need the diaphram at all, or will it keep tight without? I would guess a lot of lurking bacteria underneath...
hi craig love ur vids relly help me keep it up .ya i find some lids not flit well as made 40 pints up of young's brew chardonnay wine .air was get out under lid & didnt want move all to other bin .so put tape around side lid will that be all ok ? john
Hi Craig, what do you think the best way to clean used beer bottles that have been sitting a while with a little leftover brew in it? I got some good bottles from a friend, but i dont know how long they have been sitting.
@briceparker09 Soak them with HOT water. Fill up the sink with hot water and a small bit of bleach and submerge them over night. Use a bottle washer that fits on your tap to force any debris out and rinse very well to remove the bleach smell.
@CraigTube Yeah, I just have your standard Brita filter, and the water from my tap seems to have some small black sediment in it sometimes that I don't feel comfortable putting into my brew. That's why I was wondering if I could use the filtered water.
Hey Craig, I have been watching all of your videos while I have been off work ill. Im making a couple of 6 bottle wine kits, the first is going to be ready to de-gas this weekend. I bought a whizz stick for this, reading through the instructions, it mentions to sanatize the stick with your normal solution (I used Milton on the demijohns and other equiptment) but below that it says do not use Sodium Metabisulphite, given your experiance, I thought Id see if you would know why that is? Thanks!!
@supervascular I don't know why they would say that. The only thing it can do is kill your yeast, but if fermentation is done, that doesn't matter. Plus, we usually rinse it off anyway, so I'm not sure what the problem would be.
@supervascular Thanks Craig, didnt have a chance to get back to you till now. How much of this would you make up at a time as you said it keeps for a while? Ive bought some but there are no instructions on amounts to use? Thanks again!!
Hey man love your videos massive help and respect for doing them , where did you get hold of a fermetation bin with a big enough hole for a bung airlock , because mine is a tiny hole just for the airlock and i think it may be leaking , thanks and keep up the good work !
Hi Craig, how many oz. or grams of sodium metabisulphite does the package contain? I mean, how much of sodium metabisulphite has to be dissolved in water?
I just bought everything for my first batch of hard cider, including some tubing, a hot glue gun, and a small water bottle to make an airlock. I don't have a brew shop in my area, so I was wondering if I could just boil everything involved to be safe. As always, your input is appreciated.
@jonnyboy1908 Some plastics will melt in boiling water, but yes that will work if yours can take it. If you have a dishwasher, that would work on the HOT cycle with no soap.
@chanace That solution can be used for months, or until it gets really smelly. That's the nice thing about it vs. Starsan. It's super cheap, like $3, and it lasts a long time. You just have to rinse it off. I do use Starsan when I can get it because it's easier, but it doesn't even last a day with my water.
Hi Craig Can you use milton sterilising fluid to sterilise home brew equipment. Its used here in the uk for sanitising babys bottles etc. Also does it have to be rinsed prior to making beer
Hi Craig ive used milton sterilising fluid to sanitise my beer making equipment. Its used for sanitising babys bottles etc. Is this stuff ok to use and should it be rinsed prior to making beer
Hi Craig im in the uk and have made my first batch of lager. Could you tell me if milton sterilising fluid (used for babys bottles) is ok for sanitising home brew stuff. It says it is a no rinse formula for babys bottles etc should you rinse beer making equipment or not.
I use Sodium for sanitation, and Potassium to stabilize my wine. I don't know if they're interchangeable, but the Sodium is definitely right for sanitizing.
@CraigTube I did some research on this for anyone with the same question. Sodium and Potassium Metabisulfites are interchangeable sulfites for SANITIZING, but NOT STABILIZING. Potassium is best for stabilizing because it won't add sodium (salt) to the diet. It is the primary ingredient in Campden tablets. You MAY choose sodium meta for sanitizing (because it is a bit cheaper than potassium meta,) but in the end, either is fine for making sanitizing solution.
Hello Craig, thanks for the videos, great job !! One question, the little device at the end of the tube that you use for siphoning I can not find. What exactly is it called and where can I get one ?? All I find are the racking cane types. Thanks !!
I don't know where you can get that, but I posted some links in the more info section and I added for you a link where you can order an auto siphon. That's what most people use anyway.
Thanks, for getting me started in home brewing your videos were a great help. I have an Idea I want to ask you. I tried the Irish Stout ...it was great!! I going to make it again and would like to add real chocolate what do you think any suggestions..
Sure, why not. I don't know what kind or how much as I've never done it. I guess you would add some baker's chocolate to your hot wart and let it melt, or grate it in.
Well, it's what I have immediate access to from my local home brew shop, and it's a contact sanitizer. It kills everything the second it touches it. With the Starsan, don't you have to soak everything for a while?
You do, the bottle says everything has to be wet for 1 minute, not 30 though. Plus, I don't really mind the wait if it means I wont kill my batch with a rinse that wasn't as thorough as I'd like it to be (not much of a sink to work with so rinsing can be hit or miss, and potentially very messy.)
@Flare1728 In the eperience that I have, which is little, and the eperienced brewers I have talked to, the best practice is to rinse. I use a no-rinse sanatizer, but I still rinse. I asked Craig about this before, and his answer was the same-- never done me wrong!! I would just hate to accidentally mix a strong sanatizer, and use it without rinsing, and have it kill my yeast. Chances are probably slim, but statistically it COULD happen....
@RANGER2D Never rinse a no-rinse sanitizer! Tap water has bacteria in it that's harmless to humans, but could spoil a batch of beer. When you rinse a no-rinse sanitizer, you just introduce trace amounts of bacteria, which defeats the purpose of sanitizing to begin with. "Never had a problem" does not mean it's the proper process. You've just been lucky so far. Trust me on this; I'm an experienced, award winning brewer. BTF Iodophor and StarSan are both good no-rinse sanitizers.
About to try my first Brew from my coopers kit tomorow, very excited. Also I am brewing up a batch of hard cider. My coopers fermenter still smells of the beer. What type of soap or detergent do you use to wash (not sanitize) your equip.
Don't ever use any kind of detergent or soap on your equipment. Half a cup of unscented bleach in a fermenter full of room temp water for half an hour. Rinse very well until the bleach smell is gone. This also sanitizes it.
I use a bit of unscented bleach, i had a jar of the stuff you used but threw it away as it seemed more toxic. I like bleach because its been used buy humans for quite a while and has been found to have neither carcinogenesis, mutagenesis, nor teratogenesis. I'm sure you make great beer tho, if it works it works. All the best.
Are you worried about cross contamination from the germs that may be on your faucet handles or do you sanitize them? I mention it because I notice you touching the faucet then touching the sanitized equipment.
When I'm brewing, I try to keep some sanitizer in a bowl just to dip my hands in periodically. Sometimes I'll use my right hand to touch ONLY the sanitized equipment. But when it really comes down to it, you can't totally eliminate the germs. The more careful you are, the more you "reduce" the amount of bacteria that gets in your brew, which is allways infected to some degree.
It never makes sense to me when people say that the rinse water will contaminate the equipment. You're pouring 4 gallons of it in your fermenter when you make your brew. If it's got germs in it, They're already in your brew. The thing I like about this sanitizer is that it is a contact sanitizer. It kills everything as soon as it touches it, and you can reuse it for weeks.
hey craig remember me? I asked about using brown sugar in home brew beer. well today i was at my local brew shop and i asked about it. turns out it is usable in beer! but only in a ratio with a typical fermenting sugar such as dextrose or normal sugar. And infact it does have more sweetening per weight ratio.
You use bisulfate to sanitize? Not starsan or iodine? Starsan is some pretty nice stuff too, keeps for a long time in solution (and is reusable). Same for idophor. A neat little trick with starsan is to fill a spray bottle with the solution for "spot sanitizing".
Sodium Metabisulphite (sp) kills immediately upon contact. I would like to try StarSan but my supplier uses the sulphite and that's what they carry. It's all good.
do you use any soap to clean your stuff? i having alot of trouble with my beer being flat tasting and with poor head retention? it kinda ends up tasting like apple juice. my first batch was awesome but since then 3 other batches have been flawed. they arnt skunky and taste like beer minus the carbonation when i bottle but they never seem to be staying fizzy
1) Head retention: never use a rinse aid if using a dishwasher for beer glases. Also, be sure to use priming sugar at bottling time (assuming your Fg is 1.014 or below) - allow at least 2 weeks to carbonate before refrigerating. Consider adding a Wheat adjunct to grains, or KreamyX as the Priming sugar.
2) Skunky beer may be light-struck. Oils in hops turn bad if exposed to sun or florescent light. Protect Hops, wort, Beer from light!
I never re-hydrate because there's no need to. I might try it one day just to say I've done it, but I doubt it will make any difference in the finished product. As far as the yeast that comes with the kit, I just use that. That's not to say that there's not better quality yeasts out there. I just don't know enough about brewing yeast to start messing around with it. I've never had a problem with the Cooper's yeast, but I did have some trouble with the John Bull brand years ago.
I cant believe you got back to me that quick! Love your vids mate! I am quite new to brewing. I have just done a white wine(bottled) and tasted really good!
Got some red on the go! and a lager and cider also! They are all 'youngs' kits. I have watched quite a few vids on the brewing subject but i like the way you do things!
You're really going to love the red. Make sure when you drink it, you let it sit in the glass for a few minutes and take it right to the back and sides of your tongue to get the full pallet. Enjoy!
Really enjoyed the videos. Question! do you ever re-hydrate yeast before pitching? and do you always use the yeast that comes with the kit? I have read they are sometimes over a year old and may not be the best quality
Thanks, Craig. Keep up the good work. We all need to learn this art as the ObamaNation will target our brew for excessive taxation next after cigarettes.
The verbs "sanitize" and "sterilize" are getting mixed up alot in the comments and in the video. They are different; sanitizing is all that is needed for brewing. Sterilizing is a much higher level of kill.
I really can't help you there. I have never had to go any further than down the street. It also goes by the name of Campden tablets. I Google search should set you up. Ebay might help as well.
I am told that if your tap water is fit to drink, it's fine to brew with, however, if the presents of fluoride in your water bothers you (google fluoride in drinking water) then the use of bottled water would be preferred.
I usually just soak in hot water over night. You can add a little bleach (not alot) to the water but make sure it is all rinsed off and the smell is gone. Again, I just rinse with hot water and do the beach thing once in a while.
I have heard several people say to never use soap on any of your brewing things. So my question is, before sanitation, how do you get everything extremely clean in order to be ready for brewing/bottling, and also when you have finished with an item in the process?
Most Brewers (at least occasionally) use PBW - Powered Brewers Wash, and scrub the surfaces you can. You can let things like siphon hoses soak in it overnight; then rinse and sanitize everything just before Brewing.
I've never had this happen but I would think you will be fine. Make sure you put plain water in them and soak over night after you empty the bleach cleaner. If you can't smell any oil or bleach after you finish cleaning them, I would say they're fine. Just keep cleaning them and rinsing them until no odors are there.
I went out to my barn the other day found my two fermenters and i almost had a storke some how oil got spilt all over and indside both so i grabed a pressure washer and vigirously cleanded both i have a bleach cleaner solution in them right now do u think they will still be ok?
I'm considering using a UVC Germicidal light to sterilize my brew equipment. I'm not sure if you know anything about this, but would it work any better or any worse than using the sterilizing solution? I would prefer to use a germicidal light in order to reduce the "mess" that I make with sterilizing solution. That and i don't like to constantly have to sterilize my bottles every time.
craig, can you brew beer useing the same methods for wine, with all the extra clearing agents and sulfates? Even if you could fake carbonate because my guess is the yeast would probably all be out of the beer. I wonder what the beer would be like?
If you have extra time and all the ingredients, it would be intersting to see. I might try myself, sometime, if I do i will let you know how it comes out, thanks craig is the 'go to source' for all homebrewing needs.
I seem to remember that bisulfate is the stuff they use to kill wild yeasts off of apples before they make cider?? I wonder if it is actually a sanitiser or a biotoxin?
Craig, have you ever used "Iodophor" or StarSan? MoreBeer has recommended starsan to me a few times, as a no-rinse sanitiser, so I am going to give it a shot next time. Iodophor has ALWAYS been wonderful to work with, and is an instant sanitiser...
I've never used that particular product as a sanitizing agent... is it not a no-rinse solution? Because rinsing your sanitized equipment with tap water just introduces new bacteria and organisms to everything.
You have to rinse. I don't think that rinsing it introduces anything bad to the brew, considering that I use the same water to actually make the brew.
I'm not sure why you wouldn't add the sample back to the batch. If the hydrometer is sanitized, there's no reason to waste it. I may take two or three readings throughout the process. I can't see wasting it. ;)
There isnt a huge need to sanitize your hydrometer.. unless you are still boiling when you take the reading, you shouldnt be adding your sample back to the batch.. just might save you a couple seconds.
You are assuming that he will use a test tube with the hydrometer. If he puts the hydrometer directly in to the bucket (which is more accurate) it will have to be sanitized.
what about using hot water from water tanks? aren't there bacterias floating around that are swimming in the old hot water tank?
I've always wondered... kind of ruins the sanitizing process if i'm right, doesn't it?
thanks for any input
nosleeptillQuebec 3 months ago
Thanks for the video. Really helps when you have one of those large wash tubs.
rappy90 4 months ago
Consciousness , Bliss, Existence!
FletcherHabit 5 months ago
Do I have to dry my container before putting the brewing ingredients? My tap water contains chlorine and fluoride and I don't want this in my brew. Are clean towels or napkins safe to place the stirring rod onto? How long do items remain sanitized?
Ian - Thanks, getting ready to prepare my first brew
ianmullen 8 months ago
@ianmullen If you can get your hands on a no-rinse sanitizer, like StarSan, you don't have to rinse it off and you can use bottled (R.O. or distilled) water to mix the starsan and it will be re usable for months.
CraigTube 8 months ago
@CraigTube craig does star san go bad i have a bottle 3 yrs old only been used twice shood i throw it out
cber8860 1 week ago
Cool hookah bro
AvengedStevenfold21 8 months ago
I have a question do u have to throw the solution away after you use it? I've seen it on other videos i just want to make sure. Or can the sodium metabisulphite be re used? also what is your opinion on easy clean i think its called?
AllahWhoakbar1 10 months ago
@AllahWhoakbar1 The sod-med can be re used over and over again. I'm not sure about the Easy Clean, as I've never used it. Star San is very good as long as your water is not too hard.
CraigTube 10 months ago
@CraigTube Ok thanks for the tips/advice ill keep it in mind when make n my own. These videos really help u did a good job as far as explaining evrything to the T
AllahWhoakbar1 9 months ago
hey craig im having trouble using the hydromete. i forgot to get a reading at the start . so i bottled it and the hydrometer reads 10. is that normal?
bluelagoon10023 10 months ago
@bluelagoon10023 Not sure where you're getting the reading of 10. Usually a hydrometer reading looks like this: x.xxx for example, 1.012 . Do you mean 1.010?
CraigTube 10 months ago
What happens if you get some in your wine???
I enjoy all your video's...
stellym3 10 months ago
Cool
stellym3 10 months ago
Best sanitizer in the world (in my opinion): Klorin (Sodium hypochlorite),
sheep and effective, the only downside is the “bath-house” smell.
Anyway grate videos (food, drink and music).
1989Goodspeed 11 months ago
You really dont need to rinse off the sulfite as its non toxic. I just kinda drip dry or shake off.
Adol666 11 months ago
@Adol666 even though He said its not good to breathe in dry or wet? The name doesnt sound appealing in ne way... how much r u legally able to mke a year?
AllahWhoakbar1 10 months ago
@AllahWhoakbar1 Sulfites are not good to breath in true. Its a very strong oder. But Injested it is non toxic in doeses that we are talking about. In fact many foods and all commercially made wines have Sulfites in them to protect from oxidization or bactieria. As for how much you can leagally brew. I believe its 200 gallons of wine or beer a year or 1000 750ml bottles. Who is going to know though? As long as your not selling it the Feds dont really care
Adol666 10 months ago
Craig, how do you sanitize your PET caps? Do you remove the inner diaphram? Do you need the diaphram at all, or will it keep tight without? I would guess a lot of lurking bacteria underneath...
Viking1899Norway 11 months ago
@Viking1899Norway I've never thought of removing the liner. When you tighten the cap, the underneath of the liner gets sealed off. Simple answer.. no I don't remove it, but it's a thought.
CraigTube 11 months ago
Craig, how do you sanitize your PET caps? Do you remove the inner diaphram? Do you need the diaphram at all, or will it keep tight without? I would guess a lot of lurking bacteria underneath...
Viking1899Norway 11 months ago
hi craig love ur vids relly help me keep it up .ya i find some lids not flit well as made 40 pints up of young's brew chardonnay wine .air was get out under lid & didnt want move all to other bin .so put tape around side lid will that be all ok ? john
MrJohnny20011 1 year ago
@MrJohnny20011 Do your best, but don't worry if it's not a perfect seal. Just ferment as usual.
CraigTube 1 year ago
Comment removed
sladfast888 1 year ago
nice one, that has really helped me! thanks!!!
sladfast888 1 year ago
Hi Craig, what do you think the best way to clean used beer bottles that have been sitting a while with a little leftover brew in it? I got some good bottles from a friend, but i dont know how long they have been sitting.
briceparker09 1 year ago
@briceparker09 Soak them with HOT water. Fill up the sink with hot water and a small bit of bleach and submerge them over night. Use a bottle washer that fits on your tap to force any debris out and rinse very well to remove the bleach smell.
CraigTube 1 year ago
Is there any possibility of the tap water used to rinse equipment after sanitizing could be tainted with impurities that would contaminate the batch?
tehryza 1 year ago
@tehryza If you are not comfortable using your tap water to top up your wort, then you wouldn't want to use it to rinse. Our tap water is very clean.
CraigTube 1 year ago
@CraigTube What do you think about using purified water to top up the wort?
tehryza 1 year ago
@tehryza You mean filtered, like with a brita or the like?
CraigTube 1 year ago
@CraigTube Yeah, I just have your standard Brita filter, and the water from my tap seems to have some small black sediment in it sometimes that I don't feel comfortable putting into my brew. That's why I was wondering if I could use the filtered water.
tehryza 1 year ago
@tehryza The Brita should take care of that. I would trust it. Go ahead and use it.
CraigTube 1 year ago
Hey Craig, I have been watching all of your videos while I have been off work ill. Im making a couple of 6 bottle wine kits, the first is going to be ready to de-gas this weekend. I bought a whizz stick for this, reading through the instructions, it mentions to sanatize the stick with your normal solution (I used Milton on the demijohns and other equiptment) but below that it says do not use Sodium Metabisulphite, given your experiance, I thought Id see if you would know why that is? Thanks!!
supervascular 1 year ago
@supervascular I don't know why they would say that. The only thing it can do is kill your yeast, but if fermentation is done, that doesn't matter. Plus, we usually rinse it off anyway, so I'm not sure what the problem would be.
CraigTube 1 year ago
@supervascular Thanks Craig, didnt have a chance to get back to you till now. How much of this would you make up at a time as you said it keeps for a while? Ive bought some but there are no instructions on amounts to use? Thanks again!!
supervascular 1 year ago
Hey man love your videos massive help and respect for doing them , where did you get hold of a fermetation bin with a big enough hole for a bung airlock , because mine is a tiny hole just for the airlock and i think it may be leaking , thanks and keep up the good work !
jmez07 1 year ago
@jmez07 Thank you! You have to drill the hole to fit the bung you will be using.
CraigTube 1 year ago
I haven't got a package right now to look at. I don't want to guess in case I'm wrong.
CraigTube 1 year ago
Hi Craig, how many oz. or grams of sodium metabisulphite does the package contain? I mean, how much of sodium metabisulphite has to be dissolved in water?
ccitelli 1 year ago
Hi Craig, by the way where do you get your plastic bottles. I am tired of the glass bottles after watching how easy it is to use plastic.
whitato1 1 year ago
@whitato1 I'll post a link in the "more info" section for you.
CraigTube 1 year ago
I just bought everything for my first batch of hard cider, including some tubing, a hot glue gun, and a small water bottle to make an airlock. I don't have a brew shop in my area, so I was wondering if I could just boil everything involved to be safe. As always, your input is appreciated.
jonnyboy1908 1 year ago
@jonnyboy1908 Some plastics will melt in boiling water, but yes that will work if yours can take it. If you have a dishwasher, that would work on the HOT cycle with no soap.
CraigTube 1 year ago
@CraigTube ...Or maybe I could just soak it all in some Bacardi 151 instead. What do you think?
jonnyboy1908 1 year ago
@jonnyboy1908 That's an expensive sanitizer, but I'm sure it would work.
CraigTube 1 year ago
I loved the "Ohhhhhh." after you tasted it at the end.
Thanks for the video I plan on starting to brew as soon as I get my kit and all that jazz, the series was very informative.
LOLZORZW00T 1 year ago
Craig, how long can you keep the sanitizing solution for?
chanace 1 year ago
@chanace That solution can be used for months, or until it gets really smelly. That's the nice thing about it vs. Starsan. It's super cheap, like $3, and it lasts a long time. You just have to rinse it off. I do use Starsan when I can get it because it's easier, but it doesn't even last a day with my water.
CraigTube 1 year ago
ok thanks any way ill use the proper stuff to be safe
sheppie1964 1 year ago
This has been flagged as spam show
Hi Craig Can you use milton sterilising fluid to sterilise home brew equipment. Its used here in the uk for sanitising babys bottles etc. Also does it have to be rinsed prior to making beer
Thanks
sheppie1964 1 year ago
Hi Craig ive used milton sterilising fluid to sanitise my beer making equipment. Its used for sanitising babys bottles etc. Is this stuff ok to use and should it be rinsed prior to making beer
Thanks
sheppie1964 1 year ago
Hi Craig im in the uk and have made my first batch of lager. Could you tell me if milton sterilising fluid (used for babys bottles) is ok for sanitising home brew stuff. It says it is a no rinse formula for babys bottles etc should you rinse beer making equipment or not.
Thanks
sheppie1964 1 year ago
@sheppie1964 I can't really advise because I've never heard of that stuff. Sorry. :)
CraigTube 1 year ago
@sheppie1964 Baby bottle cleaner is usually great, but whats the active chem in it?
No harm in rinsing it either, if your unsure. if its got an antifungal ingredient, it probably should be rinsed.
duckmonsterX 1 year ago
Haha nice hookah in the background.
iriejoe 1 year ago
@iriejoe dude I saw that too, wondering why its not packed with shisha and ready to go . . . . you can do that while sanitizing, right . . . jk
Triethylborane 1 year ago
I use Sodium for sanitation, and Potassium to stabilize my wine. I don't know if they're interchangeable, but the Sodium is definitely right for sanitizing.
CraigTube 1 year ago
@CraigTube I did some research on this for anyone with the same question. Sodium and Potassium Metabisulfites are interchangeable sulfites for SANITIZING, but NOT STABILIZING. Potassium is best for stabilizing because it won't add sodium (salt) to the diet. It is the primary ingredient in Campden tablets. You MAY choose sodium meta for sanitizing (because it is a bit cheaper than potassium meta,) but in the end, either is fine for making sanitizing solution.
kninep12 1 year ago
@kninep12 That is great information. On behalf of all of us wondering, thanks so much.
CraigTube 1 year ago
I've seen "SODIUM" metabisulphite and "POTASSIUM" metabisulfite used during the sanitation. Which is the RIGHT one?
kninep12 1 year ago
is that a hookah in the background
lickthebubble 1 year ago
Absolutely.
CraigTube 1 year ago
puioiushaman
anthonymezzapelle 2 years ago
Hello Craig, thanks for the videos, great job !! One question, the little device at the end of the tube that you use for siphoning I can not find. What exactly is it called and where can I get one ?? All I find are the racking cane types. Thanks !!
antney1127 2 years ago
I don't know where you can get that, but I posted some links in the more info section and I added for you a link where you can order an auto siphon. That's what most people use anyway.
CraigTube 2 years ago
Thanks, for getting me started in home brewing your videos were a great help. I have an Idea I want to ask you. I tried the Irish Stout ...it was great!! I going to make it again and would like to add real chocolate what do you think any suggestions..
joeymikes 2 years ago
Sure, why not. I don't know what kind or how much as I've never done it. I guess you would add some baker's chocolate to your hot wart and let it melt, or grate it in.
CraigTube 2 years ago
I notice you always use the sanitizors that must be rinsed, and I was wondering if there was a reason for that beyond personal preference.
I personally prefer the star san no rinse because I dont have to worry so much about killing my yeast by not rinsing thoroughly enough.
But basically, I'm asking if your solution does a better job.
Flare1728 2 years ago
Well, it's what I have immediate access to from my local home brew shop, and it's a contact sanitizer. It kills everything the second it touches it. With the Starsan, don't you have to soak everything for a while?
CraigTube 2 years ago
You do, the bottle says everything has to be wet for 1 minute, not 30 though. Plus, I don't really mind the wait if it means I wont kill my batch with a rinse that wasn't as thorough as I'd like it to be (not much of a sink to work with so rinsing can be hit or miss, and potentially very messy.)
Flare1728 2 years ago
@Flare1728 In the eperience that I have, which is little, and the eperienced brewers I have talked to, the best practice is to rinse. I use a no-rinse sanatizer, but I still rinse. I asked Craig about this before, and his answer was the same-- never done me wrong!! I would just hate to accidentally mix a strong sanatizer, and use it without rinsing, and have it kill my yeast. Chances are probably slim, but statistically it COULD happen....
RANGER2D 2 years ago
@RANGER2D Never rinse a no-rinse sanitizer! Tap water has bacteria in it that's harmless to humans, but could spoil a batch of beer. When you rinse a no-rinse sanitizer, you just introduce trace amounts of bacteria, which defeats the purpose of sanitizing to begin with. "Never had a problem" does not mean it's the proper process. You've just been lucky so far. Trust me on this; I'm an experienced, award winning brewer. BTF Iodophor and StarSan are both good no-rinse sanitizers.
ethans83 1 year ago
Hi Craig,
About to try my first Brew from my coopers kit tomorow, very excited. Also I am brewing up a batch of hard cider. My coopers fermenter still smells of the beer. What type of soap or detergent do you use to wash (not sanitize) your equip.
deepcdan99 2 years ago
Don't ever use any kind of detergent or soap on your equipment. Half a cup of unscented bleach in a fermenter full of room temp water for half an hour. Rinse very well until the bleach smell is gone. This also sanitizes it.
CraigTube 2 years ago
I use a bit of unscented bleach, i had a jar of the stuff you used but threw it away as it seemed more toxic. I like bleach because its been used buy humans for quite a while and has been found to have neither carcinogenesis, mutagenesis, nor teratogenesis. I'm sure you make great beer tho, if it works it works. All the best.
Kitt0000 2 years ago
Are you worried about cross contamination from the germs that may be on your faucet handles or do you sanitize them? I mention it because I notice you touching the faucet then touching the sanitized equipment.
tigereye1964 2 years ago
When I'm brewing, I try to keep some sanitizer in a bowl just to dip my hands in periodically. Sometimes I'll use my right hand to touch ONLY the sanitized equipment. But when it really comes down to it, you can't totally eliminate the germs. The more careful you are, the more you "reduce" the amount of bacteria that gets in your brew, which is allways infected to some degree.
CraigTube 2 years ago
I prefer StarSan or Sani San...so one does not have to rinse. Cooties may be in that rinse water!
pdxjules 2 years ago
It never makes sense to me when people say that the rinse water will contaminate the equipment. You're pouring 4 gallons of it in your fermenter when you make your brew. If it's got germs in it, They're already in your brew. The thing I like about this sanitizer is that it is a contact sanitizer. It kills everything as soon as it touches it, and you can reuse it for weeks.
CraigTube 2 years ago
hey craig remember me? I asked about using brown sugar in home brew beer. well today i was at my local brew shop and i asked about it. turns out it is usable in beer! but only in a ratio with a typical fermenting sugar such as dextrose or normal sugar. And infact it does have more sweetening per weight ratio.
Just thought you would like to know..
Cheerz n' beerz
casualtiesofpunk 2 years ago
You use bisulfate to sanitize? Not starsan or iodine? Starsan is some pretty nice stuff too, keeps for a long time in solution (and is reusable). Same for idophor. A neat little trick with starsan is to fill a spray bottle with the solution for "spot sanitizing".
soadj28 2 years ago
Sodium Metabisulphite (sp) kills immediately upon contact. I would like to try StarSan but my supplier uses the sulphite and that's what they carry. It's all good.
CraigTube 2 years ago
Never, ever use any kind of soap on your equipment or drinking glasses. That will kill your fizz.
CraigTube 2 years ago
do you use any soap to clean your stuff? i having alot of trouble with my beer being flat tasting and with poor head retention? it kinda ends up tasting like apple juice. my first batch was awesome but since then 3 other batches have been flawed. they arnt skunky and taste like beer minus the carbonation when i bottle but they never seem to be staying fizzy
mccoymatty 2 years ago
2 things...
1) Head retention: never use a rinse aid if using a dishwasher for beer glases. Also, be sure to use priming sugar at bottling time (assuming your Fg is 1.014 or below) - allow at least 2 weeks to carbonate before refrigerating. Consider adding a Wheat adjunct to grains, or KreamyX as the Priming sugar.
2) Skunky beer may be light-struck. Oils in hops turn bad if exposed to sun or florescent light. Protect Hops, wort, Beer from light!
pdxjules 2 years ago
I never re-hydrate because there's no need to. I might try it one day just to say I've done it, but I doubt it will make any difference in the finished product. As far as the yeast that comes with the kit, I just use that. That's not to say that there's not better quality yeasts out there. I just don't know enough about brewing yeast to start messing around with it. I've never had a problem with the Cooper's yeast, but I did have some trouble with the John Bull brand years ago.
CraigTube 2 years ago
I cant believe you got back to me that quick! Love your vids mate! I am quite new to brewing. I have just done a white wine(bottled) and tasted really good!
Got some red on the go! and a lager and cider also! They are all 'youngs' kits. I have watched quite a few vids on the brewing subject but i like the way you do things!
All the best!
saturn16 2 years ago
You're really going to love the red. Make sure when you drink it, you let it sit in the glass for a few minutes and take it right to the back and sides of your tongue to get the full pallet. Enjoy!
CraigTube 2 years ago
Really enjoyed the videos. Question! do you ever re-hydrate yeast before pitching? and do you always use the yeast that comes with the kit? I have read they are sometimes over a year old and may not be the best quality
saturn16 2 years ago
Thanks, Craig. Keep up the good work. We all need to learn this art as the ObamaNation will target our brew for excessive taxation next after cigarettes.
tadroid 2 years ago
The verbs "sanitize" and "sterilize" are getting mixed up alot in the comments and in the video. They are different; sanitizing is all that is needed for brewing. Sterilizing is a much higher level of kill.
Cheers all!
artumark 2 years ago
Where do you get your sanitizer at? I have been looking for the brand you use and cannot find it.
Thanks
mac8201 3 years ago
I really can't help you there. I have never had to go any further than down the street. It also goes by the name of Campden tablets. I Google search should set you up. Ebay might help as well.
CraigTube 3 years ago
hi craig, thank you for the videos very helpful. i was just wondering if i should use bottled water? instead of tab water. have you evertried this?
welshphil21 3 years ago
I am told that if your tap water is fit to drink, it's fine to brew with, however, if the presents of fluoride in your water bothers you (google fluoride in drinking water) then the use of bottled water would be preferred.
CraigTube 3 years ago
I usually just soak in hot water over night. You can add a little bleach (not alot) to the water but make sure it is all rinsed off and the smell is gone. Again, I just rinse with hot water and do the beach thing once in a while.
CraigTube 3 years ago
I have heard several people say to never use soap on any of your brewing things. So my question is, before sanitation, how do you get everything extremely clean in order to be ready for brewing/bottling, and also when you have finished with an item in the process?
FreeTibet97 3 years ago
Most Brewers (at least occasionally) use PBW - Powered Brewers Wash, and scrub the surfaces you can. You can let things like siphon hoses soak in it overnight; then rinse and sanitize everything just before Brewing.
pdxjules 2 years ago
I've never had this happen but I would think you will be fine. Make sure you put plain water in them and soak over night after you empty the bleach cleaner. If you can't smell any oil or bleach after you finish cleaning them, I would say they're fine. Just keep cleaning them and rinsing them until no odors are there.
CraigTube 3 years ago
Hey Craig,
I went out to my barn the other day found my two fermenters and i almost had a storke some how oil got spilt all over and indside both so i grabed a pressure washer and vigirously cleanded both i have a bleach cleaner solution in them right now do u think they will still be ok?
thanks agian.
Raymaker6998 3 years ago
I'm considering using a UVC Germicidal light to sterilize my brew equipment. I'm not sure if you know anything about this, but would it work any better or any worse than using the sterilizing solution? I would prefer to use a germicidal light in order to reduce the "mess" that I make with sterilizing solution. That and i don't like to constantly have to sterilize my bottles every time.
gorak142 3 years ago
craig, can you brew beer useing the same methods for wine, with all the extra clearing agents and sulfates? Even if you could fake carbonate because my guess is the yeast would probably all be out of the beer. I wonder what the beer would be like?
oldpappymgellianthet 3 years ago
You would end up with something, but I don't know what it would taste like.
CraigTube 3 years ago
If you have extra time and all the ingredients, it would be intersting to see. I might try myself, sometime, if I do i will let you know how it comes out, thanks craig is the 'go to source' for all homebrewing needs.
oldpappymgellianthet 3 years ago
Cheers for the videos =]
One question. Where would you buy one of those bottle sanitizers?
NubbinWard 3 years ago
Everything can be found at any home brew supplier.
CraigTube 3 years ago
I seem to remember that bisulfate is the stuff they use to kill wild yeasts off of apples before they make cider?? I wonder if it is actually a sanitiser or a biotoxin?
Craig, have you ever used "Iodophor" or StarSan? MoreBeer has recommended starsan to me a few times, as a no-rinse sanitiser, so I am going to give it a shot next time. Iodophor has ALWAYS been wonderful to work with, and is an instant sanitiser...
OPE08 3 years ago
Thank you.. so simple, and I hope it's affective as well.
0o0Ali0o0 3 years ago
I've never used that particular product as a sanitizing agent... is it not a no-rinse solution? Because rinsing your sanitized equipment with tap water just introduces new bacteria and organisms to everything.
98fmKCQ 4 years ago
You have to rinse. I don't think that rinsing it introduces anything bad to the brew, considering that I use the same water to actually make the brew.
CraigTube 4 years ago
I'm not sure why you wouldn't add the sample back to the batch. If the hydrometer is sanitized, there's no reason to waste it. I may take two or three readings throughout the process. I can't see wasting it. ;)
CraigTube 4 years ago
There isnt a huge need to sanitize your hydrometer.. unless you are still boiling when you take the reading, you shouldnt be adding your sample back to the batch.. just might save you a couple seconds.
aekdbbop 4 years ago
aekdbbop,
You are assuming that he will use a test tube with the hydrometer. If he puts the hydrometer directly in to the bucket (which is more accurate) it will have to be sanitized.
fenmaniac 3 years ago
well, you are right... I assumed that because the hydro was in a test tube..
aekdbbop 3 years ago
I think Craig was putting the hydrometer directly in to the batch in his video.
fenmaniac 3 years ago