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The Brewing Process - Sanitation |
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Page 9 of 9
Sanitization
So far, sanitization of ingredients and equipment has been discussed but not much has been said about how to do this. The definition and objective of sanitization is to reduce bacteria and contaminants to insignificant or manageable levels. Sterilization is not really possible or practical. The starter solution, wort and priming solutions will all be boiled, so those are not a problem (usually).
One note - Do Not Boil the Yeast! You need them to be alive.
The most readily available sanitizing solution is made be adding 1 tablespoon of bleach to 1 gallon of water (4 ml per liter). A very popular sanitizer is Iodophor. Use 1 tablespoon per 5 gallons (4 ml/19 liters). Another excellent sanitizer is Star-San, from the makers of PBW. Use 1 fluid ounce per 5 gallons. The sanitizing solution can be prepared in the fermenting bucket. Immerse all of equipment - airlock, hoses, paddles, rubber stopper, fermenter lid and anything else contacting the beer. Let it sit for 20 minutes. Rinsing is not really necessary at this concentration, but you may want to rinse with boiled water to avoid any chance of off-flavors.
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Kegerator Kits
Beer Machine
Tap Handles
Beer Machine
Cooper's Brew Kit
Ready to Brew?
Okay, we have covered equipment, ingredients and preparations. Are you ready to begin? Do you have everything cleaned and sanitized? Do you have your ingredients ready? Click on the links to the left for exact brewing instructions depending on which method you have chosen. I highly recommend starting out with an extract from a beer kit. They make great beer and do not require a lot of time, money and special equipment.
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