Sample Brewing Handbook
Chapter 1a - Cleaning and Racking

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"Cleanliness is next to godliness" is import to remember, but don't get too paranoid.

Some people say never to use bleach, but it's more of a common mistake to use too much bleach or to not rinse well enough. If one uses bleach, never use more than 1 teaspoon per gallon of water. I use about 1 tablespoon per 5 gallons of water. After soaking in this solution, rinse (I completely refill the container in question) with warm to hot water at least 5 times. Important tip: Don't use bleach on plastic. It can easily absorb the taste of the bleach and the flavor will come out while brewing.

From your local brew supply you can get B-Brite, a cleanser safer than bleach, and Iodophor, a "no-rinse" antiseptic that is iodine based. Another wonderful item they, as well as others, have is a jet spray bottle cleaner that can be attached to your faucet and bottle/carboy brushes. Other items for disinfection around your house include the dishwasher and stove. (~170-190)

My personal cleaning regiment is a bit on the anal side. For carboys it is 1 tablespoon of bleach and hot water in the carboy. Soak for 5-10 minutes, clean with carboy brush, then empty it. Refill and empty the carboy 5 or more times with just hot water. After this, use the jet sprayer with hot water and then spray the inside with iodophor. For bottles, I soak them in a gallon or more of hot water with one teaspoon of bleach. I then clean them with a bottle brush and then rinse 5 times with hot water and use the jet sprayer before putting them in the dishwasher with the heat dry turned on. (No detergent!!!)

When racking (a term used for siphoning the wort/must from one fermenter to another), remember to clean all of the equipment well. This will reduce the chance of getting contamination or an off-taste. The benefit of racking is that you leave behind the dead yeast and other dregs (lees) that have collected at the top and bottom of the carboy. This makes for a clearer drink, as well as a better tasting one. The more often you rack, the quicker it will clear. Personally I'm very patient and rack about once a month for nine months to a year when making cider or mead. Typically it will be clear and ready to bottle by then. A couple more months in the bottle and it will start being ready to serve. Others are more than willing to drink it before this point. Unfortunately I've not always followed my own advice in the past.

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