Length of Time to Sterilise?

[smccul]

Very new to homebrewing, and about to start my second kit brew. If successful hoping to then move on to extract brewing in the new year.

Rather simple and potentially silly question. I filled my brewing bin with steriliser(water and Young's All Purpose) however did not get round to washing it out, so it has now been sitting for approx 3 weeks (very busy month). Should I procede with caution, or would it still be ok as long as i give it a decent rinse with water?

Also, as a quick second question (let me know if I should put this in a seperate thread), what is the most efficient way of sanitising a syphon tube. Cant seem to figure out a method of cleaning inside it bar sucking the sanitiser through (which I'm not very entheusiastic about doing).

All help appreciated in advance.

[EccentricDyslexic]

Cant help with the first Q as im not familiar with Youngs stuff.

But to clean your syphon pipe i use one of these-

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/MINIVAC-MINI- ... 2eb619de1b

Make up a kettle of hot water, pour into a jug, add 2 tsp of wizz oxy, stir and use the above to suck the resulting cleaning solution up the pipe and out of the pump.

Leave it sit for ten mins and drain.

Then suck up some starsan, leave for a couple of mins and your good to go!

Steve

[smeggedup]

Careful as it go's

Always sanatise just before use, clean and sanatiser everything every time, each time.

The tube as you say run sanatiser through tube, you may want to run clean water through each time you use it to prevent any problems.
Welcome to Jims by the way.
Happy brewing

[smccul]

Thanks for the quick response. The vacuum pump seems like it would be the business, may have to make it an investment.

Will sterilise everything again, I was more concerned that the sanatiser may have clung onto the bin perhaps. Have to stress that it has been sitting for 3 weeks with the sanatiser still in it.

Thanks again.

[EoinMag]

Thanks for the quick response. The vacuum pump seems like it would be the business, may have to make it an investment.

Will sterilise everything again, I was more concerned that the sanatiser may have clung onto the bin perhaps. Have to stress that it has been sitting for 3 weeks with the sanatiser still in it.

Thanks again.

The chlorine will be long gone out of it at this stage, if you leave that stuff long enough stuff starts to grow in it again. Wash stuff and use some sterliser again, it's only really any good while you can smell chlorine off of it.

[smccul]

Cheers. Shall get on it tomorrow.

[DeadFall]

I use a bottling stick, even with kegs, it makes life a lot easier. I get my hands nice and clean with non-scented soap and hot water. I then hold the bottling stick tightly in my fist so it's about half way up, then I suck hard through the fist to start a syphon action going. Essentially my hand forms an extension to the tube. This avoids direct contact between your mouth and the tube. I put the bottling stick end in a jug and as soon as cleaning solution starts coming through, I lift up to stop the flow. That way I can leave the solution in for the desired contact time. Make sure the outside is clean too.

I then do the same to rinse out the cleaner, and repeat once more (including a hand wash as I've usually been getting over equipment together) with star san. I then wipe/spray the outside of the tube with star san too.

If I get a dodgy syphon action, I never try to restart it. I always empty the tube out and start again.

[Valley Commando]

One trick I found useful to clean the internals of my tube was to use a SS ball bearing plus a wad of cotton wool inside the tube and a strong neodymium magnet externally to remove caked on internal gunk. Soaked in VWP sterilant and ran through with boiling water: job done!