Sanitation

Hi Al, I think sanitation is WAY more important with beer than it is with wine. I'm not saying don't clean anything but it's not as critical. I usually wash everything with hot water and a bit of soap, super rinse and then rinse everything again with a sulphite solution. It's worked for me so far and I've never had weird off tastes. I figure if wineries dump their grapes with all the spiders, bugs and bird poop into fermenters without worrying..... Louise:o)

I think one of the most important things is actually convinceing people to use metabisulfite -- either sodium, potassium, or campden tablets -- to kill wild yeasts and bacteria in their musts before they pitch in wine yeast. Most of my relatives wouldn't agree with that for example, the "natural way" was the way they've always done it, and they won't change. They feel the occasional bad batch is just part of life.

It depends also one wether you're working in the kitchen that you just perpared dinner in, or in the basement/garage swept once 6 months ago.

These guys have a funny little perspective on home wine making:

Al, I've also heard that sanitation is more important in making beer than wine. I do clean my carboys and glass fermentation container with a bit of bleach & hot water between batches. Then, I rinse the containers in hot, soapy water, followed by allowing them to air dry completely. I generally use campden tablets as a rinse in a new carboy before racking to it. I wouldn't say I'm obsessive about it, but I did have one batch which seemed to have a something growing in it that wasn't right. Ever since then, I've used the bleach and have not had any problems since then. Darlene

Wow.

What is it about some of these web sites that they feel the need to put such a nasty background image on? It makes me feel like I have already drunk a couple of bottles...

Al - I think a lot of folks go overboard with trying to "sterilize" everything that comes in contact with the wine. Certainly, stuff should be clean. But my theory is, within 7 to 10 days, you are dealing with a liquid containing 10% to 12% or more alcohol. According to everything I've read, there are no known human pathogens that can grow in liquids with alcohol levels that high ( or higher). This is why, for example, opened bottles of distilled spirits (whiskey, etc.) don't spoil. If you don't keep air (oxygen) away from the wine, you can get bacteria that convert the alcohol into vinegar, but (a) this is pretty obvious when it happens, and (b) is easily prevented by using an airlock with a carboy or other sealable container.

My rule of thumb is, things should be clean enough that you would be comfortable eating off them. Anything more than that is (IMHO) a waste of time. I believe that standards do need to be higher for beer-making, again because beer contains much less than 10-12% alcohol, so it is more subject to spoilage. But for wine-making, I pretty much go with the standards of sanitation and cleanliness that I apply to food. I think a lot more people get in trouble by not keeping their wine topped up in the carboy, or by not making sure that the airlock still has a reasonable level of water (or metabisulfite solution) in it, than by bad sanitation.

That's my two cents. Happy fermenting --

Doug

If you ever visit a winery you will be amazed. Fruit flies everywhere and EVERYTHING goes into the hopper. Wasp nests, bird nests, etc.

Just be clean. Store things dry. Avoid mold.

Winemaking is a very forgiving hobby. Wine itself is an excellent sanitizer and there are no known pathogens that will live in wine.

The biggest cause of wine going bad is not lack of cleanliness nor fruit, it is oxidation. After the fermentation slows down, after a week or so, you must protect it from contact with air. That is what ruins wine.

Don't obsess over anything in wine making, just enjoy.

Ray

If you ever visit a winery you will be amazed. Fruit flies everywhere and EVERYTHING goes into the hopper. Wasp nests, bird nests, etc.

Just be clean. Store things dry. Avoid mold.

Winemaking is a very forgiving hobby. Wine itself is an excellent sanitizer and there are no known pathogens that will live in wine.

The biggest cause of wine going bad is not lack of cleanliness nor fruit, it is oxidation. After the fermentation slows down, after a week or so, you must protect it from contact with air. That is what ruins wine.

Don't obsess over anything in wine making, just enjoy.

Ray

LOL!!! I recall thinking a batch of wine that went bad on me in 1986 should have been called "Chateau Murre et Punaise" (spelling????) meaning "bugs and worms"!!!

I =never= use these chemicals for sterilization; I use a mild solution of water and ordinary chlorine bleach. No wacky flavors, no trouble finding it or running out, and no bad batches. It works like a charm for me.

At last! A fellow bleacher!!! LOL!!!!

Yes, yes, a fellow bleacher. I didn't throw the batch out, I just used it for cooking. Never suffered anything from using the batch, but I just don't want anything to happen to another batch. This hobby is surprising, so you never know. Darlene

I hate surprizes. Unless a brilliant, gorgeous blonde proposes to me.... ;-)