Whether you are making beer, wine, cider, or mead, you undoubtedly love your hobby, especially the making and drinking part, but practically no one likes the cleaning and sanitizing (okay, so there are a few deranged individuals who love cleaning and sanitizing, but we'll leave their care up to the psychologists). However, cleaning and sanitizing your fermentation equipment doesn’t have to be a time-consuming chore—especially if you approach these tasks with the proper strategy. In this article, we are going to outline the easiest and fastest way to clean and sanitize, which will leave you with more time for the fun parts—the brewing and drinking!
The fastest way to clean and sanitize your equipment is based upon two principles, which we will explore in more detail below:
- Clean Immediately After Use
- Sanitize Right Before Use
Clean Immediately After Use
The best time to clean your brewing gear is right after you’re done using it, when everything is still dirty. This makes sense, because it’s after you’ve used the equipment that it’s dirty. This is just like washing dishes after a meal—it’s much easier to get rid of the mess while it’s still fresh. Letting dirty equipment sit around only makes the cleanup more difficult. Cleaning your fermentation equipment follows the same logic. Also, because you’ve just finished using your equipment, there’s a good chance you won’t be using it right away, so you take advantage of this opportunity and let your equipment soak for extended times, such as overnight or even for an entire day.
For the actual cleaning, oxygen-based cleaners like B-Brite or One Step, and caustic cleaners like PBW (Powdered Brewery Wash) are excellent choices. They work well by soaking, which means less scrubbing for you. Just fill your bucket or carboy to the top with water and cleaner, and let it soak overnight. Since you won’t need the equipment again until your next brew day, you can save your time by letting the cleaner do its work while you focus on other things.
If you’re cleaning glass equipment like carboys or bottles, feel free to use a brush. But with plastic equipment, avoid using brushes or anything abrasive—scratches can harbor bacteria, and scratched plastic can be tough to get truly clean. For long items like siphons, use a long, narrow tray like a wallpaper tray to soak them properly.
After an overnight soak, give everything a good inspection to make sure it's clean. If not, give the equipment more time to soak. If you have heavy caked-on fermentation residue, then you can pour out the old solution and mix up new cleaning solution. Once everything is clean, it’s time to rinse everything thoroughly. Make sure to let all of the equipment dry completely before storing it. Proper drying is important—you don’t want mildew growing on your gear during storage.
Sanitize Right Before Use
Sanitizing your brewing equipment is quick and easy when your gear is already clean. Star San is a fantastic option for this because it’s fast and doesn’t require rinsing. Unlike cleaning, you don’t have to fill your entire bucket or carboy. Just mix up a gallon of Star San and gently swirl it around inside the container to wet all surfaces. If Star San is splashed around, it will foam up like dishwashing soap. Thus, to keep the foaming to a minimum, swirl gently and avoid vigorous splashing. Let the equipment drain well, but you don’t need to rinse it. If you do prefer to rinse, make sure your water is safe to drink.
Keep It Simple, Keep It Clean
By cleaning your equipment right after brewing and sanitizing right before use, you’re setting yourself up for brewing success without extra hassle. Soak overnight, rinse, dry, and sanitize—a simple routine that makes your next brew day a breeze.
