Cleaning and Sanitzing

Ok, so you have your equipment, and you are ready to make some beer! Put on the brakes for a second, because a very important topic needs to be discussed - cleaning and sanitization. Without proper cleaning and sanitizing you can ruin a good batch of beer before you even finish your first boil.

Cleaning: All equipment used needs to be cleaned. This means grime and dirt free. There are plenty of cleaners that you can pick up from your local homebrewing equipment store that are appropriate for your supplies. We looked to other homebrewers for recommendations on their favorite products. The first recommendation that I received was to use PBW (Powdered Brewery Wash), and the second was given was B-Brite.

Sanitizing: There is only one living thing you want in your beer, and that is your yeast. Therefore, this is a very important step in order to kill all living microbes that could grow in your beer. Anything that will touch your wort in a non boiling state needs to be sanitized. Your brew kettle and spoon can skip this step because they will be submersed in the boiling water. There are plenty of commercial products available at your local homebrewing store. We took the recommendation of the owner and purchased Star-San. I give the Star-San two thumbs up on ease of use. The no-rinse solution makes the sanitization process super quick and easy, which allows you to get brewing faster!

We fully recommend following the manufacturers instructions on the products you use. No other helpful tips from us, other than to make sure NEVER to skip these steps. Happy brewing.