Cleaning: is the process of removing organic and inorganic contaminants to a level of insignificance. Washing agents are designed to facilitate this process by breaking down, solubilizing, and dispersing contaminants into water, so the contaminants can be washed away

Sanitation: is the process of eradicating living microorganisms down to an acceptable level (no observable effect on wine making). Sanitation is not sterilization

Cleaning Brewing Equipment

Powdered Brewery Wash (PBW)

• PBW is very effective in removing thick, difficult, and caked-on organic soils.

• Effective substitute for caustic soda cleaners and household cleaners.

• Can clean items that cannot be reached with a brush or sponge by simply soaking and rinsing.

• Safe on skin as well as stainless steel, rubber, soft metals, and on plastics.

Procedure:

1. Rinse off the surface to get rid of as much soil as possible. 

2. Dissolve 1-2 ounces per gallon for kettles and 3/4 ounces per gallon for fermenters, kegs, tanks, and other equipment.

3. If soaking, heat to 140° and soak for 4 hours or allow to soak cold overnight. 

4. for bottles, I use a brush attached to a drill for maximum agitation

5. Rinse surfaces

Sanitation of Brewing Equipment

Star San

• A high foaming, acid-based, no-rinse sanitizer that is effective and easy to use.

• Self-foaming, which helps to penetrate cracks and crevices.

• Reduces water spotting and can be used without rinsing when used at the recommended dilution.

Procedure:

1. clean surfaces with PBW or compatible cleaner. 

2. for soaking - mix 1 oz (30ml) Star San for every 5 gal. of water

3. for spraying - 1 Liter Spray Bottle - mix  1.5ml into 1 liter of water

4. allow for a contact time of at least 5 minutes. 

5. drain

6. Manufacturer’s recommendations are no rinse.

7. I rinse sanitized equipment prior to use to minimize any Star San residues

Cleaning Carboys - low-effort method

Combining soaking with agitation is considerably more effective than soaking alone. First add about ¾ gallon (3 liters) of hot washing solution and close the carboy with a stopper that has an easily removable vent plug. Then, place the carboy sideways on a soft surface, such as an old piece of carpet, and slosh/roll back and forth. Stop every few minutes to release the suction that results as the warm water vapor cools and condenses.

Biofilms

Biofilms are a significant concern in larger breweries that have clean in place systems for production equipment. In home breweries where equipment is disassembled and cleaned out of place, it is easier to prevent biofilms with a combination of aggressive cleaning tools and chemicals

“Biofilms are formed when bacteria attach to a surface such as that forming the beer line and then produce and encase themselves in a polysaccharide or slime matrix. When this happens, further bacterial growth cannot escape the matrix and so the biofilm grows”

“there are plenty of opportunities in beer lines and on other brewing surfaces for microorganisms (bacteria, yeast, and fungal cells) to adhere and build up”

Thanks for reading this article and following The Forager on substack.

Source of picture and quotes: https://actechinc.co/all-about-beer-lines-blog/biofilm-formation-breweries-beer

The percentage of alcohol in homemade wine is measured indirectly. That is you measure the change in specific gravity from start to finish, and then convert that number to potential alcohol volume (multiply by 131).

A hydrometer measures the specific gravity of a liquid solution. In the case of winemaking, a hydrometer is used to measure must or wine density, which is increased by fermentable sugars and other must/wine substances. During fermentation, yeast breaks down the fermentable sugars, producing ethanol and carbon dioxide. As the sugars break down and are metabolized, the specific gravity decreases. The hydrometer is used to measure this density change.

HYDROMETER BASICS

Hydrometers are made of glass with a weight at the bottom and typically three scales of measurement along the sides of its long narrow stem. Make sure when you take the reading on the correct scale marked as Sp.Gr. I will not cover the other scales in this article.

When placed in liquid, the weighted end is submerged and the top floats above the liquid. Take the reading at the top of the liquid (surface tension will cause the liquid to climb the sides of the hydrometer slightly, creating a “meniscus” — use the reading at the bottom of the meniscus). The specific gravity readings usually range from 0.990–1.120. The specific gravity of pure water at 60 °F (15.5 °C) is 1.000, or 0 °Brix.

HOW TO USE IT

Readings should be done with a sample of the must or wine in a clear cylinder (hydrometers are often sold together with a 250ml cylinder or a protective case that can be used). This allows for an easy line of sight to get a measurement. Your sample may be collected from the fermenter using a clean, sanitized turkey baster or wine thief. Pour the sample into a cylinder. Gently place the hydrometer into the sample, making sure the hydrometer is floating and not sunk all the way to the bottom (if this happens, you need more liquid). If bubbles gather around the top sides of the hydrometer, give the hydrometer a spin or wait for the bubbles to dissipate as they will affect buoyancy. Then record the specific gravity on a notepad or piece of paper.

WHAT IT MEANS

Knowing the specific gravity (and therefore the sugar concentration) of your wine wine can be useful prior to, during, and after fermentation.

Before fermentation, this measurement gives a basis for predicting the amount of alcohol that may be produced during fermentation. During fermentation, measurements will show you how much of the sugar has been consumed by yeast — giving you an idea of how quickly fermentation is proceeding. The hydrometer may also indicate when you have reached your final specific gravity (1.000 or less) and it is time to rack the wine off the yeast and sediment.

With recorded specific gravity at the beginning and end of fermentation, you can use these numbers to determine the approximate percent alcohol in your wine. One of the more popular ones is subtracting the final gravity from the original gravity and multiplying by 131. For example, if the initial reading is 1.100 and the final gravity is 1.000, then 0.100 x 131 = 13.1% alcohol by volume (ABV).

Rule of thumb and guidelines:

• one pound of sugar will raise the specific gravity approximately 35 points in one gallon of must

• one pound of Honey will raise the specific gravity between 30 to 35 points in one gallon of must

• approximately 7.4 specific gravity points correspond to 1% alcohol by volume. OG ≈ 1.0074. or 1.074 would be 10% ABV

• approximately 100 grams of sugar in one gallon will raise the potential alcohol by volume (ABV) by 1% or specific gravity 7.4 points

Glass Wine Bottles - used

I have never purchased wine bottles new. If you are patient, used bottles usually become available locally, throughout the year, as hobbyists sell out. I will post how to clean & sanitize bottles in a separate document

Glass Beer Bottles - New

If you are planning on doing some in-bottle carbonation, it is a good idea to purchase beer or champagne bottles that are manufactured to withstand pressure from carbonation. Here are some flip-top beer bottles I purchased new

Kitchen Scale:

I like to weight large freezer bags full of fruit, which may be as heavy as 3kg. Recommended to buy with a capacity of 5kg (10lbs) and accuracy of .1g Small batches require small quantities (gram levels) so accuracy matters. If you are on a limited budget, this is the one item you will want to prioritize.

Plastic food grade pail:

Common sizes are a 2 gallon (gal) pail for 1 gal (4 liter) batches, and 5 gallon pail for batches larger than 1 gal. If you are using recycled pails ensure they are suitable for food use.

Here is a link to a short article on how to determine if a plastic pail is suitable for food production:

The lids on 5 gallon pails do not always seal properly. Check to see that the lid is equipped with a gasket to ensure a tight seal. That will keep fruit flies and potential contamination out, and force co2 gas out through the airlock.

If necessary drill a 1/2 inch hole to place a rubber grommet and airlock.

Airlock or Mason Jar Lid Grommets:

Purpose of the grommet is to seal the lid hole in place for the airlock. They may be made out of rubber or silicone. They are usually listed as mason jar lid grommets or airlock grommets.

Fermentation Airlock:

I prefer the S shaped airlocks. Their advantage is that they have a smaller chamber so you can more closely observe the CO2 rising and therefore the rate of fermentation. Disadvantage is that they are harder to clean. At the time of this posting these retail locally for $2.50. Amazon.ca pack of 10 equal to $1.60 each not including shipping

Measuring Cups:

They usually come in sets. I find the 1 liter size is used the most.

Measuring spoons

Slotted Spoon (large):

I prefer stainless steel, which is more durable, heavier and easier to clean & sanitize

Hydrometer with 250ml cylinder

These sell for around 12$ on amazon.ca You can get a set including a measuring cylinder, hydrometer etc. around $22.

Turkey Baster or Wine Thief

-are used to withdraw a sample and transfer into a cylinder for measuring the specific gravity with a hydrometer. A wine thief withdraws a sample into a cylinder which you can put a hydrometer into for a quick read. I do not have one.

Glass Carboy

The most common size is 5 gallon. You may be able to find smaller carboys or jugs such as 1 gallon. They are quite expensive and it is possible to find used items at garage sale and local advertisers. If you buy used put them through a deep clean and sanitation cycle

pre-drilled rubber stopper

I use No. 65 stoppers for 1 gal jugs and No. 7 for 5 gal carboys

Auto siphon

These are so useful and help prevent contamination from the mouth siphon method. They make it possible to siphon wine into bottles by yourself and enable a one person operation. The 1/2" acrylic tube fits a 7/16“ (11mm) outer diameter plastic tubing

They come in 15 and 24 inch lengths. The 24” length is important if you plan on using 5 gal carboys. These retail on amazon.ca for around $17 with a small section of tubing thrown in.

Siphon tube - food grade plastic

Embossed print on the tubing indicates the national sanitation foundation code and food grade status. Usually sold by the foot. I use a 6’ tube which is long enough to siphon from a 5 gallon carboy if you are using an auto siphon

NSF-51 is the standard for “Plastic Material and Components used in Food Equipment”, and deals with materials and products used in contact with foods and beverages.” NSF stands for national sanitation foundation

Bottle drying tree and rinser/sanitizer

These are not essential but very useful. Look to find a used one in local advertisers, and garage sales. The rinser/sanitizer sits on top of the tree. You can take it off and use it to sanitize bottles. I find it to be very effective at spraying pre-mixed sanitizer into a bottle and reaching all sides. An alternative to the bottle tree, is a bottle drying tray.

Floor Corker

Wine Bottle Corks

Food Grade Pitcher

I find a 1 gal pitcher useful for transferring wine from a jug in order to de-gas, taste, and back sweeten, prior to bottling

Dry yeast may be sprinkled on top of the must or may be rehydrated in water before addition. I have had success in small batch fermentations, both ways. Rehydrating yeast will provide a higher number of viable cells in relation to the amount of yeast pitched. This becomes important as the size of you batch increase.

The argument for Rehydrating Yeast

Dr. Clayton Cone of Lallemand Brewing suggests the following:

“Every strain of yeast has its own optimum rehydration temperature. All of
them range between 95 F to 105F. Most of them closer to 105F. The dried
yeast cell wall is fragile and it is the first few minutes (possibly
seconds) of rehydration that the warm temperature is critical while it is
reconstituting its cell wall structure.

As you drop the initial temperature of the water from 95 to 85 or 75 or 65F
the yeast leached out more and more of its insides damaging the each cell.
The yeast viability also drops proportionally. At 95 – 105 F, there is
100% recovery of the viable dry yeast. At 60F, there can be as much as 60%
dead cells.

The water should be tap water with the normal amount of hardness present.
The hardness is essential for good recovery. 250 -500 ppm hardness is
ideal. This means that deionized or distilled water should not be used.
Ideally, the warm rehydration water should contain about 0.5 – 1.0% yeast
extract

For the initial few minutes (perhaps seconds) of rehydration, the yeast
cell wall cannot differentiate what passes through the wall. Toxic
materials like sprays, hops, SO2 and sugars in high levels, that the yeast
normally can selectively keep from passing through its cell wall rush right
in and seriously damage the cells. The moment that the cell wall is
properly reconstituted, the yeast can then regulate what goes in and out of
the cell. That is why we hesitate to recommend rehydration in wort or
must. Very dilute wort seems to be OK.

We recommend that the rehydrated yeast be added to the wort within 30
minutes. We have built into each cell a large amount of glycogen and
trihalose that give the yeast a burst of energy to kick off the growth
cycle when it is in the wort. It is quickly used up if the yeast is
rehydrated for more than 30 minutes. There is no damage done here if it is
not immediately add to the wort. You just do not get the added benefit of
that sudden burst of energy. We also recommend that you attemperate the
rehydrated yeast to with in 15F of the wort before adding to the wort.
Warm yeast into a cold wort will cause many of the yeast to produce petite
mutants that will never grow or ferment properly and will cause them to
produce H2S. The attemperation can take place over a very brief period by
adding, in increments, a small amount of the cooler wort to the rehydrated
yeast.

Many times we find that warm water is added to a very cold container that
drops the rehydrating water below the desired temperature.

Sometimes refrigerated, very cold, dry yeast is added directly to the warm
water with out giving it time to come to room temperature. The initial
water entering the cell is then cool.

How do many beer and wine makers have successful fermentations when they
ignore all the above? I believe that it is just a numbers game. Each gram
of Active Dry Yeast contains about 20 billion live yeast cells. If you
slightly damage the cells, they have a remarkable ability to recover in the
rich wort. If you kill 60% of the cell you still have 8 billion cells per
gram that can go on to do the job at a slower rate.

The manufacturer of Active Dry Beer Yeast would be remiss if they offered
rehydration instructions that were less than the very best that their data
indicated.

One very important factor that the distributor and beer maker should keep
in mind is that Active Dry Yeast is dormant or inactive and not inert, so
keep refrigerated at all times. Do not store in a tin roofed warehouse
that becomes an oven or on a window sill that gets equally hot.

Active Dry Yeast looses about 20% of its activity in a year when it is
stored at 75 F and only 4% when refrigerated.

The above overview of rehydration should tell you that there is a very best
way to rehydrate. It should also tell you where you are safe in adapting
the rehydration procedure to fit your clients.”

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