Hi,
All I use for sterilising is Milton liquid.
If its good enough for a baby I reckon its ok for wine. I use it on all equipment before useing and afterwards just to make sure. Also I fill any demijohns after use with milton and store them full. When storeing I remove the bubble trap and wrap the bung with clingfilm and insert into the demijohn with the liquid about 20mm from the bottom of the bung. I find this method works for me and hope it helps.
Kind regards,
Dave C.
at the moment i am using bleach, tesco's value 28p for two litres.
i find the cheap thin stuff easy to rise off and will clean anything. although after cleaning need to soak agian to sterilise.
I use soda crystals to clean, bag cost 51p and last for ages and thin bleach morrisons value 15p to sterelise, no need to buy expensive cleaners like vwp as this is just powdered bleach.
hmmm... lets say you don't even need to be a biochemist to work this out. It is a powdered bleach - or 'hypochlorite solution' when added to water as they would say (same thing ).
I never questioned it before. I think I will just use bleach in future
I think it is not essential to fill up fermenter to the top with cleaning solution unless you haven't used it recently - I swish bleach solution around and leave overnight with it only a few inches off the bottom. Basically, I can still smell my previous wine otherwise. This seems to do the trick. Just clean out your stuff after you use it and don't be lazy, thats what I think - otherwise you are leaving stuff to breed and fermenter will get disgusting.
When I swish around though, I pour some bleach solution out and rotate the container as I do it so that I get the bleach on every internal part possible. Just remember - microorganisms cant live in bleach, if you expose every bit to it it should do.
AND RINSE THOROUGHLY!!! bleach is not very good for the system
Lets say my friend at the lab I work got bleach on his hands once and came out in blisters. Hmph. why didn't he wear gloves you may wonder.
agreed although i only leave bleach in over night for plastics and glass, never metals as it can damage them. i have heard of horror stories about people that have left bleach in cornies form ages to find it has eatin into them badly.
All I use is Milton. I pt approx a teaspoon full in every bottle and let it stand for about half an hour. If its good enough for babies bottles I assume its ok for my wine.
Dave C.
by DAVE C » 28 Aug 2007, 08:25 
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