Testing For Cleanliness.(Methods)
Posted: Mon Jun 01, 2009 9:41 pm
At our most recent meeting,some topics went on about cleaning,cleaners,sanitizing and sanitizers.I always believe that I do a SUPER GOOD JOB of cleaning my carboys after draining them of their contents(beer & that 
).But I always double check them(well...most the time)before refiling them with something that I have worked very hard upon in ways of days and weeks of planning,researching,formulating and,lastly,brewing for the better part of my day off.My favorite method is to clean&scrub then soak with a good surfactant(whatever's on hand,but prefer PBW)and scrub some more prior to leaving to soak.After emptying the surfactant,I usually save it,I rinse thoroughly,let the jug drip dry and then fill it with warm water(about 100 deg F,or so).(I posted on a vapor method a while back,which could be used to see if you need this process),then add about a pint of white vinegar(less may work),some baking soda and then I watch the bubbles.
The bubbles will lag on any imperfections on the inside of the glass.While the vinegar and soda are still active I use my brush to scrub these areas(usually right around the kruasen line).Then I give it a good stir and watch again,repeating until clean and no more streaks.If that doesn't work then I may need to re introduce the saved surfactant and test again but usually not.When all the residue is gone the bubble pattern on the inside of the glass will be even.If the bubbling stops just add more vinegar & soda.
This may help some beginners move along to better cleaning and sanitizing practices.When it comes to cleaning and sanitizing,I agree with our speaker 100%.Absolutely clean is damn near sanitized already.Then all you need to do is take that next step towards preparedness and use a good antiseptic/sanitizer and it's hard to go wrong.
Try it,you may be surprised.And thank you for reading such a long posting.
