Cleaning and Sanitising Home Brew Equipment

Good cleaning removes residue that can shelter unwanted yeast and bacteria. Sanitising then reduces microorganisms on the already-clean surface. One step does not replace the other, so reliable home brewing normally follows the same order: clean, rinse where directed, sanitise, then drain or use as the product label specifies.

Quick answer

• Visible residue means clean first. A sanitiser cannot work properly through dried yeast, beer stone, grease or other deposits.
• Rinse a cleaner away whenever its label requires it. Cleaner left on equipment can affect the next batch.
• Sanitise fermenters, tubing, spoons, hydrometers, bottles and anything else that will contact cooled wort, must, wash or finished drink.
• Mix fresh solutions at the stated concentration and keep the surface wet or soaking for the full contact time.
• Never mix cleaning or sanitising chemicals. More concentrated does not mean more effective or safer.

Cleaning products: removing residue

Cleaning job	Suitable starting point	Current directions	Important point
General fermenters, bottles and utensils	Mangrove Jack’s Cold Water Cleaner	Follow the pack dilution, contact-time and rinsing directions	A general detergent and deodoriser; sanitise food-contact equipment afterwards
Grainfather systems, pumps and pipework	Grainfather High Performance Cleaner	Use one capful per 10L of hot water above 60°C, then follow the model’s recirculation and rinsing process	Formulated for stainless steel and copper Grainfather components
Used bottles with stubborn deposits	Bottle Washing Powder	Use 25g in 4.5L hot water, then rinse thoroughly	A bottle cleaner, not the final sanitising step
Compatible beer lines and kegs	Beer Line Cleaner	Fully depressurise first; dilute and circulate or soak exactly as the current label directs, then rinse as stated	Never clean pressurised equipment and never combine line cleaner with another chemical

Sanitising products: treating clean equipment

Product	Best suited to	Current directions	Rinsing
Mangrove Jack No Rinse Steriliser	Clean fermenters, utensils, tubing and bottles	Mix and use at the concentration and contact time printed on the pack	No final rinse when used exactly as directed
BrewMaster No Rinse Steriliser	General equipment, with a separate stronger process for beer lines and kegs	General equipment: 30g in 10L warm water for 10 minutes. Beer lines and kegs: 30g in 3L hot water	General method is no-rinse; the stronger beer-line and keg method must be rinsed with clean hot water
Sterilising Detergent	Cleaned compatible bottles and equipment	Use 50ml per 1L water and soak for 15 minutes	Rinse with warm water as directed
BrewMaster Sodium Metabisulphite	Cleaned compatible brewing and distilling equipment	Use 50g in 4.5L warm water and treat for 30 minutes	Rinse with clean cold water as directed
BrewMaster Potassium Metabisulphite	Cleaned wine-making equipment	Use 40g in 4.5L warm water and treat for 30 minutes	Rinse with clean cold water as directed

Sulphite products require good ventilation and careful handling. Avoid inhaling fumes, follow the label-specified protective measures and never mix them with acids or other cleaners. Anyone sensitive to sulphites should take particular care.

A dependable cleaning routine

1. Rinse equipment as soon as practical after use so residue does not dry onto it.
2. Disassemble removable taps, seals, valves and fittings where the equipment instructions allow. Hidden residue is still residue.
3. Wash with a product suitable for the material and use a soft cloth or the correct brush. Avoid scratching plastic fermenters.
4. Rinse away the cleaner completely when directed, then inspect the surface in good light.
5. Prepare fresh sanitising solution accurately and give every food-contact surface the full contact time.
6. Drain, rinse or use immediately according to the sanitiser label. Do not dry a sanitised surface with an ordinary tea towel.

What needs sanitising?

Equipment used before a full boil mainly needs thorough cleaning because the boil supplies a later heat treatment. Once wort has cooled, every surface it touches needs to be properly sanitised. The same applies to wine, cider, mead and spirit washes: sanitise equipment that contacts the liquid after preparation, including fermenters, lids, airlocks, spoons, sampling tools, syphons and bottling equipment.

Bottles, caps and tubing

Bottles should be visibly clean before sanitising. A bottle tree can help them drain without placing the openings on a work surface. Use new or properly prepared caps and closures, and sanitise them only by a method their manufacturer allows. Tubing can retain deposits that are difficult to see; replace tubing that remains stained, carries an odour or cannot be cleaned completely.

Common mistakes

• Trying to sanitise through dirt or dried fermentation residue.
• Guessing the concentration instead of measuring the water and product.
• Shortening the contact time because the surface looks clean.
• Using an abrasive pad that scratches a plastic fermenter and creates places for residue to collect.
• Mixing products or adding extra chemical for a stronger solution.
• Using a no-rinse direction from one product with a different product that requires rinsing.

Build the routine into every brew

Cleaning straight after use makes the next brew day much easier. For process-specific help, see How To Brew A Kit Beer, the Grainfather Brewing Guide and the Wine Making Kit Guide. You can also browse the relevant beer-brewing consumables, all-grain consumables, wine consumables and spirit consumables.