[taxcontrol]

Ok folks, time for the monthly Brewers and Vintner’s forum topic.

Related side question: How do you dry your equipment after sterilization? And how long does it sit before you use the equipment?

[onona]

I air dry it. no touching with cloth or anything. Set it out on clean towels. And I use it right away.

After use is just general cleaning. Sterilization is always just before the brewing.

[markomalley]

How do you dry your equipment after sterilization? And how long does it sit before you use the equipment?

Personally, I don't bother with sterilization, I just sanitize the equipment. That's it.

95% of the time, I use Star San. (I will use Iodophor when I bottle, but that's it)

With Star San, there is one basic, fundamental principle: don't fear the foam. Therefore, I will sanitize immediately before I use the item and go from there. On a brew / rack / keg day, I will keep a spare bucket with Star San in it to hold the utensils and hoses.

If I think of it, on my next brew / rack / keg day, I'll post a pic of the worm of Star San bubbles coming out the top of a carboy or a keg.

There is one thing I would point out, though: I generally use a bucket for primary fermentation. You should be sure to pull the o-ring out of the lid of the bucket and soak that separately as part of the cleaning/sanitization process. Then re-install the o-ring after both it and the lid have been sanitized. That way you can get any nasties that may have crept around the o-ring during the last primary fermentation.

[kitchen]

Drip and air dry in a Fast Rack.

The whole process, and it starts with a recently emptied wine bottle, is like this:
1) Rinse and refill with water and let sit over night. Empty and store upside down. 2) Day before bottling, select the bottles needed for the current batch, usually 18 - 750 ml and 6 - 1.5 l to equal the 6 gallons.
3) Soak and scrub in a hot mix of Dawn and oxy-clean. Any recalcitrant labels get attention from a stainless steel sponge.
4) Rinse in hot water and then soak in hot C-Brite solution.
5) Double rinse in hot water and drip/air dry in Fast Rack.

Equipment gets the same treatment except I just seal the conical and store the small stuff in a sanitized and sealed container. Everything is handled with powder free exam gloves. I don't sanitize the corks and have not had an issue yet.