[rbowers]

Fermenting a saison with farmhouse blend that contains Brett- what is the best way to sanitize my gear?  I had it in glass Carboys (primary and now secondary), it has touched a metal SS racking cane with plastic tip, and a short length of tubing.  Can I boil all the small stuff?  I've heard that starsan can sanitize Brett.  If I keg this beer what can I do to sanitize the keg?

[bluesman]

I would use a hot PBW soak overnight then starsan to sanitize the keg. Boiling will definitely kill any bacteria.

[dimik]

Since glass and metal are not porous, you'll have no problem just using starsan and what have you. Boiling small parts will also sterilize them.

Boiling will definitely kill any bacteria.

Hehe, you'd think that, but that's not exactly true. OK it's true as far as brewing goes most of the time, but there is a reason why liquid media are autoclaved, cooled and reautoclaved. I've seen an autoclaved starter sit on the shelf and grow a giant blob about the size of 2 tennis balls after about a month. Rare, but some fungal spores that fly around in the air can survive boiling/autoclaving which actually causes them to germinate. I've only ever seen it twice though.

[hoser]

You really only have to worry about the plastic.  Brett is not a bacteria or a fungus, it is a yeast.  Albeit a little more hardy than sacchromyces, but a yeast nonetheless.  For the glass and stainless steel, a hot PBW soak followed by star san should do the trick.  I would use seperate poppets, tubing, and plastic/rubber for your Brett and non-Brett beers.  Boiling should kill the Brett, but I would just try and keep everything seperate for peace of mind.  Boiling sanitizes, it does not sterilize.  You need pressure AND heat to sterlize, i.e. a pressure cooker.  If you have access to a pressure cooker for the small parts, this would be better than boiling.

[dimik]

Brett is not a bacteria or a fungus, it is a yeast.

Oooooh HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA! Good stuff right there!

[hoser]

Brettanomyces is a genus of yeast in the family Saccharomycetaceae, and is often colloquially referred to as "Brett". The genus name Dekkera is used interchangeably with Brettanomyces, as it describes the teleomorph or spore forming form of the yeast. The cellular morphology of the yeast can vary from ovoid to long "sausage" shaped cells. The yeast is acidogenic and when grown on glucose rich media produce large amounts of acetic acid. Brettanomyces is important to both the brewing and wine industries due to the sensory compounds it produces. The genus was discovered at the Carlsberg brewery in 1904 by N. Hjelte Claussen, who was investigating it as a cause of spoilage in English ales, hence the name. In the wild, it lives on the skins of fruit.

BOOM!

And if you don't believe me, maybe you should ask this guy?:

http://www.brettanomycesproject.com/

[dimik]

Brettano = of Britain
Myces = fungi
Saccharo = sugar
Myces = fungi

Yeast are by very definition fungi. Even Saccharomyces forms ascospores.

[hoser]

You are correct, my bad.  I meant to say they aren't bacteria, but that that yeast are fungi.  I should proof read before I hit post

[dimik]

It's all good. On with more Brett brews!