[tomas77]

I was curious how sanitary a person has to be while handling any and all brewing equipment.  I am constantly dipping and redipping all items including my hands and the rubber gloves I wear often.  Is this excessive?  I always see videos of people just rinsing thier items in sanitation once then placing the piece into a carboy or keg after handling it.  What's the best practice?  Thanks.

[bluesman]

Everything that comes in contact with the wort or the beer should be clean and sanitized after the boil kettle. Anything before the boil kettle should be clean but doesn't have to be sanitized. I think a sound approach to  this is very important. Good sanitization practice is a good insurance policy.

[tomas77]

I agree and that's what I do but once an item is rinsed in sanitizer can you just handle it.  Is rinsing my hand in sanitizer enough?

[Kaiser]

Technically, you can’t overdo sanitation. I think it may even be the only thing in brewing that you can’t overdo. But experience will teach you how compulsive you have to be about sanitation. I like having a bucket and a spray bottle of StarSan around to quickly sanitize items.

Another important sanitary practice is to keep cooled wort and beer covered as much as possible. Contaminants can’t “crawl in” (unless carried by insects) but they are on dust that can fall into the wort/beer.

In addition to that, minimize handling of the wort/beer.

Kai

[tygo]

I think I'm probably over-paranoid about sanitation sometimes but I plan to stay that way.  I'd rather spend a little extra effort on sanitizing stuff than infect a five gallon batch.

The instructions on starsan, for example, say the surface needs to be wet for 1 minute.  I guess if you rinse and let it sit it will still be wet after a minute.  Me, I like to soak things for at least a couple of minutes, usually more like 10.

Rubber gloves probably aren't necessary but keeping around a spray bottle filled with starsan is a good best practice that a lot of people employ.

[BrewArk]

I agree and that's what I do but once an item is rinsed in sanitizer can you just handle it.  Is rinsing my hand in sanitizer enough?

Anything you touch w/your hand isn't sanitized.  You need to hold what ever it is somewhere that isn't going to contact the beer.  So - any tubing has to be handled downstream from where it will touch the beer - the racking cane from the top - the bottles from the outside - the hydrometer from the very tip top etc.

I like your idea of gloves,  once they are sanitary they should be good until they come in contact w/something you touch.

[Kaiser]

When racking, I hold the end of the sanitized tubing between two fingers as I start the siphon with the turkey baster. I know that that is not ideal but other options seem too much hassle for me and I’m fine with assuming the risk which I feel is pretty low. You’re likely to get many more contaminants from repitched yeast than from that practice. I keep meaning to pick up some fragrance and lotion free hand sanitizer if they sell that. Having that around in the cellar would help.

Kai

[tygo]

I keep meaning to pick up some fragrance and lotion free hand sanitizer if they sell that. Having that around in the cellar would help.

Kai

That's a good idea.  I just usually give my hands a good soak in starsan but that would be easier.

[BrewArk]

...some fragrance and lotion free hand sanitizer

aka denatured ethanol.