Glass Carboy stopper slips when wet

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firstbrew
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Glass Carboy stopper slips when wet

Post by firstbrew »

I have been having an issue that when first racked to 2nd carboy I clean my
stopper with airlock in a no-rinse sol. but when i plug it in, the things slips around and
pushes up outta the carboy until it is dry, i really dont want to dry it with any thing, cause of the risk
of infection, any ideas ? thanks FB
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Push Eject
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Dry it - we won't tell

Post by Push Eject »

Grab a fresh paper towel off the roll. The insides of those things are actually pretty clean. Wipe your bung and stopper and you're in business.
Cheers!
Azorean Brewer
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Yup, put a paper towel to it ...

Post by Azorean Brewer »

By the time you rack there's enough alcohol in there to kill marginal bacteria, fresh paper towels will do the trick, if you heard stories that my grand mother told about brewing during the prohibition in an open crock on the back porch and how the "men" just loved that home brew, she probably didn't even know what sterile meant LOL ... you'll be ok ... I'll bet there is more bacteria in dry hopping than on that towel ...
andytv
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Non-Sterile Towels

Post by andytv »

In practice, I agree with the other responses. Even the most stringent sanitation practices do not produce a sterile homebrew environment. It just can't happen in your kitchen and most of us don't have access to a clean-room. What I'm saying is that often you nered to make a judgement call regarding the extent of your sanitization practices.

This being said, I technically disagree with using paper towels to wipe the mouth & stopper. When I am brewing, etc, I like to clean a stainless or plastic tray with a santizing solution or/boiling water. When I am looking for a place to set a clean spoon or something, I can put it here w/o much worry, you could dry your stopper on the tray. Keeping the tray close to a heat source is a good idea, as fluid (i.e. air) generally moves from hot to cold. The chance of airborne bacteria moving from a cold area to a hot area is less likely. To dry the carboy mouth, play a torch over it a few times (don't overheat). These are only some ideas for you to consider as you develop your own santiation practices. Good luck
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Mesa Maltworks
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Sanitizing Paper Towels for Wipedowns

Post by Mesa Maltworks »

You can soak paper towels in 70% isopropyl alcohol (ethanol is even better) for 3~5 minutes to adequately sanitize them for wipedown useage. An added benefit is that the remaining alcohol is a better solvent for cleaning items than soaps and other detergents and will remove virtually any surface accumulations fairly quickly with minimal scrubbing. You do, however, have to use a good quality paper towel for it to stand up to the soaking because in the cheaper towels, the alcohol can dissolve the binders and turn the towel into a useless lump, or worse, back into the fibers from which it was made !
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