# Fear sets in...



## Yoshi (Oct 18, 2006)

So... I have everything i need to make my first batch of mead... "and why have you not started yet?" you ask... well. that is where it gets complicated. actually, its not very complicated. I am scared that my first batch is gonna be ruined my unsanitery equipment. ive run through the process several times and found alot of moments in which the batch can be contaminated. i know i am just over reacting... but... i jus dont know. any advise on what can help me get over this lil.... OCD moment?


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## Ben Brewcat (Oct 27, 2004)

One to two glasses of mead







. Seriously though, sanitation _is_ important, but it's also easily addressed and easily over-worried about. What are you using to sanitize? Two ounces of unscented household bleach in five gallons is perfectly adequate. Have you read the Introduction to Meadmaking? It has info on sanitizing. For the anal (I'm in this camp) remember the rule: you can't sanitize dirt. If the vessel or equipment is 1) physically clean (no residues), it'll be easy to 2) effectively sanitize. If you're really fired up, wipe your counter down with a bleach rag. It'll help your peace of mind more than your mead, but this is all about being able to enjoy the process. With all my medical and biology background, I still put my totem of Bryggeman (Norwegian spirit who, properly invited, visited ancient beers to "awaken" them with fermentation way before yeast were understood) on the counter to guard against the forces of evil. He's fiercely protecting my starter right now for today's dry stout brew.

When I was beginning, this served me well: every time something was going to touch my beverage, I'd think "did I sanitize this, and have my cats sneezed on it since then?". Really if you do a quick check you'll be fine. Pouring into the fermenter: Are the fermenter and the funnel sanitized and rinsed? Putting on the airlock: stopper, airlock sanitized and rinsed? Stirring: spoon?

Really, with basic attention to it and a good quality yeast (which, once it gets going, will outcompete minor infractions. This isn't Ebola afer all  ) will get you 99% of where you're going sanitation-wise.

Charlie said it best: "Relax, don't worry, have a homebrew". Storebought can be substituted for that very first batch, though it may take a couple extra to obtain full worry-relief







.


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## Ben Brewcat (Oct 27, 2004)

Just so folks can appreciate the power of Bryggeman (or the dork quotient of his subject, as my wife would say), I took a pic:
http://i9.photobucket.com/albums/a60/Brewcat/Picture005.jpg 

He was a present from my wife years ago from her trip to Hawaii, and has served me well  .

That's my starter vessel with aeration underway. For 10 gallons of beer, I use two quarts of canned, sterilized wort aerated overnight and until pitching time. That's a spray bottle of Star San, my sanitizer of choice, for keeping the fear at bay (it's not more effective than other products, but it doesn't require rinsing, won't ruin clothes, degrades readily in the environment and is safe enough to drink. Great stuff).

Anyway, do whatever you need to to keep the heebie-jeebies at bay. With reasonable care to sanitation, worries really don't have to be entertained.


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## Hillside (Jul 12, 2004)

I used to make beer, wine, and hard cidar on a routine basis although I haven't done much in the past ten years. I never had a batch that went bad because of poor sanitation. As a matter of fact, other than an unfortunate misreading of the amount of hops to put in a batch of IPA, I don't rememeber ever having a batch that was truely bad. Some were better than others, but only the rocket fuel IPA was really bad.


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## PA Pete (Feb 2, 2005)

Been making beer for about 15 years, though not as much lately (looking forward to being able to make a mead







) Never had a sanitization problem. Sanitize well as Ben suggests. The other thing I always do is boil my hoses, chiller and other "stuff" (rubber stoppers, etc.) before use and keep my hoses/stoppers boiling in a separate pot until used. 

Two mishaps I had:

1. Exploding bottles when I miscalculated the conversion of sugar to honey
2. Blueberry beer and debris on the (rented apartment's) laundry room ceiling when the hose I was using for offgassing got clogged and spewed explosively upward (landlord was not amused)


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## Aspera (Aug 1, 2005)

Its really hard to contaminate mead, especially if you use a large innoculation of a rapidly fermenting yeast. I've even made uncontaminated meads by pouring warm honey into 100 degree (previously boiled) water and adding yeast. This was done with no sulfites,or pasteurization of honey. Just make sure that your carboy is physically clean before you sanitize it. If you are really worried, you can double the amount of yeast. If you are pitching a dry yeast into the honey/water, it is not even necessary to rehydrate it (NEVER pitch at over 105 F).

Honey+potable water = mead

Its much easier than brewing beer or making fruit wines. Yeast strains that rapidly produce antibacterial factors (like sulfite, alcohol) include PDM, Epernay 1 or 2, Lalvin 1118, Lalvin 1116, most lager yeasts.

[ November 04, 2006, 03:10 PM: Message edited by: Aspera ]


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