Cleaning

[Cain Harland]

I have never "cleaned" any of my brew gear with Nappy San or any other type of cleaner even used kegs (I may have just got lucky getting clean ones). Every thing seems to clean up alright with a soak and maybe a little scrub after use, then the stuff that gets hot or contacts the beer before boil gets a quick rinse before use and the fermenter kegs etc get a little soak with iodophore and with the kegs push it out with CO2 to sanitise the beer line and leave a CO2 blanket in the keg . It all seems to work fine but I have been wondering am I missing something? and setting myself up for a problems by not cleaning?

[Dave]

My brewing gear gets a cold water rinse as soon as it's used, then I fill the brew pot with cold water and dishwashing liquid and give it all a wash and rinse before putting away.

Fermentation gear usually gets a warm water rinse and wash with a cloth (no detergent). Every few uses I mix up some sodium percarbonate filling the fermenter and leave overnight.
I sterilise with sodium percarbonate before use.

Like you, I never used nappysan, bleach or any other cleaning products.

Kegs, once finished I often leave them with the dregs for a week or two until I'm brewing again. Since they are full of CO2 I figure bugs can't grow. Once again s warm water rinse and then sterilise before use.

The only product I have other than sodium percarbonate is starsan, mixed up in a spray bottle, used for leak checking the kegs and the odd bit of spot sanitising.

Not the 'recommended' way to do things, but works for me!

[Des Ross]

FWIW the active ingredient of Nappy San and similar cleaning products is actually Sodium Percarbonate...ranging in concentration from 25-33%. As long as it is unscented, it works extremely well as a cleaner..go for the product with the highest concentration.

[Dave]

Laughing at myself here - I remembered that just after the edit time had expired! I guess in relation to the original question, I only usually sanitise with it. Only every now and again I soak the fermenter overnight.