Spring Cleaning your Equipment
What is it about spring that tells us that it is time to go into a frenzy and clean the house? Perhaps you should consider adding your wine making equipment to that list of spring cleaning things to do this month.
During the wine making procedure an organic film can actually build up on the surface of your equipment, especially your primaries and carboys. It is recommended that you clean your primaries and carboys every 10 batches to prevent excessive build up. We suggest rather than remembering when you have reached 10 batches that you clean your wine making vessels once a year.
What is the best way to remove this film? Pour ¼ cup of Chlorinated cleaner into each primary and carboys. Fill these vessels with lukewarm water and stir the cleaner into solution using your spoon. Remember never fill your carboy with hot water in order to avoid potential cracking. Leave the vessels to soak for 2-3 days.
There is no need for scrubbing as the solution will remove the film. You will be surprised on how sparkling clean your wine making vessels are after the soaking. If lifting a filled carboy or primary is too much, you can fill the vessels on a workbench or countertop and when it comes time to empty you can use a siphon to drain the carboy or primary.