Sterilizing - Options

[Cheese Head]

So far I've been using soap and water and rinsing for my cleaning of equipment. Not the greatest and from my beer and wine making days, I used to use a better cleaner. So when ordering my Cheese Cave freezer thermostat, I also ordered a cleaner from www.NorthernBrewer.com. They have several sanitizer products, I chose a dry one packaged by LD Carlson called One Step or 1 Step for USD3 for 8 ounces/225 grams.

What are others using and how are they cleaning and what are their success/problems/thoughts?

[DaggerDoggie]

Lately I've been using a diluted bleach solution after washing with soap and water.  Before I start making cheese, I boil water in the pot for about ten minutes and put anything that will stand the heat in there with it.

[reg]

ditto DD

[velward]

I use a commercial dairy cleaner and sanitizer for my stainless steel. It really cuts the milk film that can accumulate. Hoeggers Supply, Caprine Supply both carry them.

[DaggerDoggie]

As a kid I grew up on a farm, that was over thirty years ago, so things have changed, but we used a cleaner to get off milk residue that would build up on the stainless.  There would be this blue hue on the stainless that was hard to scrub off, but the cleaner we used would take it right off.  It would also dry out your hands.  We still had to use Clorox for final sanitation.

I may have to look into this stuff that Velward mentions if I have problems.  In New York State, however, you still have to use diluted chlorine as a final sanitizer.  It's the only thing they will accept.  I'm not sure if there is scientific basis for that or that government regulations are slow to change.

[Tea]

Some of the chemical in sanitisers can also keep of the cultures that we use in the cheeses, so be careful that they are washed clean from any residue.

What is perfert, and doesn't affect the cultures in Milton, which is what is used to sanitise baby bottles.  It can be bought (well here anyway) at the local supermarket in the baby aisle, is cheap and easily accessible.

HTH

[Chuck E.Cheese]

I usually use rubbing alcohol and a paper towel for small things like a thermometer, and use cheap vodka in a spray bottle for larger things and just let it evaporate. 

[Cheese Head]

Well I'd have never thought of vodka in an atomizer spray bottle, guess that's a good idea, but I normally drink cheap vodka! I'll have to tell my wife I'm cleaning out the inside.

Now a few months I heard of a UK company that made spirits spray, I think you sprayed it in your mouth and it was absorbed much faster, instant hit!

[Herb N Cheddr]

I've used bleach diluted in water but really like a sanitizer called Star San from Five Star.  It's a no rinse product and can be reused so I store the made up sani solution in plastic milk jugs and use these as weights for some of my cheese.

Made in the US, Star San is available in Canada from a number of brewer supply houses.  I purchased mine from Homebrewers Retail in Halifax. 

  Only downside is that we seem to only get the 8 oz. bottles in Canada but you can get 32 oz. in the US.