Hoses, buckets, spoons, bottles, caps, airlocks, rubber corks, strainers, etc. all must be sanitized with either a bleach/water solution or other sanitizing solution. Do Not mix bleach with any other cleaner. If anything touches the beer, other than your lips after opening an aged bottle, it must be sanitized. The brew kettle and mash liquid will be boiled, however, upon cooling, the wort can easily become contaminated. The key is, if you are in doubt, sanitize! After sanitizing, wash equipment with clean water before introducing beer.

Bottles should be scrubbed with a bottle scrubber prior to being sanitized as should carboys. If any soap is used use only low sudsing detergents and wash extra thoroughly, as any residue will destroy the head of a beer and possibly adversely effect the taste of the beer. Use only soft sponges to clean buckets as they may be scratched. Hot water and bleach can help clean dirty buckets.Metal strainers may be impossible to sanitize and must be boiled. Sulfite is not a sanitizer. It is a bacterial inhibitor and should not be used.

Bleach:

To effectively sanitize use 2 oz. Bleach (non-scented) per five gallons water and allow 10 min. contact time. After using WASH THOROUGHLY

Iodophur:

Use 1 tablespoon of Iodophur into 5 gallons of room temperature water. Soak for 2-3 minutes and then air dry. No rinsing is necessary.

AVOID BACTERIA AND STRANGE BREWS AND BE SURE TO SANITIZE!