hookset wrote:A whole new language to me, I hope i pitch better than the phillies! What is pitching?
You 'pitch' your yeast into the wort. Pitching yeast is adding the yeast to begin fermentation. Pitching rate is how many cells or mL of yeast slurry you add to a given volume of wort.
hookset wrote:]I figured the sanitizer would sanitize the sink too, I will get another bucked and dedicate it to sanitizing. Thanks
Your kitchen is the most unsanitary room in your house bar none. (Yes, even the bathroom) Just by sanitizing the surfaces, you don't rid the air of all the microscopic organisms floating around. You should also note, you can not sanitize what is not clean. If you just pulled the dishes out of the sink & filled it up with sanitizer, you did not, in fact, sanitize your sink at all. Cleaning is vitally important. Sanitizing properly after you clean is also vitally important.
hookset wrote:I will dry them inverted, do you sanitize the surface the bottles are inverted on too?
Clean & sanitize everything that comes into contact with your wort & beer on the cold side. 'Cold side' means everything after the boil has been completed. You clean & sanitize the fermenter, whatever comes in contact with the wort going to the fermenter, the bottles, anything that touches the bottles and anything that looks at the bottles in a stern manner.
hookset wrote:Man, I didn't check my post for 24 hours and it is amazing how much information showed up. Fantastic info, thanks!!!
That's what we're here for, a bunch of
's with hundreds of years combined experience, making the world a happier place 1 pint at a time. Except for Spidey, which tends to be 3 pints at a time (don't ask where he holds the 3rd one. You don't want to know, trust me)
Head over to one of the BN's fine sponsors, such as Northern Brewer or More Beer & pick up a jar of PBW (Powdered Brewer's Wash). It's an excellent cleaner. There's no such thing as a 1-step product, even though there are some that claim to be. On a side note, what kind of tubing are you using?