"Derric" <derric1961@removethis.yahoo.com> wrote in message
news:slrnbrn5ak.fst.derric1961@bhm29.hiwaay.net...[color=blue][color=green]
> > What is necessary to clean old bottles, fermenting jugs, etc? To they[/color][/color]
have[color=blue][color=green]
> > to be boiled like canning jars? I heard that cleanliness is very[/color][/color]
important[color=blue][color=green]
> > in brewing. Can the bottles be washed in the sink with a bottle brush?[/color]
>
> First, go check out [url]http://www.howtobrew.com/[/url] - it will address everything
> in plenty of detail.
>
> Bottom line, clean everything completely with regular soap and water and
> rinse. You'll then need to "sanitize" anything that will contact the
> beer after your boil. You can mix up a sanitizing solution from bleach
> or you can buy other substances made just for that purpose. You then
> soak your bottles, fermenting bucket, etc., in the sanitizing solution
> for as long as is appropriate (5, 10, 20 minutes, etc). Some solutions
> are no-rinse and others need to be rinsed (bleach-water usually needs
> to be rinsed). Rinsing with normal tapwater is usually OK assuming
> that your tapwater is normal, treated city type water.
>
> (BTW, I use (plain, unscented) bleach and I mix a "couple glugs" into
> about 4 gallons of water in my fermenting bucket and let things sit
> about 10+ minutes).
>
> Relax, don't worry, have a homebrew! (RDWHAHB) Have fun!
>[/color]

Thanks, I will check out the link. When I googled brewing all I could find
were sites that wanted to sell me stuff.