I have a auto siphon that I’ve managed to keep only for clean beer. Used it today to transfer a tricky wild ale. Idk if I am being paranoid, but thought of putting the autosiphon in dishwasher after a PBW soak and rinse. Would do “sanitize” option and heated dry on dishwasher. Thinking the heat from the steam would do a solid job with killing any residual Wild yeast left behind. Thoughts?
P.S. I’ve never had any cross contamination’s before after a few years of wild ale brewing. But am going to be bottling up some big clean beers soon for aging and don’t want any cross contamination. Dishwasher versus new autosiphon?
I feel like an auto-siphon isn't dishwasher safe; especially during a steam cycle in your dishwasher. There are two options I would look at: 1) Bleach. After a PBW soak, you're probably OK unless you let the beer in the siphon sit and dry up for a long time, but if there is enough contaminant left behind afterwards, bleach will clear it up. Just make sure you rinse it really well and sanitize it with something else (i.e. StarSan) before you use it next. 2) Just get a second auto-siphon. Keep that one dedicated for sours / wild ales, and get a second for clean beers; it's not like they're uber expensive. Personally, I do option #2, and I have two separate spigots for my bottling bucket just to be sure.
Your autosiphon will be destroyed. I had the same idea once. The hard plastic was full of cracks after I was done. Just buy a new one.
Second auto siphon and new tubing it is! Also, have a counter pressure filler that I am having same debate with. Not wanting to get a 2nd due to the price. Because of the Stainless construction, I am thinking I can take it apart and do a near boiling water soak (after PBW scrub and rinse). Thoughts?
The plastic will be completely useless to you after the dishwasher is done with it. You'd be better off soaking it in bleach water. If you can take it apart also means there's a way for something infectious or capable of providing off flavors to take up residence. Boil it. Bleach it. It's in the small parts that you have to take apart to get at where a lot of beer goes and dies.
I would also imagine that hot water would weaken the tube and ruin seal when pumping. Always keep 2 around.
I'd give the dishwasher a try, and if it fails, I'd buy myself a nearly indestructible stainless steel racking cane.
I recommend that you just clean and sanitize as you normally would. Clean is clean. Sanitized is sanitized. It shouldn't matter what kind of beer it was used for. Works for me.
Yeah I agree. I’ve never had cross contamination. But I’ll be damned if my first cross contamination is going to be a 14% Barrel Aged Barleywine that ages an additional 4-6 months on cognac oak cubes. Too much work & money to take chances.
