Hey everyone! Just opened an account 5 minutes because I need help before my dad and I brew our first batch tomorrow. I have a one gallon kit with a glass fermenter. I bought PBW so that I can clean everything before I sanitize it tomorrow. I am just confused on the instructions and don’t want my first batch to go bad because of improper cleaning. How do I clean the kettle, fermenter and the other plastic pieces I will be using tomorrow? Also, how do I clean the beer bottles before I sanitize them. Thanks everyone for the help. I am very excited and have been looking forward to this day!
If everything is starting out clean then don’t waste the pbw until you are cleaning after the fermentation. If it looks clean odds are you only need to sanitize with star San or something comparable. But to mix it up there should be dilution rates on the package. You just mix the amount of pbw in the amount of water and let the equipment soak. After everything is clean I usually wipe down with a sponge and rinse well. Good luck
Thanks. I had asked Northern Brewer and they said I needed to wash it before I started to remove and dust. If I did decide to use the PBW before tomorrow, do I use warm water to soak and rinse or do I need to use water between 100 to 160? Thanks!
I just use the hot water or of my faucet. A good rinse will take care of the dust though
Thanks for the advice. I have not handled another of my equipment yet either to cut down and any junk getting on it. I will just rinse off everything a few times and then sanitize it as well. A few more questions since you are being so helpful? What about bottles? I will be using 24 brand new bottles my first time. Also, should I clean my brew kettle with the PBW the first time or just a good rinse and use the PBW after I cook the wort?
I would just rinse all the new stuff. As long as there is nothing stuck on there, you will be fine. The idea of cleaning before sanitizing is to remove anything bacteria or the wrong yeast could hide in. You do not want to use soap on the brew equipment. PBW is great for cleaning up all the organic material left after fermentation so save it for that.
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Your boil kettle doesn’t need to be sanitized, just anything that comes into contact with the wort after it’s cooled… Carboy, bung stopper, airlock, hoses for transferring, funnels… etc. anything before cooling just needs to be good clean.
The kit with the carboy or the “Go Pro” kit (Little Big Mouth Bubbler®)?
If it’s the “Go Pro” kit, you don’t need to siphon into the “bubbler”, when the wort has been cooled just pour it from the kettle into the sanitized fermenter. One less thing (siphon) to sanitize 
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Only cooled wort can be poured into a fermentor no matter what it is made from. A plastic fermentor may be able to handle up to 140°F before becoming misshapen but glass will be stressed. Stressed glass may shatter/crack immediately or during the next fermentation.
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Welcome to the forum, hope to hear from you more as you learn about our hobbie.
Because all your gear is new. Just a quick rinse. With starsan. Later on start using the pwb powder. I use it for cleaning. After a day of brewing. Bottle wise. Let them soak in bleach. Rinse fresh water. Than soak them in starsan. Final rinse. Use a bottle jet sprayer. Once clean cover bottle neck with alu foil. Any have fun. Cheers
If it’s a brand new stainless kettle I would wash it with something, even just dish soap for lack of anything else. Just to get anything from the manufacturing of it off. Especially if it came from China. It sure can’t hurt. After the first use then clean after use and sanitize before next use. Since the kettle would have some of whatever you choose to clean it inside, why not clean everything else. Who knows where the stuff was sitting before packaging.
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