Making your own home-brewed beer is a hobby that can be enjoyed while making the beer and long after it is bottled. Storing the equipment can sometimes be an issue – where do you keep all of that stuff when you aren't using it? Renting a storage unit and properly preparing your equipment will help you to keep it all in great shape, out of the way, and making great tasting beer for years to come. Here, you will learn a few tips that can help.
Wash, Rinse, and Sanitize the Equipment
Storing equipment that is dirty and not sanitized will result in a smelly storage space and terrible tasting beer. Spend a little money on a canister of PBW cleaner. This cleaner is the most effective in removing the residue with the least amount of elbow-grease. Simply follow the instructions to mix the cleaner with very hot water, soak the equipment, and let the cleaner do most of the work. Of course, you will have some scrubbing to do, but much less than if you were to try to clean everything with nothing more than liquid dish soap. Once you have everything clean, rinse it well.
Now that it is all clean, it's time to sanitize it. Every element that comes into contact with the beer that you are brewing must be sanitized to remove the bacteria that would taint the taste of your next batch of beer. Purchase a canister of One Step powder. Mix it with water, following the instructions on the label. This is a quick 5-minute sanitation product that doesn't require additional rinsing.
Choose a Storage Unit
Not every storage facility will permit the storage of bottled beer, but if you are only storing the brewing equipment, you will not have any problems finding one to house your equipment. If you plan to store bottled beer in the unit, contact various storage facilities in your area and compare the rates of those that permit the storage of brewed products.
The best storage unit for your equipment and brewed beer is a climate-controlled unit. This will reduce the chance of the batch getting ruined and the equipment damaged by high levels of humidity and extreme temperatures.
Store the Equipment and Beer
As you put all of your stuff in the storage unit, try to keep things organized. Put the things that you will need soonest in last so that you can quickly grab it and go.
If you are storing multiple cases of beer, a shelving unit will be helpful in making sure that a stack of boxed bottled beer doesn't topple over, smash, and explode throughout the unit.
Utilizing a storage unit will do two things – keep things organized for you and make it possible to brew more beer to have ready when you want to indulge.
For more information about storage, contact a company like North Star Mini Storage.
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