New Brewer "silly" questions

[TheProdigyCode]

Hello to everyone. This is my first post and i want to congratulate everyone here for the good work and help you provide to us. So,to start with, i am a total newbie to homebrew and i downloaded @Sampei brewing list in order to start my journey. Ive already read many things and i will start very easy just brewing Test E small batch like 100-200 ml. I want to ask some questions and i hope i get some answers or get citations in the forum so i can have everything planned before i start.I want to apologise if i ask something that has been asked before but i cant find the exact answers i seek on search

So my questions are:

1)For Test E and a concentration of 250mg/ml , is absolutely necessary to use BB(mixed opinions on this)? BA concentration as far as i read will be ok at 1%,is there any specific reason to go over 1%,probably in a bigger batch or higher concentration?

2)Is there any guide for sterilization before brewing? I read that we can use a mix of 3% chlorine,isopropyl alcohol and then soap with water. Anything else besides that? What parts need to be sterilized before brew? Everything? like the space we work,beakers,pipettes,glass rods etc?

3)What items should be put in a pressure cooker and i do this after i sterilize them with the above mentioned liquids?

4)Do i have to source USP,EU-ph grade oils? I read that filtration cannot catch heavy metals,endotoxins etc? Is this true? What's your opinion of the safer oil to use? Too many options MCT,GSO,Sesame castor oil etc

5)Can i dry everything on a regular oven or even on a big air fryer(it has drying mode)?

Thanks for reading and again i am sorry if these questions are stupid,i dont want to waste anyones times. If answers exists on forum please just give me the links to read. Have a nice day!

 

[Walter Hype]

Hello to everyone. This is my first post and i want to congratulate everyone here for the good work and help you provide to us. So,to start with, i am a total newbie to homebrew and i downloaded @Sampei brewing list in order to start my journey. Ive already read many things and i will start very easy just brewing Test E small batch like 100-200 ml. I want to ask some questions and i hope i get some answers or get citations in the forum so i can have everything planned before i start.I want to apologise if i ask something that has been asked before but i cant find the exact answers i seek on search

So my questions are:

1)For Test E and a concentration of 250mg/ml , is absolutely necessary to use BB(mixed opinions on this)? BA concentration as far as i read will be ok at 1%,is there any specific reason to go over 1%,probably in a bigger batch or higher concentration?

2)Is there any guide for sterilization before brewing? I read that we can use a mix of 3% chlorine,isopropyl alcohol and then soap with water. Anything else besides that? What parts need to be sterilized before brew? Everything? like the space we work,beakers,pipettes,glass rods etc?

3)What items should be put in a pressure cooker and i do this after i sterilize them with the above mentioned liquids?

4)Do i have to source USP,EU-ph grade oils? I read that filtration cannot catch heavy metals,endotoxins etc? Is this true? What's your opinion of the safer oil to use? Too many options MCT,GSO,Sesame castor oil etc

5)Can i dry everything on a regular oven or even on a big air fryer(it has drying mode)?

Thanks for reading and again i am sorry if these questions are stupid,i dont want to waste anyones times. If answers exists on forum please just give me the links to read. Have a nice day!

Some of what you’re doing is fine, but here’s how I handle things if you really want to keep your process clean and sterile.


First off, skip the chemicals. They’re not going to get you true sterility and can leave behind stuff you don’t want in your gear. Focus on heat and steam ... those are what actually work

A cheap autoclave off eBay can take you a long way; you just need one that hits around 15 psi. That’ll give you the right pressure and temperature to kill everything off for most items, especially plastics or rubber that can’t handle high dry heat.

For glass, never just spray it down or wipe it with alcohol —..that’s not enough. Bake it. Put your vials, bottles (without caps), whatever glass stuff you’re using, in a clean oven at at least 500°F for about an hour. Before baking, wrap the openings tightly with foil and crimp it down. That way, when it cools off, you’ve basically got your sterile glass ready to go.

Don’t uncap it or pull that foil off until you’re about to use it. This isn’t great for storage, but perfect for day-of use.

For long-term or reusable stuff, autoclave and store it sealed. Just make sure it’s fully dry first
. moisture messes with sterility over time.

I also recommend getting a UV/ozone sterilization box. It’s great for keeping tools, syringes, etc., clean between sessions. It’s not a replacement for proper sterilization, but it helps keep surfaces and air in the box low in contamination if you run it daily and keep it closed. I use mine as kind of a “holding zone” for sterile stuff before brewing.

And yeah
. wear gloves and a mask. Don’t breathe over your gear or workspace. That’s one of the easiest ways to mess up your sterility without realizing it.

A still air box (one of those plastic mushroom grow boxes on Amazon) is also worth having. Keep it spotless. Before every use, spray it down with 70% alcohol, really soak it, and let it sit for a few minutes. Do that every single time. It’ll save you from a lot of headaches.

And lastly .

don’t buy into the myth that benzyl alcohol sterilizes anything. It doesn’t. It’s bacteriostatic, meaning it just slows down bacterial growth; it doesn’t actually kill anything. You can’t rely on it to clean or sterilize. It’s just one part of a bigger preservation system

.Everything I’m saying here is kind of the stripped-down version of what proper aseptic work looks like ...not pharmaceutical-level, but solid enough to keep you safe and your brews clean until you step up to more advanced gear.



Only wanted to address your
2nd question.


2)Is there any guide for sterilization before brewing? I read that we can use a mix of 3% chlorine,isopropyl alcohol and then soap with water. Anything else besides that? What parts need to be sterilized before brew? Everything? like the space we work,beakers,pipettes,glass rods etc?

 

[TheProdigyCode]

Some of what you’re doing is fine, but here’s how I handle things if you really want to keep your process clean and sterile.


First off, skip the chemicals. They’re not going to get you true sterility and can leave behind stuff you don’t want in your gear. Focus on heat and steam ... those are what actually work

A cheap autoclave off eBay can take you a long way; you just need one that hits around 15 psi. That’ll give you the right pressure and temperature to kill everything off for most items, especially plastics or rubber that can’t handle high dry heat.

For glass, never just spray it down or wipe it with alcohol —..that’s not enough. Bake it. Put your vials, bottles (without caps), whatever glass stuff you’re using, in a clean oven at at least 500°F for about an hour. Before baking, wrap the openings tightly with foil and crimp it down. That way, when it cools off, you’ve basically got your sterile glass ready to go.

Don’t uncap it or pull that foil off until you’re about to use it. This isn’t great for storage, but perfect for day-of use.

For long-term or reusable stuff, autoclave and store it sealed. Just make sure it’s fully dry first
. moisture messes with sterility over time.

I also recommend getting a UV/ozone sterilization box. It’s great for keeping tools, syringes, etc., clean between sessions. It’s not a replacement for proper sterilization, but it helps keep surfaces and air in the box low in contamination if you run it daily and keep it closed. I use mine as kind of a “holding zone” for sterile stuff before brewing.

And yeah
. wear gloves and a mask. Don’t breathe over your gear or workspace. That’s one of the easiest ways to mess up your sterility without realizing it.

A still air box (one of those plastic mushroom grow boxes on Amazon) is also worth having. Keep it spotless. Before every use, spray it down with 70% alcohol, really soak it, and let it sit for a few minutes. Do that every single time. It’ll save you from a lot of headaches.

And lastly .

don’t buy into the myth that benzyl alcohol sterilizes anything. It doesn’t. It’s bacteriostatic, meaning it just slows down bacterial growth; it doesn’t actually kill anything. You can’t rely on it to clean or sterilize. It’s just one part of a bigger preservation system

.Everything I’m saying here is kind of the stripped-down version of what proper aseptic work looks like ...not pharmaceutical-level, but solid enough to keep you safe and your brews clean until you step up to more advanced gear.



Only wanted to address your
2nd question.


2)Is there any guide for sterilization before brewing? I read that we can use a mix of 3% chlorine,isopropyl alcohol and then soap with water. Anything else besides that? What parts need to be sterilized before brew? Everything? like the space we work,beakers,pipettes,glass rods etc?

Thanks for your time writing all these,really helpful. Just a simple question. What items i can put on autoclave and what on the oven? The items i am going to buy are the items @Sampei has on his list,so glass rod,beaker and measuring cylinder. As far as the vials i want to use single use pre sterilized vial with rubber stopper auto healing,so i suppose that doesnt need sterilization right? Am I missing something else that needs sterilization?