I've read that it's bad brewing practice to store equipment away while still wet after cleaning. Makes sense.

The problem I have is how to dry just-cleaned equipment in a household where pet hair and other unspeakable gunk is always floating in the air.

Tubing is the biggest problem. I've thought about pouring a cap full of Everclear (90% grain alcohol) through the tubing to help drive water our. I've also purchased a couple of cardboard boxes with lids, and also a mesh nylon wash bag. I'm thinking the bag should 'breathe' but keep out floating debris. A heating pad is under consideration.

Does anyone here have special techniques for drying brew equipment ?

For drying tubing I simply loop it over the door of the pantry door to let it dry. Generally after an hour or two it is ready to put away.

- Scott

I do the same thing with my tubing. As for other pieces of equipment, I towel dry just about everything else after I pitch my yeast (with beer in hand of course) and put it back into the brew closet.

I sanitize everything and then dry them thoroughly and store in a box or in the closet with a towel over the items. If I do not use the equipment within a few hours, I resanitize everything again before use. The beer or wine bottles, I run through the dish washer and store upside down in the box they came in so I can reuse the bottle compartments in the boxes. Again, if I do not reuse the bottles right away after cleaning, I resanitize them before each use. I've not had any problems. Keep in mind that once a piece of equipment has been sanitized, sitting in the closet or in a box will not keep that equipment sanitized forever. If the equipment is not used right away, I strongly suggest a thorough cleaning before each and every use.

Thanks for all the good info.

Looking at what floats around in the air of my house by shining a flashlight beam in the dark makes me wonder how I'm able to brew beer at all. The best I can do is minimize contact with the air and sanitize, sanitize....