Q: What happens if equipment isn't properly cleaned?

A: 90% of all winemaking failures can be traced to a lapse in cleaning or sanitation. (Cleaning is removing visible dirt and residue from your equipment. Use Diversol™ or Saniton™ to properly clean your equipment. Both of these products clean very well, but also rinse away properly. Most household detergents and cleaners contain perfumes and hand lotions that do not rinse off properly. Sanitizing is treating that equipment with a chemical that will eliminate, or prevent the growth of, spoilage organisms). Sodium or Potassium Metabisulphite is one of the most common sanitizers used. 

Everything that comes in contact with your wine must be clean, and properly sanitized, from the thermometer to the carboy, from the siphon hose to the bung and airlock. One single lapse could cause a failure of your batch.