Make a Yeast Starter for Successful Fermentation

From Bryce Eddings, former About.com Guide

Everything that touches the wort after the boil must be sanitized. The sauce pan and lid was sanitized by the boil itself. The jug, airlock, cap, rubber stopper, and thermometer need to be cleaned with a commercial sanitizer. Make sure that your equipment is clean to start with then sanitize the inside of your jug and the lip. Then thoroughly sanitize the airlock, cap, rubber stopper and the end of your thermometer that you’ll use in the wort.