What about using Hydrogen Peroxide to clean/sanitize...

I only ask because the one-step cleanser Mr Beer sells and which seems to work very well is described as "oxygen entrained within a mineral crystal. When added to water, this crystal dissolves and releases the oxygen in such a way to form hydrogen peroxide. The hydrogen peroxide does its work and degrades into oxygen and water" which leads me to believe that I could use a water and hydrogen peroxide solution to clean/sanitize my equipment.

I'm asking because damn UPS won't deliver my next order (which includes my one-step) till Monday and I wanted to start my Nut Brown Ale this Saturday.

UdderJuice said:

I only ask because the one-step cleanser Mr Beer sells and which seems to work very well is described as "oxygen entrained within a mineral crystal. When added to water, this crystal dissolves and releases the oxygen in such a way to form hydrogen peroxide. The hydrogen peroxide does its work and degrades into oxygen and water" which leads me to believe that I could use a water and hydrogen peroxide solution to clean/sanitize my equipment.

I'm asking because damn UPS won't deliver my next order (which includes my one-step) till Monday and I wanted to start my Nut Brown Ale this Saturday.

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I have done quite a bit of research on this because I too use One Step and Mr. Beer only sells the small packets. My research has led me to believe that Clorox Oxi Magic is the same thing and a 2 lb tub of that stuff from WalMart costs less than a similar amount of One Step. Clorox (or Oxi Clean for that matter) both break down to oxygen and soda ash in water so there is nothing harmful. I have been doing this for a few batches with no issues. I use it as a no rinse sanitizer with no problems. Just avoid the Oxi Clean with the blue crystals..I hear it leaves a residue over time. Any other input out there?

sweepking said:

I have done quite a bit of research on this because I too use One Step and Mr. Beer only sells the small packets. My research has led me to believe that Clorox Oxi Magic is the same thing and a 2 lb tub of that stuff from WalMart costs less than a similar amount of One Step. Clorox (or Oxi Clean for that matter) both break down to oxygen and soda ash in water so there is nothing harmful. I have been doing this for a few batches with no issues. I use it as a no rinse sanitizer with no problems. Just avoid the Oxi Clean with the blue crystals..I hear it leaves a residue over time. Any other input out there?

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Thanks for your response, I also found this article that among other things says you can use plain old hydrogen peroxide as a sanitizing solution. It says to just pour or wipe onto surfaces with a cotton ball. They also say that is does not need to be rinsed.

Interesting. I guess I'll give it a try. I really wish there was a local retailer in Gainesville who sold Mr Beer supplies as their turn around when ordering from their website is more than a week.

sweepking, you have used the oxyclean and it has worked, just making sure because i need to bottle this weekend and i dont have any one step, but i do have a wal mart down the street!! thanks in advance for the reply.

compact007 said:

sweepking, you have used the oxyclean and it has worked, just making sure because i need to bottle this weekend and i dont have any one step, but i do have a wal mart down the street!! thanks in advance for the reply.

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I use Clorox Oxi Magic....if you can get the Oxi Clean without the blue crystals it is the same stuff. The blue crystals leave a residue from what I have heard. I have not had any problems with the plain stuff.

using 2 oz of household bleach in 1 gallon of water will do the job just make sure you rinse afterwards. thats what i used in my first brew and had no problems.

I have used the 2 oz. bleach and water method before and it worked fine for me. After rinsing the bottles in the dilluted bleach I put them all into the dishwasher (no soap) and ran through a normal cycle. I believe the heat of the dishwasher also helps to sterilize. Then I bottled right over the door of the open dishwasher so all my waste/accidental overflows stayed in the basin of the open dishwasher door. When I was done I just shut the dishwasher and no mess to clean up. I read this on another site and I will never bottle a different way again.

I have used straight hydrogen peroxide on several occasions when I ran out of sanitizer, it worked well and is dirt cheap. I always keep a couple of gallons around the house for other purposes. Just see your friendly pharmacist and ask him to order you some in bulk, or a surgical supply.

When I use it to sterilize the bottles I save what was in the pan and use it after I wash the fermenter out as a final step. That puppy is clean after that.

I found these pages on the subject, and I think the conclusion is clear: Go right ahead!

Personally I'd go for one or two teaspoons 35% hydrogen peroxide per five gallons of water.

Please be careful with the perxoide, wear safety glasses and rubber gloves if at all possible. If you feel your skin going slippery like with soap, rinse immediatly with generous amounts of water. I'm sure that it will be safe to use as a no-rinse disinfectant, just let it drip off.

You can check these links for more information:

http://www.lenntech.com/water-disinfection/disinfectants-hydrogen-peroxide.htm

http://www.ozoneservices.com/articles/008.htm

Best regards and happy homebrewing!

Christian Rahbek

Rahbek said:

I found these pages on the subject, and I think the conclusion is clear: Go right ahead!

Personally I'd go for one or two teaspoons 35% hydrogen peroxide per five gallons of water.

Please be careful with the perxoide, wear safety glasses and rubber gloves if at all possible. If you feel your skin going slippery like with soap, rinse immediatly with generous amounts of water. I'm sure that it will be safe to use as a no-rinse disinfectant, just let it drip off.

You can check these links for more information:

http://www.lenntech.com/water-disinfection/disinfectants-hydrogen-peroxide.htm

http://www.ozoneservices.com/articles/008.htm

Best regards and happy homebrewing!

Christian Rahbek

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Good Read!
But before you go ahead. read this:

Second link is especially good but there is some questions i still have about 3% to disinfect. Is the 3% you can get in the drug store a diluted version of "Technical Grade Hydrogen Peroxide" or is it something else? Based I this link http://www.h2o2-4u.com/grades.html
I believe it is something else.

Top of page it says:Hydrogen peroxide is produced and distributed in number of different grades and concentrations. Commonly known 3% and 6% H2O2 which can be found in almost every drug store has its place in your medicine cabinet, however it is not considered to be suitable for any applications outlined in this text.

Bottom of page it says:Additional Uses For 35% Technical Grade Hydrogen Peroxide
(To dilute to 3% solution - Mix 11 parts of distilled water with 1 part 35% H2O2 )
To freshen kitchen: Keep a spray bottle of 3% H2O2 in the kitchen. Use to wipe off counter tops and appliances, it will disinfect and give the kitchen a fresh smell.

In the dishwasher: Add 50 ml (2 oz.) of 3% H2O2 to your regular washing formula.
House plants: Add 30 ml (1oz.) of 3% H2O2 in liter of water. Use to mist plants.
Laundry: Add 250 ml (1 cup) of 3% H2O2 in place of bleach.
Humidifiers and Steamers: Mix 500 ml of 3% H2O2 to 4 liters of water.
Facial: Use 3% H2O2 on a cotton ball after washing. Avoid eyebrows and eyes.
Detox Bath: Use 250 ml (1cup) of 35% H2O2 to a tub. Soak at least for 30 minutes

Question is, can you get 35% food grade peroxide in small enough quantities that dont have other chemical stabilizers added?

Just throwing this out there.

Just curious. I read on the Home Brew Wiki that hydrogen peroxide is a great sanitizer at 0.01 to 0.5% dilution which is waaaay less than the 3% available at the corner store. There was also a distinction between sanitizing (~ 0.1 % dilution) and its classification as a disinfectant (3% dilution).

It was also noted that several commercial sanitizer products include 3% peroxide as an active ingredient, which is then diluted for use as a sanitizer.

So why the talk about finding 35% strength???

We typically used a mixture of Hydrogen Peroxide and Acetic acid to sterilize lines and tanks in the breweries and other food plants Ive worked in. It goes under the trade names Tsunami or P3 or is often referred to as par-acetic acid or peroxyacetic acid. Concentrated its pretty nasty stuff but dilute its not. In any case a cup of peroxide and a 1/4 cup of vinegar in a gallon of water will kill ALL bacteria and not stink the place up too bad.

For what its worth it will also dissolve lead and is great for cleaning stainless silencer baffles except for the lead acetate that is generated as a byproduct.

Yes it is

I know this is an older thread, which I found while searching for using Peroxide as a sanitizer for my equipment. However, I was under the impression that 35% H2O2 is NOT available for sale to the General Public, due to its explosive properties. Or that it is highly restricted in it's sale (Such as Amazon, which requires it to be diluted to 7.99%)

So my question is this. How much 3% H2O2 would you add to a gallon of water in order to get an effective sanitizer? And would it be a 10 second contact sanitizer, or longer?

Thanks

LarryTXVeteranUSA said:

I know this is an older thread, which I found while searching for using Peroxide as a sanitizer for my equipment. However, I was under the impression that 35% H2O2 is NOT available for sale to the General Public, due to its explosive properties. Or that it is highly restricted in it's sale (Such as Amazon, which requires it to be diluted to 7.99%)

So my question is this. How much 3% H2O2 would you add to a gallon of water in order to get an effective sanitizer? And would it be a 10 second contact sanitizer, or longer?

Thanks

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"Hydrogen peroxide is considered a safe and effective sanitizer. It kills microorganisms by oxidizing them, which can be best described as a controlled burning process. When hydrogen peroxide reacts with organic material it breaks down into oxygen and water. This inactivation can occur when hydrogen peroxide reacts with microorganisms, proteins or other organic residues. Hydrogen peroxide is active against a wide range of microorganisms, provided it is used full strength right from the bottle. It is active at lower concentrations but exposure times on the order of 30 to 60 minutes are required. The 3 percent solution sold in most drugstores is adequate to kill bacteria of most types in about 10 minutes. Because of its high cost, hydrogen peroxide has limited applications for homebrewing. It is probably best suited for disinfecting surfaces that you do not want to expose to alcohol or other sanitizers in yeast culturing. Simply pour it onto the surface or wipe it on with a piece of cotton or gauze. Or, if you need to rinse after using other sanitizers, then hydrogen peroxide is a good choice for a rinsing substance. As with other chemical sanitizers, hydrogen peroxide is inactivated when used on dirty surfaces, so make sure you use it on clean equipment. "
From
http://realbeer.com/jjpalmer/cleaning.html#h2o2

UdderJuice said:

I only ask because the one-step cleanser Mr Beer sells and which seems to work very well is described as "oxygen entrained within a mineral crystal. When added to water, this crystal dissolves and releases the oxygen in such a way to form hydrogen peroxide. The hydrogen peroxide does its work and degrades into oxygen and water" which leads me to believe that I could use a water and hydrogen peroxide solution to clean/sanitize my equipment.

I'm asking because damn UPS won't deliver my next order (which includes my one-step) till Monday and I wanted to start my Nut Brown Ale this Saturday.

Click to expand...

I use Oxi-Clean unscented for my heavy work and StarSan to sanitize.

LarryTXVeteranUSA said:

I know this is an older thread, which I found while searching for using Peroxide as a sanitizer for my equipment. However, I was under the impression that 35% H2O2 is NOT available for sale to the General Public, due to its explosive properties. Or that it is highly restricted in it's sale (Such as Amazon, which requires it to be diluted to 7.99%)

So my question is this. How much 3% H2O2 would you add to a gallon of water in order to get an effective sanitizer? And would it be a 10 second contact sanitizer, or longer?

Thanks

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NO, that 35% is for hair coloring use.
find a trigger sprayer (from old windex bottle) and stick it in the 3% bottle. there ya go.