Safe to dump sanitizer?

Is it save to dump iodophor-ed water outside? The reason I ask is that it's a pain to have to do everything in the sink. It'd be easier to do some of this outside with the garden hose, but it'd be a hassle to bring it inside and dump it in the sink. Would it cause issues with grass? Stain the concrete? What about the other types of sanitizers?

Sorry if this is an obvious thing, but I can't seem to find any talk on here about it.

Good question. I don't have the answer but FWIW I have always dumped iodopher tainted water outside without a problem. No dead grass, bugs, fauna, kids... one neighbor who's a little slow but I don't think thats my fault.

Actually, if mixed properly, at the recommended 12.5 ppm, it is safe to drink.

After 24 hours it's dead...ineffective anyway, and again, safe to drink.

Dumping outside? Definitely.

StarSan can be dumped outside and is the best sanitizer I've used.Plus it can be reused

iodophor is dead after 24 hours?? wow, guess I have been lucky with contamination then.. i have used it a couple of times after that mark...

I always mix as much as I need for the task at hand. I find that after about three hours or so the yellow color has faded. I just dump it in the sink but wouldn't hesitate to dump it outside.

I dump the iodophor out into my back lawn all the time. No problems yet.

homebrewer_99 said:

Actually, if mixed properly, at the recommended 12.5 ppm, it is safe to drink.

After 24 hours it's dead...ineffective anyway, and again, safe to drink.

Dumping outside? Definitely.

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Safe to Drink? translation: you won't kill over dead!

Dead or ineffective after 24 hours? I don't think so.

Although the Mgf. may recommend that you dump it after 24 hours that doesn't mean it's ineffective. After all they are trying to sell more.

Factors contributing to the decline of effectiveness include exposure to sunlight and any load factor such as dirt, debris, insects that flew into an open container of it.

I've stored fresh unused solution for well over a month in a 5 gallon cooler and have never had and infection.

Here's a good article:
http://www.handpaintedglassware.com/brewing/iodophor.html

The good Dr. in the above article recommends dumping it after 24 hr. but like I said he's trying to sell more. If the undiluted solution lasts for years I don't see any reason why a diluted form in clean water and protected from light would not at least last for months. Mine certainly has.

abracadabra said:

Safe to Drink? translation: you won't kill over dead!

Dead or ineffective after 24 hours? I don't think so.

Although the Mgf. may recommend that you dump it after 24 hours that doesn't mean it's ineffective. After all they are trying to sell more.

Factors contributing to the decline of effectiveness include exposure to sunlight and any load factor such as dirt, debris, insects that flew into an open container of it.

I've stored fresh unused soluition for well over a month in a 5 gallon cooler and have never had and infection.

Here's a good article:
http://www.handpaintedglassware.com/brewing/iodophor.html

The good Dr. in the above article recommends dumping it after 24 hr. but like I said he's trying to sell more. If the undiluted solution lasts for years I don't see any reason why a diluted form in clean water and protected from light would not at least last for months. Mine certainly has.

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But after all that it can still be rendered useless in 24 hours...

I think the "months" comment is stretching it a bit. I can't even keep the Star San water clean for that long.

homebrewer_99 said:

But after all that it can still be rendered useless in 24 hours...

I think the "months" comment is stretching it a bit. I can't even keep the Star San water clean for that long.

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How can you tell if StarSan has gone bad?

I switched to StarSan for this reason alone.

Beerrific said:

How can you tell if StarSan has gone bad?

I switched to StarSan for this reason alone.

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Some people claim that Star San becomes ineffective when it becomes cloudy. This is not true, at least according to the email I received from Mr. Talley, the owner of Five Star Chemicals. The cloudiness comes from mixing it with water with a high mineral content. In order to be sure of its effectiveness, get some cheap pH test strips. As long as the pH remains below 3.0 it is still effective. Even if the pH rises above 3.0, you can "sweeten" the solution back up with some more concentrate to drive the pH back down below 3.0.

Just be certain that what you are sanitizing is throughly cleaned with a proper cleaner such as PBW or similar and your Star San solution should last a long time.

FWIW, Iodophor does in fact lose its effectiveness 24 hours after being mixed. A member of my family raises milking cows and uses it for sanitizing the cows' utters and doesn't use the solution for more than a day. It is harmless to the environment, but it will stain concrete.

PH test strips is the only REAL way of telling if the SS is still good.

Putting you hand in the bucket and splashing to make bubbles is only guessing.