One Step vs. Star San vs. Iodophor. Which is best and why?

I’ve been reading up on sanitizers in this forum and these seem to be the three anyone talks about.

It seems most folks have success with One Step and not too many problems with the main drawback being contact time between equipment and solution (2-3 mins.).

Star San seems to be the favorite but I’ve been reading on here that over time it leaves a filmy, slightly slick residue on equipment. Is this true? I also read some people saying that it can make plastics brittle after prolonged exposure. But it has the plus side of needing only about 30 secs. of contact time.

Iodophor seems to be the least popular with someone mentioning that it stains plastics. Is there truth in that? Contact time seems to be about the same as Star San.

Which do you use and why is it the best in your opinion?
What problems/drawbacks do the other sanitizers have?

I use Iodophor and yes, it does stain plastic. My O2 hose and one of my pails has a distinct orange tint. That's because I tend to soak items in a pan of it and one time I used a primary pail as a cleaning bucket. I now use an old ice cream pail instead but I don't see anything wrong with the orange stain. It's just an aesthetic thing.

It requires a contact time of 2 minutes and it does foam up when agitated. You don't rinse it. Oh, and the contact time doesn't mean you have to submerge the item, you just have to get it wet. It's the only product I've ever used so I can't compare for you.

I have used all three, my fav. is star san. But am currently using Iodophor only because my LHBS wanted way to much for star san. For the price Iodophor can't be beat, and I have not had a problem with it staining. But next time I need a sanitizer im going back to star san.

I use Star San and Iodophor. Was using Star San for everything, but since it foams it was always a pain to use in carboys. So now I use star san on all my plastic stuff and Iodophor on all my glass stuff.

I picked up the star-san for bottling, but will continue to use the c-brite for everything else. Haven't tried the stuff yet though.

Does anyone else here use C-brite? Its what came with my first setup so I have been loyal to it until recently, I picked up the star-san. I'd really like to know if anyone has even heard of c-brite. I haven't seen it mentioned anywhere. Some shops don't even sell it.

I have used Star San and Iodophor. I use Star San exclusively now. I can make a gallon of it and not worry about it loosing its effectiveness. You can check the pH of the Star San to verrify if it is still 'good.' I have used 1 gallon for 2 brew sessions (plus small stuff in between). So even though Star San is more expensive I am not making as much.

I have not noticed and thing turning brittle. I did notice that with iodophor. Iodophor also stains...especially bad in the concentrated form.

Starsan is the best. Make it with RO water and you can save it for ever for filling spray bottles, etc. It is septic safe (sorry iodophor) and needs only a 30 second contact time and is good for your wort. It's a food grade sanitizer.

Starsan Rocks!

EdWort said:

Starsan is the best. Make it with RO water and you can save it for ever for filling spray bottles, etc. It is septic safe (sorry iodophor) and needs only a 30 second contact time and is good for your wort. It's a food grade sanitizer.

Starsan Rocks!

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Word.

I was using bleach for the first couple months of my brewing career...because I thought StarSan was so expensive. Then I learned you could re-use it time and time again...

duhhh

I don't worry about the foam. The other day I racked my pale into secondary, and by the end of the siphon, I was looking at a big "snake" of foam spewing from the neck of the carboy. Just swatted it to the floor and went about my business. When bottling, it's kinda a PITA, but I just deal.

I use both Star San and Iodophor. I like the versatilty of Star-San and I like the fact take iodophor is inexpensive.

C-Brite is a cleaner not a sanitizer a cheaper alternative is Oxyclean Free or Bar Keepers Friend.

I started out using One-Step but quickly found that it was pretty expensive and I was going through it quickly. I switched to Iodophor mainly due to cost as it is cheaper than Star-San and I have not used anything else since. I have found that you have to leave it sitting for a long time to get any stains.

I've thought about trying Star-San, but my large bottle of Iodophor is still pretty full and I've been using it for a year!

I use both One Step (argued that it's not a sanitizer) and Iodaphor. I don't have any particular preference but the staining aspect of Iodaphor has pros and cons. The good thing is that you can visibly see that it's still viable. The downside is that it stains plastic in diluted form and stains just about everything in concentrated form (clothes, hands, carpets) but just be careful.

I only use One-step. I've never had any sanitation issues to date.

What about the slick, filmy residue that reportedly accumulates with prolonged use of Star San? Any experience with that?

I actually find that one-step leaves bottles slicker than star-san, so I've stopped using one-step on bottling day.

I think I am gonna use my iodophor for carboys, just to prevent the volcano-foam effect when racking

I recently switched to Starsan from onestep and I really don't know why I waited so long....Edwort summed it up & it does rock! (Truth be told I have used diluted bleach, onestep and & Starsan to date and haven't had an infection with any of them...knock on wood).

Though I have only used it for the past two brews and I clean and rinse all of my equipment post-brew, I have not noticed any residue.

I have used One Step, diluted bleach and Star san. They all worked for me. I never had any off flavors, or infections. However, pound for pound, star san is the best. Bleach is a PITA because you have to rinse and rinse thoroughly. One Step is a pain because it is so expensive (yes I know a container is cheap, but you go through it so quickly). Starsan is just great. There is nothing that I dislike about it. Even the bubbles are no big deal for me. And as a matter of fact, I believe I heard that a little residual foam will actually benefit your yeast. I have been using my starsan for 6 months or more, and I have only gone through less than a quarter of the bottle. This stuff will last forever. I have never noticed a slick residue. Obviously it is slick when it is wet, but nothing remains.

I've had so many infections using one step I think I'll change my name to "Infection". I recently switched to Oxyclean for the big crud followed by Starsan for sanitation. The reason for this is I don't want to rinse as I use well water stored in above ground tank. Everything I do is either boiled or sanitized with Starsan. My last two batches came out good. The previous 4 batches using one step were all bad.

FerociouslyTed said:

What about the slick, filmy residue that reportedly accumulates with prolonged use of Star San? Any experience with that?

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I've never seen it.

Iodophor may be a little cheaper, but it needs longer contact time, doesn't keep and stains. I can deal with some bubbles.

What's wrong with bleach?

joejaz said:

What's wrong with bleach?

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Because most folks use it in too high a concentration for no-rinse, you can leave plenty behind and get off flavors. If you are rinsing after, you have possibly undone the sanitization that you just performed anyway. Personally, I have a bunch of shirts with bleach stains on them....

I find the advantages of the other products outweigh any of the advantages of bleach (primarily the ready availability).

joejaz said:

What's wrong with bleach?

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There is nothing 'wrong' with bleach. It is very inexpensive, which is nice. But other than that, it has no other significant advantages over products like Star San or Iodophor.

Maybe it's time to try Star San, Thanks.

In all these which-is-best comparisons of sanitizers, I don't see diversol mentioned very often, if at all. Does anyone else here use it? What are the advantages/disadvantages of it, compared to Star-San or Iodophor?

I used to use diversol. It is pretty nasty stuff, but cleans very well. The biggest concern is that it requires considerable rinsing. It is also quite expensive.

For the same money, OxyClean + Star San is a much better alternative, IMHO.

FlyGuy said:

I used to use diversol. It is pretty nasty stuff, but cleans very well. The biggest concern is that it requires considerable rinsing. It is also quite expensive.

For the same money, OxyClean + Star San is a much better alternative, IMHO.

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..and IIRC, it requires a pretty lengthy contact time for sanitization

brewt00l said:

..and IIRC, it requires a pretty lengthy contact time for sanitization

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Yes, you are right -- thanks. 30 mins is the recommended time, unlike Star San (30 seconds) or iodophor (2 mins).

ohiobrewtus said:

I only use One-step. I've never had any sanitation issues to date.

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I agree. I only use One-Step as well and have never had an issue.

Does iodophor need a good rinsing or drying, is the residue going to leave a taste?

Maybe I'll intentionally leave a some residue and call it a beer for people with weird diets to prevent iodine deficiency and scurvy ARRRR!

GrundleCruncher said:

Does iodophor need a good rinsing or drying, is the residue going to leave a taste?

Maybe I'll intentionally leave a some residue and call it a beer for people with weird diets to prevent iodine deficiency and scurvy ARRRR!

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No, read this. http://www.handpaintedglassware.com/brewing/iodophor.html

Wikipedia also has some good information. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Iodophor

I've been using cheap Betadine or Povidone, 1% iodine, from Walmart. I use it in no-rinse concentrations with great results. I don't really have any problems with staining, but if I did, I wouldn't really care. It's sanitized, right?

ohiobrewtus,

How long have you been using one step sanatizers? It worked great for me for quite a while but when it quits it'll kill ya.

Rohanski. What do you mean by “when it quits it'll kill ya.”? I’ve been using One-Step for some time with no problems. Will the germs in my house build up a resistance to it?

It won't actually kill you but it will kill you mentally. What is a long time to you? A long time to my kids is one day. I went six to eight months before it first happened. I was reading somewhere in George Papazian's book that the longer you brew the better the chance for infection. I'm not sure why but it would seem the nasties just keep building until it becomes a problem.

EdWort said:

Starsan is the best. Make it with RO water and you can save it for ever for filling spray bottles, etc. It is septic safe (sorry iodophor) and needs only a 30 second contact time and is good for your wort. It's a food grade sanitizer.

Starsan Rocks!

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I use star san for everything.Works really great for me.The foaming is a bit of a PITA,but I just consider it good hangtime for longer contact.

I've completed 8 batches with no issues using solely C-brite. I've already begun batches 9, 10, 11, and 12. Hopefully they are OK. batch 9 will be tasted this weekend. I will now use star san cause I guess I've never really sanitized anything, just cleaned it. I'd rather not push the limits of c-brite. I'll go with something dependable.

colinwollmann said:

I use star san for everything.Works really great for me.The foaming is a bit of a PITA,but I just consider it good hangtime for longer contact.

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The foam is fun!

I have been using nothing but One-Step, and have never had a plm ...

I am now interested in trying Starsan.

I didn't realize/calculate the cost difference...

I clean and sanitze after each use using Ivory detergent and sanitize with scalding hot water . Brewed well over 100 batches and so far no infections...knock on wood.

I want to try Star San but havent found a local supplier in my area.

I recently purchased some oxiclean for cleaning my new corni kegs ...just wondering if there is a difference between it and oxyclean in the commercial other than it doesnt have Billy Maze's seal of approval?

I was using 1 tablespoon of bleach in 1 gallon of water soak for 15 to 20 minutes for sanitizing when I first started. One day while I rinsed the bleach out of carboy I decided to combine the rinse/santize with scalding hot water.

Here is my washing rig;


I wouldnt recommend this..but its what I do for now ..my logic being kiss..until I get a bad batch

Cheers
BeerCanuck

rohanski said:

...the longer you brew the better the chance for infection. I'm not sure why but it would seem the nasties just keep building until it becomes a problem.

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If that’s the logic then it strikes me as a numbers game. If we’re all due an infection at some point, for whatever reason, then the more one brews the narrower that margin gets. It’s not microevolution, it’s just running out of luck

I agree w/ Star San. Only been brewing about a year, but haven't had any problems (yet). I rinse my bottles on hot wash/hot dry in the dish washer and dunk them in Star San before bottling. I always think the Star San might give an off taste, but I haven't noticed any. The bottles are probably OK after the dishwasher, but I don't want to take a chance.

Drinking: Blackberry Stout
Primary: American Bock

been using bleach at 2 oz per 5 gal. I start my brew/bottle sesion with filling the bucket of choice with water and bleach, drop my tools into the bucket. by the time Im ready to pitch, or bottle the bleach has done its job, give everthing a quick rinse and away we go. Yes there is a chance that I may rinse something into the bucket or onto the tools, but with a house full of people and pets, i don't think I'm risking anthing more then I would by letting things air dry like my books reccomend.