Star San vs Iodaphor

Seems to me they are fairly interchageable and a preference lies mostly in the one you started with... yes? No?

My HBS only offers Iodophor so that's all I've ever used. They're both effective sanitizers when used properly.

Love the foam. Helps to know what surfaces are wetted and therefore sanitized.

Yes, I've only used Star San and the foam helps...

But the color of iodaphor is good too, and in a container where you've got parts, the lack of foam makes it easy to see what you're searching for...

Eh, what???

I have both on hand and use both. I keep distilled water + starsan in a spray bottle because it lasts a long time. I also use SS for bottling.

I use Iodophor for most other things, particularly when there are stoppers involved. SS can be slippery enough that stoppers push their way back out.

I never used iodophor because I am on a septic, so I went straight for the Star-san...it was a blessing in disguise. Star san lasts longer, works faster, doesn't stain, has a surfacant so it's more effective, is environmentally friendly and best of all works in the presence of sugar which neither bleach or iodophor are capable of. And if that isn't good enough for you, the yeast metabolize what is left in the beer. So instead of being deterrent to yeast health like iodophor (albeit a minimal amount) it is actually beneficial.

The only advantage to iodophor is that it is cheaper per ounce, but when you factor in the re usability of star san it is much cheaper in the long run.

Both are great. The biggest selling point on Starsan for me is that I don't have to mix up a new batch every time I need to sanitize. This especally comes in handy when it comes to a theif. It also means I can be a little more rigorous in my sanitization. I wash my entire kitchen down in Starsan while my wort is on the boil.

Tonedef131 said:

The only advantage to iodophor is that it is cheaper per ounce, but when you factor in the re usability of star san it is much cheaper in the long run.

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Other advantages:
* non-slippery. This is nontrivial when sanitizing glass carboys.
* can used for iodine starch conversion testing
* doesn't generate endless newbie "should I f33r the foam!!??!!!??!" threads
* may be available in monster bulk sizes from dairy/farm supplies

Not being an iodophor partisan (I use both). I do love the thoughtfulness of the squeeze-measure SS bottle, even though I still use a syringe to measure accurately.

fratermus said:

Other advantages:
* non-slippery. This is nontrivial when sanitizing glass carboys.
* can used for iodine starch conversion testing
* doesn't generate endless newbie "should I f33r the foam!!??!!!??!" threads
* may be available in monster bulk sizes from dairy/farm supplies

Not being an iodophor partisan (I use both). I do love the thoughtfulness of the squeeze-measure SS bottle, even though I still use a syringe to measure accurately.

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1. True, Star san is slippery. But I don't sanitize the outside of my carboy so it doesn't effect carboy handling. The only time this has effected me is getting bungs to stay in...but I switched to carboy caps a lot time ago for this amongst other reasons.
2. I'll give you this one, multi-tasking around the brewhouse is great.
3. picayune
4. This has been covered with the cost comment.

I started out using Iodophor because that's what was in my first brew kit from the LHBS. Good stuff, and does what it is supposed to. I switched a few months ago to StarSan and I've been sticking to that for a few reasons:

1. Iodophor stains equipment: buckets, hoses, towels, surfaces
2. StarSan keeps for a longer period of time. I keep a corny keg full of StarSan, so it's always ready to go when I need it.
3. StarSan lasts longer, since it can be reused after normal "sanitize only" applications.

The things I don't like about StarSan:
1. Plastic parts get "slimy" if you leave them in too long
2. Unless you can see the foam, it's hard to tell if there is sanitizer in a carboy. Iodophor can be visually checked.
3. The only way to tell if StarSan has "expired" is to check with pH strips. It would be nice to have an easier way to check, like a color change.

TwoHeadsBrewing said:

2. Unless you can see the foam, it's hard to tell if there is sanitizer in a carboy. Iodophor can be visually checked.

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My KISS solution for this is give it a quick shake or rapid stir if its an open container. If it foams a bit, then you know the solution has starsan

So what does idophor do to septics?

Anyone have problems with reccomended doses staining grainte tops?

zanemoseley said:

So what does idophor do to septics?

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Iodine is a stone cold killer and if it is capable of killing the bacteria on your brew equipment it is also capable of killing the bacteria in your septic tank. Dumping some diluted iodophor down your drain a couple times a year isn't going to ruin your septic but that stuff does build up if you use a lot. Considering that iodophor doesn't last you will have to dump it every time you make it. I know in a lot of places there is even laws against dumping iodine into public sewers...but no one follows those laws anyway.

Star san on the other had is mostly phosphoric acid, which is food for your septic bugs. So it has the same perks for your septic as it does for your beer, why make the yeast/bacteria fight your sanitizer when they could be eating it!

Well I don't know what to use. I was worried about Starsan damaging our new granite counters since its an acid however idophor is also but according to a guy at Five Star it isn't as damaging to the granite seal however you have to deal with the staining issue as well. Now I find out I can't put idophor in the septic after ordering 32oz of it lol. As crappy as it sounds Starsan may be my best bet. I do have a large utility sink in my garage that I could clean stuff in however its plastic so the idophor would probably stain it over time. If I cleaned with Starsan in the garage I think I would cover all bases but then I have to go in the garage to clean stuff, I brew in the kitchen.