Spray bottle technique?

I had my brew buddy pick up a spray bottle in which we filled with a proper solution of iodine and water.

We basically used it on everything for a quick "re-sanitization" of equipment, as well as spraying our vinyl gloves now and again if they were compromised by unsanitary objects.

This, in conjunction with a 3 gallon pot of iodine water and clean water (as a rinse) for keeping our tools and hands clean. Hopefully it should be an easy fix to sanitizing our stuff without wiping it down or dunking it. (Although we still do this anyways.)

Anyone else use this technique, or have a better idea/modification to it?

I use Iodophor and one time I calculated to needing .73ml to 1 Qt water. Thats for 12.5ppm. Someone might check that. Since Iodophor can be used at 12.5ppm to 25ppm I use 1ml to 1 Qt water. Perfect for my 1Qt spray bottle. Makes for a quick sani spray while brewing or any time. I spray my hand while working with parts so I can put them together while wet. Also you can just spray a few pumps into your tubing and swash it back and forth. Pour half of it in a carboy to sani it. I do a whole brew day with 1 to 2Qts of sani, so that's 1-2ml. So its really cheap too!

mattymatumbo said:

We basically used it on everything for a quick "re-sanitization" of equipment, as well as spraying our vinyl gloves now and again if they were compromised by unsanitary objects.

This, in conjunction with a 3 gallon pot of iodine water and clean water (as a rinse) for keeping our tools and hands clean. Hopefully it should be an easy fix to sanitizing our stuff without wiping it down or dunking it. (Although we still do this anyways.)

Anyone else use this technique, or have a better idea/modification to it?

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Sounds like your performing surgery, I guess you can't be too clean lots of people like to use a spray bottle w/ sanitizer, it works well and is easy. FWIW, if you are rinsing in "clean" water, is it still sanitary??? Star San is easy because it is a no rinse sanitizer. Anyways, sounds like your doing a bang up job...RDWHAHB

FarmBoy530 said:

I use Iodophor and one time I calculated to needing .73ml to 1 Qt water. Thats for 12.5ppm. Someone might check that. Since Iodophor can be used at 12.5ppm to 25ppm I use 1ml to 1 Qt water. Perfect for my 1Qt spray bottle. Makes for a quick sani spray while brewing or any time. I spray my hand while working with parts so I can put them together while wet. Also you can just spray a few pumps into your tubing and swash it back and forth. Pour half of it in a carboy to sani it. I do a whole brew day with 1 to 2Qts of sani, so that's 1-2ml. So its really cheap too!

Click to expand...

wilserbrewer said:

Sounds like your performing surgery, I guess you can't be too clean lots of people like to use a spray bottle w/ sanitizer, it works well and is easy. FWIW, if you are rinsing in "clean" water, is it still sanitary??? Star San is easy because it is a no rinse sanitizer. Anyways, sounds like your doing a bang up job...RDWHAHB

Click to expand...

I use Iodophor as well, very tough stuff when it comes to getting the job done.

Yeah, I've had a few batches ruined by unsanitary conditions so I decided to be over prepared and destroy any chance of contamination. I've been a little speculative in "rinse" part of the brew cycle since the water that i'm using is unboiled tap water with trace amounts (from dipping tools) of iodophor in the rinse water.

Any suggestions would be a blessing.

Spray bottle of sanitizer is pretty common...wearing vinyl gloves is over kill.

I do hope you mean rinsing first and sani after! Otherwise stop rinsing after you sani because its a drip dry, and by dry we mean as much as you can shake off or out in a minute-ish.

I use only a spray bottle of Starsan, nothing else. Contact sanitisers only need to wet the surface to work, the whole thing doesn't need to get emersed(sp?)

My brewing friend uses star san, I use iodophor, we always compare them. What it comes down to is they both work well and can both be sprayed on and dripped for a min or 2.

FarmBoy530 said:

I use Iodophor and one time I calculated to needing .73ml to 1 Qt water. Thats for 12.5ppm. Someone might want to check that

Click to expand...

I called both companies a few weeks ago, here are the dilution ratios if you are interested:

https://www.homebrewtalk.com/f11/smaller-dilution-ratios-inside-starsan-iodophor-304982/

Sweet, glad to know I got it right. I've been using 1ml per Qt because its a bit stronger then 12.5ppm and not up to 25ppm. I figure I'd rather not mix the bare minimum,ya know, a little buffer room!

In my own local homebrew club, we had a conversation about detecting iodine based sanitizer in finished beer. I use Starsan for that reason. The other thing you mentioned was using vinyl gloves. That would be overkill, imo, and possibly introducing another unwanted flavor. I switched from vinyl garden hoses years ago due to the unmistakable vinyl taste it left in my beer. Of course, I am sensitive to a few chemicals that others are not (vinyl, iodine, and most phenols). So, your mileage may vary, but using a spray bottle and dipping your hands/tools into starsan as needed is all I do. I also, to date, have had very little problem with infections and cross contamination, and half of my brewery is devoted to sours!

Nothing we touch with our gloves goes directly into the beer, as with all things non-beer related, it's mainly a post boil stage precaution we adapted. Although, vinyl would be quite a flavor to be in a beer.