Ethanol score!

So I work in the EH&S department at a university, and occasionally we harbor surplus chemicals from labs until we can find someone to take them. After unsuccessfully spending a lot of time trying to find out where to buy pure ethanol for a reasonable price, 4L just falls into my lap today.

Does anyone else use 70% ethanol for spot sterilization? I find it really useful for whenever I need to work with yeast, and for sterilizing latex gloves when I put a new pair on. I also like to give my racking cane and tube a wipedown after sanitizing and before it touches beer or wort. Maybe it's overkill. I guess these are just habits from having worked in a molecular bio lab, but I was curious if anyone else did this.

I use denatured alcohol with success when making slants.

You got a hold of 4 L Ethanol? no fuss no muss?
I know here in Canada many years ago when I worked in a lab any quantities above half a liter had to be signed out owing to tax laws etc.

I use 70% Isopropanol to wipe down surfaces when I am working with starters and also container mouths that are too large to flame.

They had one guy licensed to dispense pure alcohol at our university stores. There was 100% that was denatured with I believe methanol and benzene that was less strictly regulated as if you drank it, everyone would know by the seeing eye dog you bring in on Monday. The other stuff was absolute ethanol that was pure as snow and had to be controlled as it was drinkable.

This guy dispensed out of 4L jugs and was allowed by law 60 ml (2 oz) of spillage. So every time he cracked a new one, he'd pipette 60 ml from the jug into his special container and carefully pour your purchase into your own jug. When his special container was full, he'd take it home and have his fun.

kevmoron said:

Does anyone else use 70% ethanol for spot sterilization?

Click to expand...

No, but you can use it for spot disinfecting. Sorry just being anal.

I also use 70% isopropyl alchohol for brew "sanitizing" on small miscellaneous items (and sometimes bigger), but rinse with preboiled water before letting any equipment come into contact with wort/beer. 70% ethanol would be ideal because you wouldn't have to rinse anything after use.

I take it you don't smoke! Hmmmmm, everything is soaked down and "sterilized", now let's start heating the strike water.... BOOM!
Nah, I will stick with StarSan. I run a big enough risk of blowing myself up or setting myself on fire as it is without adding another variable....