Restaurant grade sanitizer

I'm running low on starsan. I have a gallon on the way, but if I spend one more dime SWMBO is gonna kill me. I work in a restaurant and figured if it's good enough to eat off of, I can brew with it.
Any thoughts or comments?

Restaurant sanitizer is bleach based which will pit stainless and leave off flavors. Maybe if you rinse well afterwards youll be ok. But that would defeat the purpose.

Back in the prohibition days the instructions were to wash your crock and then scrub w/ baking soda...I would not sweat one batch...search out the bleach and vinegar no rinse if your curious...rdwhahb...good caution above about chlorine and stainless!

Chefencore said:

I'm running low on starsan. I have a gallon on the way, but if I spend one more dime SWMBO is gonna kill me. I work in a restaurant and figured if it's good enough to eat off of, I can brew with it.
Any thoughts or comments?

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Is this the same Chefencore from the anal pearls forum? Nice to see you here at homebrewtalk.

Bleach will work fine but I would rinse once and let dry thoroughly on your carboys and +1 on avoiding stainless

Not all restaurant sanitizer is bleach based.

As for Bleach and Stainless, at the right concentrations it is done all the time in restaurants. I had a triple sink that had seen 20 years of Bleach soaking with not a single pit on it. The SS looked like new.

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After checking the MSDS, Oasis Multi-quat sanitizer Is an ammonium-based sanitizer. We use it on stainless all day long with no pitting, so I didn't think it had bleach in it. And it's ready to use with no rinsing. I don't like the idea of using bleach- the kids are extremely curious, and SWMBO would kill me if I ruined a kitchen rug!!
Hopefully I will get my starsan soon. I think I'll hold the Thames valley hostage til I do!!

There are many kinds of sanitizers used in restaurant/bar applications.

They all sanitize, but some may leave some flavors behind that you may not want in your beer.

Bleach is a very good sanitizer but too high a concentration can lead to a chlorophenolic (medicinal) off flavor. If rinsed using regular tap water, the chlorine in the water may also cause problems.

Your best bet would be to use some of the last rinse sanitizer used in the three well sinks for cleaning bar glasses. For the most part, that is iodophor. Be careful of the concentration. In concentrations of 12.5 ppm iodophor is a no rinse sanitizer. Above that, you might be able to detect it's presence.

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I don’t think Quat is as effective as acid sanitizers…I wouldn’t risk it.

Quat sanitizers work great. They also kill head. You can use it, but your beer will have NO head. You can try and rinse it, (and you have to rinse well to remove all traces), but then you're risking infection from the rinse.

We just brewed a batch of Mr. Beer that we got on a super sale price. The malt and sugar came with a package labeld "No Rinse Sanitizer". We were too scared to use it. Anybode know what that is? Also, I have always sanatized with bleach. Everyone always tells me that's bad. What's Quat?

One Step sanitizer perhaps?

Southernmost11 said:

We just brewed a batch of Mr. Beer that we got on a super sale price. The malt and sugar came with a package labeld "No Rinse Sanitizer". We were too scared to use it. Anybode know what that is? Also, I have always sanatized with bleach. Everyone always tells me that's bad. What's Quat?

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"No rinse sanitizer" is typically a one-step type sanitizer, (oxygen based), which has questionable sanitation effectiveness. Most around here just say use StarSan or Iodophor.

Bleach works, but it's picky, can lead to off flavors, and should be rinsed. Rinsing with tap water is stupid, as you take your sanitized container and then rinse it with unsanitized water, although some argue that tap water is *pretty* sanitized.

Quat is quaternary ammonia salts. It's a type of sanitizer used in bars and restaurants. Works well, kills head.

shortyjacobs said:

"No rinse sanitizer" is typically a one-step type sanitizer, (oxygen based), which has questionable sanitation effectiveness. Most around here just say use StarSan or Iodophor.

Bleach works, but it's picky, can lead to off flavors, and should be rinsed. Rinsing with tap water is stupid, as you take your sanitized container and then rinse it with unsanitized water, although some argue that tap water is *pretty* sanitized.

Quat is quaternary ammonia salts. It's a type of sanitizer used in bars and restaurants. Works well, kills head.

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I think its stupid to assume your tap water is not sanitary…The definition of sanitary is Hygienic and Clean which all municipalities in the US are required to have under the clean water act of 1974. Now, this applies to the water supplied to your house and not the pluming within your house or the faucets where bacteria like to grow. With that said I would use star san if you could get it but since the OP spent all his money on a pearl necklace he is forced to use bleach.

I use Ecolab Sanitizer (restaurant sanitizer) for EVERYTHING. i have never had an issue with no head, and it is not bleach based. Soak, swish, and let dry. Done.
.....and i get it for free.