What Sanitisers and Cleaners are used.

sodium percarbonate unperfumed is all i use to clean my kegs,and starsan to sanitize

I thought it was the same thing as One Step, which my LHBS said was a no rinse sanitizer. They also said starsan was toxic and would ruin a septic system. I think he needs to go to school or something. I did a couple batches this way, so I hope the bacteria was killed. Supposedly all the oxy type cleaners make H2O2 which kills bacteria.

For those who use StarSan and have chlorinated water: do you boil your dilution water prior to mixing? My first batch has a decidedly "band-aid-y" hint to the aftertaste, I've done some research and found this is caused by chlorophenols. I used purchased distilled water for my brew, but I cleaned with oxifree, rinsed with tap water, then sanitized with StarSan diluted with tap water. I also fermented at 77* F for 12 hours, but that should produce esters which lend a fruity flavor if I'm not mistaken.

Thanks for the list Orfy, I'm still new here and still browsing to get ideas for brewing. I'll just save the list you provided to make sure I use the safest one for sanitizing

Easy Clean for cleaning, but use it like a sanitizer unless something is scuzzy.

Also use plain old H2O2 to quickly sanitize small things (thermometer probes, etc)

I have a brew kit coming soon. I'm so confused about all the conflicting stuff I've read in regards to cleaning/sanitizing. I've read bleach is okay, but only if you rinse with hot water, and bleach is okay, but not to rinse or it defeats the purpose. I'm thinking PBW to clean, and Starsan to sanitize....would these be good options for someone who has never brewed, and doesn't want to risk ruining their first batch of beer? I've also read dish liquid is ok, and dish liquid is bad for head retention, heating bottles in the oven is a good, and heating bottles in the oven is a recipe for disaster. I just want my first batch (and every batch that follows) to be good. My brew kit isn't even here yet, and I'm already stressed, lol. New to this forum, not sure how to navigate yet.....sorry for the rant


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There are many cleaning and sanitizing methods, and to an extent they all work. Sanitation depends as much on the person as it does the cleaner.

If by kit you mean something like a beginner's brewing kit, it'll probably have a small canister of cleaner in it and directions on how to use it. Unless you have the personal hygiene of Pig Pen, it will do the job fine. Also, the dishwasher is your friend.

Sit down, have a beer and don't worry too much about it. This is supposed to be fun!

For a newcomer to the subject, the wide range of individual "how to's" recorded on this topic in this thread can seem confusing.
The thing to keep in mind is you need the equivalent of "clean kitchen" hygiene throughout the brewing process.
There are a few things to avoid however: dish washing detergents & IMHO other sanitising products with which you are unfamiliar.
The issue of bottle cleaning needs a little more thought. If you are starting with new clean bottles you should not have any problem. If however your bottles are recycled from garbage they will require quite a bit of effort to get them clean. If you can purchase new 750 ml brown plastic bottles made for brewing I would recommend them. Other wise common sense rules.

Thanks! I'm really excited to get started!


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Our brew kit is here, our extraction kit is here. Waiting on our brew pot, and sanitizer to get here. Planning on brewing our first batch next Friday! Sooooo excited!!


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Has anyone found a cheaper alternative to light cleaning then pbw? With all the kegs, conicals, and brew pot cleaning I'm going through too much pbw. It's getting expensive.


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We use Oxyclean Versitale Free in Kegs, Brew Kettles and our conicals. We use PBW to run though pumps and hoses after a brew session.

I also use Oxyclean Versatile ( Green Lid is odor free ). I get it at my local walmart for $7 for 3 lbs.

Is there any special considerations w/Oxyclean? For example, only Versatile and not regular Oxyclean, right? I've heard regular Oxyclean shouldn't be used.

The oxyclean free does not have perfumes in it. Oxiclean should be rinsed. If you leave it in a pot or keg for quite a while, you may have to use a brush as it can leave a coating if you do not.

After a brew day, we normally rinse the brew pot and mash tun, fill with water to the brim, throw in oxiclean free and let soak overnight. If you have a poly carbonate (not glass) sight tube, it should not be left full of oxiclean or PBW for that mater as it may come apart at the seams (These tubes are actaully sprirals that are "glued" that oxiclean left for too long will "unglue".)

On our kegs, we rinse when floated and then fill with water and a scoop of oxixlean. WE have several kegs and may wait a couple of weeks before we clean several at a time.

If any residue is left, a quick scrub with BKF (Bar Keepers Friend) get rid of it quickly ( and does your stainless good).

Your brew pot will look really good as it gets rid of any baked on wort.

SixFoFalcon said:

I was still way below the threshold of getting any ill effects. Besides, beer makes everything OK.

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This is going to become my motto for life... As long as you're not dying, beer can fix it


Colorblind brewing

Flavor beats color every time

oakbarn said:

The oxyclean free does not have perfumes in it. Oxiclean should be rinsed. If you leave it in a pot or keg for quite a while, you may have to use a brush as it can leave a coating if you do not.

After a brew day, we normally rinse the brew pot and mash tun, fill with water to the brim, throw in oxiclean free and let soak overnight. If you have a poly carbonate (not glass) sight tube, it should not be left full of oxiclean or PBW for that mater as it may come apart at the seams (These tubes are actaully sprirals that are "glued" that oxiclean left for too long will "unglue".)

On our kegs, we rinse when floated and then fill with water and a scoop of oxixlean. WE have several kegs and may wait a couple of weeks before we clean several at a time.

If any residue is left, a quick scrub with BKF (Bar Keepers Friend) get rid of it quickly ( and does your stainless good).

Your brew pot will look really good as it gets rid of any baked on wort.

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Update: I left my fermenter with oxiclean for a week. I had added it "hot'. There was a film on the fermenter that was not coming off that easy. Soaked in Starsan and off it came!

Regarding bleach:
It is very economical, even when used at high strength sometimes necessary for speed.
Needs thorough washing away with a sanitised agent such as hot water from the domestic hot water tank.
You should wear safety specs & old clothes because you will get some minor splashes & in higher strengths this is destructive/risky.
I use strengths of about 25 to 30% for fermentor cleansing & I do this near naked in summer (Australia). No failures but lots of little holes in old clothes & washing of exposed skin.
Highly recommended, you can almost see it working, yes it's even better when some acidity is added (vinegar is OK) but this is not essential.

peterlonz said:

... it's even better when some acidity is added (vinegar is OK) but this is not essential.

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Please do not advise people to make chlorine gas. If you want to slowly kill yourself, that's your business, but mixing bleach with acids is never a good idea unless you have SCBA or a really REALLY good gas mask. Do a little research and use a safer procedure, such as bleach wash, thorough rinse, then vinegar wash (or vice versa)... or PBW or oxi.

+1 to jiMithing!

Mixing ANYTHING with chlorine bleach is a very BAD idea!!!

Cleaning with bleach, followed by a water rinse, followed by a vinegar rinse is a great way to clean, though. (Note the water rinse between the two steps)

Let me get this straight. The Oxyclean free that many people are using is a laundry detergent ? If it works why not. Just asking


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Backwoodsbrewing said:

Let me get this straight. The Oxyclean free that many people are using is a laundry detergent ? If it works why not. Just asking


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Yes but I usually just use the generic brands. The scented stuff can add off flavors.

Backwoodsbrewing said:

Let me get this straight. The Oxyclean free that many people are using is a laundry detergent ? If it works why not. Just asking


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Either Oxiclean Free or like SUN Oxygen cleaner. But only soak for a few hours. If you leave it longer you get a film on your equipment. Heated water and Oxiclean seem to cause this film more but even cold water and a long soak will cause the film. Also if you have polycarbonate sight tubes, I soak NO longer than 30 minutes. I had one de laminate when left over night. You can easily get rid of the film by soaking in Star San. That being said, I only use in things I can see the inside of. I have never had a film issue with PBW but then we do not leave any equipment in that very long.

So I switched to Star San as my sanitizer. I just can't get over the bubbles that form and take forever to go away. I know it's a no rinse sanitizer but someone tell me this is O. K.

MarkKF said:

So I switched to Star San as my sanitizer. I just can't get over the bubbles that form and take forever to go away. I know it's a no rinse sanitizer but someone tell me this is O. K. View attachment 234812

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Just pour it out and don't worry about the bubbles remaining.

Don't fear the foam!!!

I have my own Oxiclean question...

Is anyone familiar with a natural version like Seventh Generation Oxy Stain Remover? (http://shop.seventhgeneration.com/laundry-stain-remover.html?sku=69) According to their info it's all mineral-based but I don't see any info about what the Oxiclean brand is made from. (I think oxygen cleaners are powdered forms for hydrogen peroxide) Could this be a better alternative that is cheaper than PBW but slightly more expensive than Oxiclean brand?

Just wondering if anyone has used a "natural" version and what that experience was like.

Try it out, and let us know!
We use Seventh Generation liquid laundry detergent, and liquid dishwashing, ( for the sink), soap.

Are all cleaners equal, and are all sanitizers equal? Or should I be using different cleaners/sanitizers for different jobs? Are some considered "better" than others or is it a matter of personal preference?

PBW or Oxyclean from my brew store and Starsan. :rockin:

OK, I have something of an emergency question (well, emergency might be an overstatement):

I need to clean my beer lines tonight, but am all out of my usual cleaners. We are expecting a serious snow storm today (8-12" today, then 1-3" tonight) so I'm not going anywhere. I have: OxiClean White Revive (label says for laundry use only), Red Devil TSP/90, Old Dutch Cleanser with Bleach (like Comet). Can I use any of these? Or should I just run some hot water through the lines, maybe with a small amount of bleach to kill any yeast cells that might be in the line (followed by a rinse, of course).

Thanks, and sorry if this is a duplicate question.

Getting ready for the snow myself here in MA.
The trouble with laundry detergents will be/might be the perfumes.
I've only ever used the TSP/90 with "free" types of oxy (OxyClean Free, Sun Oxygen Free from Dollar Store, etc). TSP/90 alone will do cleaning but rinse rinse rinse rinse rinse. The (Google here for concentration) bleach solution (I StarSan) would sanitize but don't know the cleaning potential, what little I recall from posts read, is that bleach will clean but it's usually soaked overnight or several hours.

Not all cleaning agents can be safely used on food-contact surfaces. Examples of those that should not be used include: glass cleaners, some metal cleaners, tub and tile cleaners. The label should indicate if the product can be used on a food-contact surface.

Secondly, the ideal cleaning agent must be selected to make cleaning easy. Cleaning agents are divided into four categories:

Detergents -- All detergents contain surfactants that reduce surface tensions between the soil and the surface, so the detergent can penetrate quickly and soften the soil. Examples include Dawn and Joy dishwashing detergent and automatic dishwasher detergents.
Solvent cleaners -- Often called degreasers, solvent cleaners are alkaline detergents that contain a grease-dissolving agent. These cleaners work well in areas where grease has been burned on. Examples include Fantastik.

Acid cleaners -- Use on mineral deposits and other soils alkaline cleaners cannot remove, these cleaners are often used to remove scale in warewashing machines and steam tables. Examples include CLR.

Abrasive cleaners -- Use these cleaners to remove heavy accumulations of soil often found in small areas. The abrasive action is provided by small mineral or metal particles, fine steel wool, copper, or nylon particles. Some abrasive cleaners also disinfect. Examples include Ajax and Comet.

National Microscope Exchange
Thank You

balrog said:

Getting ready for the snow myself here in MA.
The trouble with laundry detergents will be/might be the perfumes.
I've only ever used the TSP/90 with "free" types of oxy (OxyClean Free, Sun Oxygen Free from Dollar Store, etc). TSP/90 alone will do cleaning but rinse rinse rinse rinse rinse. The (Google here for concentration) bleach solution (I StarSan) would sanitize but don't know the cleaning potential, what little I recall from posts read, is that bleach will clean but it's usually soaked overnight or several hours.

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Bleach contact with Stainless should be minimal. It will pit the surface. Bleach works immediately but you need to rinse, rinse, and rinse. StarSan is much better!

The only abrasive you should use is Bar Keepers Friend. It has the added benefit that it will passify Stainless Steel so it is a good cleaner to use on SS once in a while. If you see any rust (yes SS can rust), get the Bar Keepers Friend Out.

I didn't read through the 20 pages of comments but like lost my process. I use bleach to clean bedadine to sanitize (I am a medic and get this for free). I let everything that will touch my cooled wort soak in bleach, then I rinse and hit with betadine.

I have never had an infection I haven't induced. I am on my 132 batch of beer (5 gallons at a time), so this works no matter what.

Only caveat is I do a huge rinse.

I used to use Miltons solution as well as a cheaper own-brand version from the pharmacy, thin-bleach stuff for sanitizing baby's bottles. I found it required the use off too much water and required too long a time (15 mins) to work. Furthermore, it is difficult to rinse off, leaves that chlorine smell behind that taints the finished product. I used cold water to rinse because I didn't want to introduce microbes by using hot.

Now, I use sodium metabisulfite mixed with citric acid to sanitize equipment and containers. Sometimes I sanitize metal objects in the oven and on occasion I boil tea-towels along with thick rubber bands to sanitize them before using them to cover the primary fermentor.

I am pretty new to the scene of home brewing. What about using a spray mist of pure grain alcohol such as Everclear on already-clean surfaces, siphoning it through tubes, and soaking smaller parts? Would that not be a completely non-adulterating and quite effective sanitizer that could be re-used? (well, except for the spray-mist)

That would work. Starsan is cheaper than everclear though.

I was wondering how long would a 5G batch of starsan be "good" for? I follow the directions on the bottle, that I think it was 1oz to 5 G of water, in a 5G pail. but I was wondering how long that would stay effective, in a sealed pail?

I was just curious what everyone elses practices are?

thanks,

I keep mine 2 to 3 weeks