starsan vs iodophor

Brewer's Friend 728
Homebrew Talk - Beer, Wine, Mead, & Cider Brewing Discussion Forum

Help Support Homebrew Talk - Beer, Wine, Mead, & Cider Brewing Discussion Forum:

This site may earn a commission from merchant affiliate links, including eBay, Amazon, and others.
H

Hopstep

Member
Joined
Nov 22, 2008
Messages
19
Reaction score
1
Location
West Virginia
I just got done brewing a DIPA and am a little worried about the faint smell of iodophor on everything. Should I rinse iodophor with water or just let it dry. I did follow the dilution recommendation but it still seems to have a smell. Would anyone recommend starsan instead?
 
I have a septic system and gave away my quart bottle of Iodophor and switched to Starsan since it is septic safe. I've never had any problems with it and use it to sanitize all sorts of surfaces. It's great stuff. I highly recommend it.
 
Hopstep said:
Should I rinse iodophor with water or just let it dry. I did follow the dilution recommendation but it still seems to have a smell.
Click to expand...

I too am curious about this. I did read though, you shouldn't have to rinse, just let it dry, but the smell did bother me and was wondering if the smell would permiate the beer.
So I stick with bleach as my sanitizer and never had a problem.
 
i use nothing but iodophor.

let it dry...you'd have to use a very high concentration and leave it wet for the flavor to get into the beer.

EDIT: as long as i use the right concentration, i don't even let it dry completely every time. i just shake out the water and hold it upside down for a little while. works fine.
 
They both work equally well, they ARE BOTH NO RINSE at the recommended dillution AND NEITHER affect the flavor of the beer, even if you smell the iodophor, it won't affect the beer......

They both have their pluses and minuses, their fans and their detractors...AND there's a TON of information on each of them on here...My suggestion is rather than solicit opinions, do some research on both of them and make up your mind...

Like I said there's a ton of info on here, a little search will net all the info you need...

Because ultimately between the two, any issue of what is better is going to be PURELY a matter of opinion...Both of them are no rinse, both are fantastic, and BOTH are FDA approved (in fact they are the ONLY FDA approved sanitizers sold in brewing shops, any of the others are not FDA approvd, andusually called clensers instead) ...you too will have to form your own opinion.

I'll start you on your journey with this thread...https://www.homebrewtalk.com/f39/sanitizer-question-54932/

There's a link in there to the basic brewing podcasts, they did two shows back to back one on iodophor, and one on starsan...those are great places to start...because you will learn tips and tricks for using both...and you will probably find all the answers you need to make an informed opinion...
 
Guys, starsan and iodophor are bot WET CONTACT sanitizers....if you let them dry you are only getting half the job out of them, you are only killing what's already on them...but if any micro organisms touch them after the fact, the nasty will render the object no longer santized...if the surface is wet, then the bugs are toast....

The motto for them is "If you let them dry, the bugs no longer die...".
 
I too have a septic system and I use Iodophor. Not a good idea?

EdWort said:
I have a septic system and gave away my quart bottle of Iodophor and switched to Starsan since it is septic safe. I've never had any problems with it and use it to sanitize all sorts of surfaces. It's great stuff. I highly recommend it.
Click to expand...
 
I'll get one of those carboy drainers eventually, but for now, I just put a sanitized juice glass over the neck of the carboy while its waiting for the beer.
 
GrantLee63 said:
I too have a septic system and I use Iodophor. Not a good idea?
Click to expand...

I personally like Star-san better because of it's many different uses (example) I wash my fruits and vegi's with it but:

If you treat your septic tank right otherwise a little bit or even 5 gallons of diluted iodophor won't cause any problems

How Septic Systems Work - Septic Tanks - Septic Tank Design - Septic System Design - Septic Fields - Septic Tank Systems - In-depth Expert Septic System Information on Septic Tank Pumping, Septic Pumps, Septic System Maintenance, Septic Repairs, Sept

Can Some Conditions Kill Off Needed Septic Tank Bacteria?
If other conditions at a property have resulted in killing-off the (needed) septic tank bacteria (such as adding unusually large amounts of bleach, disinfectants, or antibiotics to a septic tank) some folks sell bacterial "starters" to "rejuvenate" the septic tank. To me this makes little sense for the following reasons:

Calculations of "septic tank die-off" which demonstrate that about 2 gallons of bleach is likely to harm septic tank bacteria have been based on a "static septic system", a fixed septic tank volume into which no new wastewater, sewage, and their diluting and re inoculating effect have been considered.
If you don't correct the conditions that have caused a bacterial die-off in the septic tank, no amount of starter or booster is going to make any difference.
Adding products such as enzymes which claim to break down grease risk destroying the floating scum layer in the septic tank, forcing unwanted oils and debris into the leach field.
As soon as you stop putting inappropriate bleach, disinfectant, or antibiotics into the septic system and after the first time someone uses a toilet, the septic tank has been re inoculated with what it needs.
Forcing hydrogen peroxide or other chemicals into drainfield or leach field soils can damage the soil and contaminate the environment.
 
DeathBrewer said:
that's why you leave them upside down to drip dry, so nothing drops inside them.

carboys can be put inside one of these guys and sit around until you're ready to pour your wort:

CARBOY DRAINER @ Williams Brewing
Click to expand...

A couple weeks after christmas last year I bought one of the plastic christmas tree stands for $1. It works great as a carboy drainer.
 
Revvy said:
Guys, starsan and iodophor are bot WET CONTACT sanitizers....if you let them dry you are only getting half the job out of them, you are only killing what's already on them...but if any micro organisms touch them after the fact, the nasty will render the object no longer santized...if the surface is wet, then the bugs are toast....

The motto for them is "If you let them dry, the bugs no longer die...".
Click to expand...

Star san is advertised as leaving a high TDS/acid film when it dries that continues to zap the nasties. Kind of like a microbial flypaper. That said, too much handling will effectively remove this microfine layer, as will rinsing.

I don't know this for sure, but I believe I read somewhere that iodophor is out of production.
 
I used to use iodophor at the recommend rate but I always had this "House" flavor in all my beers. I switched to Star San and bingo it was gone, so for me I am a big believer in the product. I threw all my iodophor out and have never looked back. You need to do you own research and see what works best for you in your situation.
 
I've used Iodophore for years. Yesterday I bought a bottle of Star San at my LHBS because I wanted to try it. I brewed yesterday, so I used the Star San.

It makes a lot of soapy bubbles. I didn't mind it for bucket-sanitizing the parts for my conical and brewing gear. But I was really dismayed by the foamy bubbles left in my conical after I drained it. It was 1/3rd full of foam. I didn't want to rinse it out for fear of contaminating my sanitized conical, so I racked my finished wort on top of it. If it makes my beer taste soapy, this will make for a really expensive lesson.

I've also used Saniclean, another product by Five Star. It is not as economical to use as Star San since it isn't as concentrated. It doesn't foam, but even when you first mix it, it looks like dirty water.

I will use the Star San and the Saniclean that I bought, but I won't buy any more of either of them. I prefer Iodophore. It is easy to use, inexpensive, and doesn't foam.
 
I use the onestep no rinse sanitizer... But I have been thinking of switching to one of these. I guess I will have to do some research.
 
MgMt_Home_Brew said:
I use the onestep no rinse sanitizer... But I have been thinking of switching to one of these. I guess I will have to do some research.
Click to expand...


One Step is a no rinse cleaner not a sanitizer...unless they made another product that i havent heard of.
 
billtzk said:
If it makes my beer taste soapy, this will make for a really expensive lesson.


I will use the Star San and the Saniclean that I bought, but I won't buy any more of either of them. I prefer Iodophore. It is easy to use, inexpensive, and doesn't foam.
Click to expand...

Reapeat after me : DON'T FEAR THE FOAM

I have been using it for years...You will not taste any soap...actually the yeast will eat all of it up...Its Superior to iodophor IMO. I don't much care for all of my brewing equipment turning a nice redish pink either.
 
Starsan is not bad for your beer, read more into it. I use oxy-clean for my carboys to get them nice and clean, I then rinse it, then put starsan in it and rinse that out. Even leaving a little starsan in the batch is not bad for the beer.

I back starsan over anything else.
 
You shouldn't rinse out the starsan. I know because I used to do that and I was flamed for doing so. The thinking is that there could be nasties in the rinse water (unless you use RO or pre boiled water). And also, anything that floats down and touches the surface is no longer going to be zapped if you are sans starsan.

I have foam-fear issues myself, but I'm striving to conquer them.
 
Revvy said:
Go read the link I posted in my first post...al the info about Onestep is explained there...

...
Click to expand...



I have heard OneStep is not as effective because you cannot clean and sanitize at the same time, you clean first and then sanitize.
But If the FDA doesn't wasnt to aprove it for sanitizing...thats good enough for me to reach for a different product.
My personal results with Oxyclean or PBW followed up by star-san have worked flawlessly buy YMMV.
 
The foam in star san is not made of soap, but two kinds of acid, the predominate one being phosphoric acid. Phosphoric acid provides an essential nutrient when diluted -- phosphorous -- that nearly every living organism requires to one extent or other. The guy that said yeast eats the star san was fairly astute.

I don't know where I read about the iodophor being discontinued. It was on a forum, and I recall the guy being pretty adamant about it. But it was probably bull.
 
Not sure how you use Star San since I use an acid sanitizer that I get at work, but if you dilute your sanitizer with water (which I'm sure you do), put the water in first, then add the sanitizer as this will not cause as much foam. In fact, you should always do this anyways for safety reasons.
 
dazed said:
I have heard OneStep is not as effective because you cannot clean and sanitize at the same time, you clean first and then sanitize.
But If the FDA doesn't wasnt to aprove it for sanitizing...thats good enough for me to reach for a different product.
My personal results with Oxyclean or PBW followed up by star-san have worked flawlessly buy YMMV.
Click to expand...

Yes...I agree. Oxy-clean or PBW then Stra-San is ga great process I do.
 
SPLASTiK said:
FDA doesn't want to? You have a source for that?

On the issue of iodophor flavor in beer: read this experiment
Click to expand...

Let me rephrase that " If its not FDA approved for sanitizing...thats good enough for me to reach for a different product.

I don't have any proof, and do not know if they have, or have not tested it for that.
 
I'm pretty new to the wine/beer making process and have recently ran out of the cleanser sanitizer that the Brew store gave me with my wine kit. I have fould out about the starsan and iodophor from the board here.

My question is...is there a place to buy either of these sanitizers locally? Not at a brew store (very far from my home) or on the internet? Any info would be great. Thanks!
 
Starsan will be tough to find outside of a brewing store, you will have to use the interwebs. Iodophore can be found at any farm supply store. It is simply an iodine sanitizer, just dilute properly and you are all set.

I use both Iodophore and Starsan. Both have worked great. The foam goes neutral when it is dissolved in the pH of the wort and is eaten by the yeast. This is why you do not need to fear the foam.
 
SPLASTiK said:
FDA doesn't want to? You have a source for that?
Click to expand...

It's NOT that the FDA won't approve it, it's that the makers of Onestep won't go through the hurdles to get it approved (for whatever reason) they claim they don't want to pay the money for it....Which I think is odd, because they don't seem to be hurting for money for their product...they have exclusive deals with Mr Beer, and just about every online or retail brewing kit manufacturer to have it included in their starter sets (and in the case of mr beer every ingredient kit as well iirc)...so they must be making a good chunk of change on their product...

So if they can't be bothered to actually spend their money to get it approved like Btf-Iodophor, and Star San...I can't be bothered to spend my hard earned money on it...nor will I risk my beer (which again is a reflection of my time and money.) And nor will I champion their product like I do the other two.

I use both...Starsan and bulk iodine from TSC...and I alternate using it...funny on a recent Basic Brewing Podcast Chris Colby the Editor of BYO magazine mentioned alternating or switching between sanitizers....I have been listenning to the Aussie Craftbrewer's podcasts (they have 60 years of brewing know how between them, and 10 years of radio and podcasts, and Palmer used t listen to them BEFORE he wrote HTB, he used to send them emails, before anyone knew who he was) THEY were talking about "House Germs" and "House Mouth" and how over time bugs in our brewery adapt to our sanitization regimen (like antibiotics and infections.)

So afterhaving some late summer issues, and switching to starsan for a few brews, I've been swapping back and forth to keep my germs at bay...sometimes even use both on the same batch of beer....Sanitizing during brewing with iodophor, and at bottling with starsan, or vice versa.

Colby makes the comment about alternating here..

January 15, 2009 - Fermenting in a Keg
Chris Colby, editor of Brew Your Own magazine, tells us how to ferment in Corny kegs . . . and why.
http://media.libsyn.com/media/basicbrewing/bbr01-15-09kegferment.mp3
Click to expand...
 
Just want to add some more points for star-san....This is from an email that Charlie Taley from Five-Star Chemicals wrote to me several years ago before he retired...

"When I ran the bacteria tests 30 years ago I always had kill within 30
seconds. What EPA will not let tell people is that I also ran tests where
items like milk, cola, wine, beer, and other food items were in the
bacterial test as well. These items when introduced into a test will
normally cause the test to fail. This is exactly what happens when iodine
or chlorine are tested. The Star San passed! It not only passed it had
99.99999 (7 log reduction) in one minute! That is why I tell people it is a
stone killer>

As for the residual yes it will keep organisms from growing as long as it
doesn't come into contact with moisture for about one week. At least that
is what my non-EPA tests have proven."
 
I use both...Starsan and bulk iodine from TSC...and I alternate using it...funny on a recent Basic Brewing Podcast Chris Colby the Editor of BYO magazine mentioned alternating or switching between sanitizers....I have been listenning to the Aussie Craftbrewer's podcasts (they have 60 years of brewing know how between them, and 10 years of radio and podcasts, and Palmer used t listen to them BEFORE he wrote HTB, he used to send them emails, before anyone knew who he was) THEY were talking about "House Germs" and "House Mouth" and how over time bugs in our brewery adapt to our sanitization regimen (like antibiotics and infections.)
Click to expand...
I always used bleach up through the fermentation and Amberdyne for the kegs but recently thought that maybe I should switch things up occasionally for exactly this reason. So I'll be giving StarSan a debut this weekend.

One thing I learned already:
Pro: When you spill a little StarSan it doesn't stain.
Con: That 'portioning' container seems more likely to leak. Don't ask me how I know this...it was a brand new container too.:D
 
SpanishCastleAle said:
I always used bleach up through the fermentation and Amberdyne for the kegs but recently thought that maybe I should switch things up occasionally for exactly this reason. So I'll be giving StarSan a debut this weekend.

One thing I learned already:
Pro: When you spill a little StarSan it doesn't stain.
Con: That 'portioning' container seems more likely to leak. Don't ask me how I know this...it was a brand new container too.:D
Click to expand...

Actually Starsan will stain lineloium counter tops...maybe not so much stain but eat through the surface layer...There are a few "My wife is gonna be pi@@ed threads" on here with pictures.

Dilluted it can eat the paint of Stone and some Redstripe bottles, so a few undilluted drops on counters and floors is not a good idea.

I've never had a problem with the portioning container leaking, but I betcha if you squeezed hard on the bottle, you could ruin the seal on the cap making it pretty easy to have leak later.
 
Wow, thanks for the heads-up on the aggressiveness of StarSan. This leak was in the bag when I drove home from the LHBS so it didn't really get on anything outside of the bag.

I've had one of those exact same portioning bottles of gas treatment (or oil for a 2-stroke) leak out of the lid. I dunno why they don't close both lids more securely.:mad:

BTW Revvy...you're missing one in your sig:
StarSan vs. Iodophor...both work.:D
 
StarSan can do some damage (I've read) if left long enough. On the other hand I sanitize my hands in it all the time, and my wife now has a spray bottle to sanitize the counter tops after cleaning them. I also use it to sanitize the water bottles we re-use.

Oh and I've also tasted it (diluted, not concentrated) and it does have a bit of a bite, but just as much as orange juice I'd say.
 
Brew-Happy said:
Revvy,

What product on you using from TSC?

I found a product on TSC's website that is much cheaper than Idophor and would be interested in it for $ sake.

Thanks.
Click to expand...

I bought this. Dionne Gentle Iodine...

2209723.jpg


Tractor Supply Company - Dionne Gentle Iodine 1%, 1 gal
 

Similar threads

Mr Drinklestien
Conical Cleaning -- CIP Ball VS. Disassembly, Soak & Scrub
Replies
16
Views
867
Brooothru
Brooothru
R
A few passivation questions
Replies
1
Views
385
Indian_villager
I
J
Back again for peace of mind
Replies
2
Views
175
Joewalla88
J
T
Need Recommendation for Keg Posts and Ball Lock Disconnects
Replies
9
Views
869
terrypratt1
T
oyendrila gupta
Stalled fermentation
Replies
2
Views
184
Johnny2
J
Brewer's Friend 300

Latest posts

Back
Top