Any harm in storing iodaphor/water solution short-term?

I was wondering if it was in any way problematic to save an Iodaphor/water solution for a week or two in a food grade fermentation bucket or glass carboy. I have a batch of brew that i am about to need to bottle, and i was thinking about getting another food grade bucket, in which case i would need to clean it, and i will also need to clean all of my bottles.

Does the solution loose its ability to sanitize after it has been mixed with water for a week or two, or is it in any way harmful to a food grade bucket (that i use for fermentation/bottling) when left in it for a week or two (or longer).

The reason i ask is because i only have a small bottle of iodaphor left and i am a cheap ass college student who would spend money on another bucket, some extract and grain, and possibly a small chest freezer/fridge.

thanks

Once diluted for use, iodaphor will lose strength fairly quickly over time (you'll actually see the color lighten). And, if stored in plastic for extended periods, it has a nasty tendcy to discolor the plastic, sometimes permanently (depends on plastic/strength of solution/time). I wouldn't count on it more than 2-3 days from when it's mixed (and for me, 3 would be pushing it).

You may want to look into using StarSan in the future. It's much more stable over longer periods, especially when used with distilled water where it can remain stable for months.

if your going to store a sanitizer i would store StarSan.

As opposed to starsan which can keep for months if diluted with distilled as opposed to tap water, even using distilled with iodophor will only give you about 24 hours of use.

You don't need to mix up a huge amount to brew, you can get a lot of use out of mixing up only a couple gallons at a time (if not less) and even using it in a spray bottle...since it is a wet contact sanitizer, you really just need to coat the surface with it. You can even put a gallon's worth in the bottom of the bucket, seal it and shake it thoroughly aroung to coat everything, then dump any gear you need into it.

I put a lot of good info, tips, and even the links to some podcasts on using sanitizers like iodophor and starsan effectively, here; https://www.homebrewtalk.com/f39/sanitizer-question-54932/

Also to save money, you can get a gallon of farm grade iodine based sanitizer. Many of us get it bulk through Tractor Supply Company. I use 1.5tbs/5 gallons as opposed to the 1tbs/5 gallons of LHBS iodophor.



http://www.tractorsupply.com/livest...und-care/dionne-gentle-iodine-1-1-gal-2209723

IIRC it's 20 bucks for a gallon and will last a lifetime if you follow the tips mentioned in that thread.

pdbreen said:

Once diluted for use, iodaphor will lose strength fairly quickly over time (you'll actually see the color lighten). And, if stored in plastic for extended periods, it has a nasty tendcy to discolor the plastic, sometimes permanently (depends on plastic/strength of solution/time). I wouldn't count on it more than 2-3 days from when it's mixed (and for me, 3 would be pushing it).

You may want to look into using StarSan in the future. It's much more stable over longer periods, especially when used with distilled water where it can remain stable for months.

Click to expand...

I have since switched to starsan, but used to use iodophor. Once when I bought a bottle, it came with some free test strips. My solution lasted up to a month. I contacted the factory, and they said "good for you, but unless you test it, you can't bet on the solution lasting that long."

If you want to stick with iodophor, e-mail the factory and get some test strips, cause it will last longer than most people here think. I'm sure this will vary widely with water quality though.

According to the maker of iodophor, a properly diluted solution will be ineffective in 24hrs. Here is the podcast from Basic Brewing Radio

http://www.bayareamashers.org/content/maindocs/iodophor.htm

"Regarding iodophor that has been diluted to a working solution, Dr. Landman explained that there are a number of things that work to degrade the products' efficacy. Chlorine and protein load were the two mentioned first, but Dr. Landman agreed that both sunlight and exposure to the atmosphere may very well be factors. Iodophor is very stable in it's undiluted form, but will begin to degrade, (albeit slowly), once it has been diluted to a working solution. In either case, it is far more stable than chlorine which begins to degrade immediately upon being manufactured. The color of the iodophor solution is a rough guide to it's effectiveness as a sanitizer. If the solution still has its amber color, it is most likely still active. It is recommended that a fresh solution should be mixed when the color fades or after 24 hours. "

Nice! I'm actually looking to join the Bay Area Mashers but their meeting times conflict with another commitment I have... soon though...

... now back to your regularly scheduled thread.

Cool, thanks for all the info guys.