Mr. Mojo Rising
Well-Known Member
Is my One Step a true replacement for the bleach I have been using to sanitize? It says no-rinse cleanser?
Thanks
Thanks
Is One Step by Logic a cleaner or sanitizer
- Thread starter Mr. Mojo Rising
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Tony
Well-Known Member
One Step is a percarbonate cleaner. It is made from sodium carbonate, and a bleaching agent that releases hydrogen peroxide. It isnt a bleach, and is more suited for brewing. For sanitizing, try Iodophor, Star San or Sani Clean. Remember, there are cleaners, and there are sanitizers. All basically are no rinse, where bleach would need to be rinsed off completely.
OP
OP
Mr. Mojo Rising
Well-Known Member
So let me get this right. One Step is NOT a sanitizer. I ask this because I have seen it advertised as such. Buyer Beware?
Tony
Well-Known Member
Some companies try to say it is a sanitizer, but in reality it is only a cleaner. Percarbonates do not act as a germicide and do not kill bacteria. You need Iodophor, Star San and the likes to kill bacteria. This is confusing to so may people because of advertising.
MA_Brewer
Well-Known Member
No - not when mixed in their proper concentrations. It should say on the label how to use it. More is not better, either - just mix what it says, and it should be fine.kingjam said:
Gedvondur
Well-Known Member
Tony said:
Ummm....I hate to be a jerk about this but.......Hydrogen Peroxide certainly does act as an anti-bacteriological agent. It is a sanitizer.
From Wikipedia:
"Hydrogen peroxide is GRAS (Generally Recognised As Safe) as an antimicrobial agent, an oxidizing agent and more by the US Food and Drug Administration.[8] Hydrogen peroxide can also be used as a toothpaste when mixed with correct quantities of baking soda and salt.[9] Like benzoyl peroxide, hydrogen peroxide is also sometimes used in the treatment of acne."
You are simply wrong about One-Step. It is a sanitizer, as it releases hydrogen peroxide and soda ash and acts as a sanitizer. I'm not sure where the logic of claiming it isn't is coming from.
Gedvondur
I've *heard* that One-Step is not marketed as a sanitizer solely because they would be held to much higher marketing standards if they make that claim.
With that said, I find Iodophor to be cheap and effective, to leave no flavor in the beer, and not only is no-rinse - it really doesn't need to be dried all that well, just get most of it out of the fermenter or off your gear. I remember One-Step being quite a bit more expensive, although I will confess that I may not have been using it at the proper dilution rate (it's been a while since I used it).
With that said, I find Iodophor to be cheap and effective, to leave no flavor in the beer, and not only is no-rinse - it really doesn't need to be dried all that well, just get most of it out of the fermenter or off your gear. I remember One-Step being quite a bit more expensive, although I will confess that I may not have been using it at the proper dilution rate (it's been a while since I used it).
Gedvondur
Well-Known Member
the_bird said:
I did a little research and a 16.9oz bottle of Iodophor runs about $7.95 and can make 169 gallons of sanitizer. That's using the recommended 1/10 of an ounce per gallon for a solution of 12.5 ppm.
To make the same amount of solution (169 gallons) with One-Step, (using One-Step's recommended dose) it would take 5.28 or so pounds of One-Step, at a cost of around $20.00. All prices are from Northern Brewer.
So the Iodophor is clearly a superior sanitizer in term of cost. It would seem it is superior in terms of time as well, as One-Step is a 2 minute contact time, and the Iodophor is a one minute contact time. Both are no-rinse.
Good call, the_bird!
Gedvondur
For giggles, you should do the calcs for Star-San as well. Gotta prep for a meeting or I'd do it myself...
Gedvondur
Well-Known Member
the_bird said:
To make 169 gallons of StarSan solution, it would cost approximately $12.61. However StarSan is not recommended for soft metals or plastics, and you should wear gloves when using it, it is acidic. Contact time is listed as 1 to 2 minutes, so for our purposes we will say two minutes.
Here's a breakout of all three sanitizers:
StarSan = $0.07 per gallon *32oz container price
One-Step = $0.11 per gallon *5lbs container price
Iodophor = $0.03 per gallon *33oz container price
These per-gallon prices are a little off from my last post because these are done with the largest available size of each chemical, where the other prices were done on the smallest container.
Gedvondur
EdWort
Well-Known Member
I picked up a gallon of Star San for $26 when I facilitated a bulk grain buy. That brings my price per gallon of sanitizer down to $0.04.
Since I'm on septic, Iodophor is out. Starsan is septic friendly, plus I don't mind racking into a carboy full of foam. I pour it back into my sanitizing bucket and resuse it till the pH level changes. I then start fresh. I also keep some in a spray bottle for other surfaces.
For me, Starsan Rocks!:rockin:
Since I'm on septic, Iodophor is out. Starsan is septic friendly, plus I don't mind racking into a carboy full of foam. I pour it back into my sanitizing bucket and resuse it till the pH level changes. I then start fresh. I also keep some in a spray bottle for other surfaces.
For me, Starsan Rocks!:rockin:
MA_Brewer
Well-Known Member
Do people here wear gloves? I just switched over to star san, and I didn't wear gloves, my skin didn't melt off. Maybe with prolonged exposure, or if I used it more often...?
Gedvondur
Well-Known Member
EdWort said:
You do bring up some great points, Ed, especially when considering a septic system. All of these products drop in price significantly when you start buying in bulk. The ability to reuse the mixed product is also a significant factor when considering which sanitizer to use.
Gedvondur
Gedvondur
Well-Known Member
MA_Brewer said:Do people here wear gloves? I just switched over to star san, and I didn't wear gloves, my skin didn't melt off. Maybe with prolonged exposure, or if I used it more often...?
Gross, MA_Brewer!
Heh, I imagine that people with sensitive skin may see some effect sooner than others. I would think that if you have prolonged exposure to it, it may give you a rash or a low grade chemical burn.
When I worked in food service, lo these many years ago, I used to use a degreaser called Northwoods Fireball. For a quick cleanup, I never bothered with gloves. However, if we were going to do a big clean up, say wash the walls behind the fryers and major equipment scrubbing, you needed gloves. One of my coworkers ended up with bright pink hands, as the Fireball ate most of her skin off. Extremely painful.
Tony
Well-Known Member
Gedvondur said:
I love those words..., such an oxymoron.
Anyway, believe what you want, thats all I have to say, as the effectiveness of One Step as actual sanitzer has been in question for many years. Plus, the effectiveness of hydrogen peroxide is compromised greatly by organic materials. Also, I wouldnt look to Wikipedia for knowledge, as it has been banned as reference material by many colleges. So thats where the logic comes from.
Jack
Well-Known Member
According to Logic...
I use One Step as a sanitizer and I have never had any problems with it. For me, I don't care whether it is or not because it works. Period.
Logic said:
I use One Step as a sanitizer and I have never had any problems with it. For me, I don't care whether it is or not because it works. Period.
EdWort
Well-Known Member
Jack said:
That's the main thing. If it works for you, then life is good!
Buford
Well-Known Member
Star San has never bothered my hands other than a little skin dryness. You have your hands in it so little overall that it isn't particularly bothersome. It's nowhere as bad as keg scrubbing day when I spent six hours with Straight-A solution and Barkeepers Friend getting crud off of old kegs with no gloves. The backs of my hands felt like lizard skin for a week.
magno
Sound Level Technician
Jack said:
I had sanitized with one step on the only batch that I have ever had to dump. That was not the first batch that I had used it for, but those 5 gal down the drain (minus the 5 or so bottles that exploded in my closet) were enough to get me to switch to iodophor.
- magno
Brewsmith
Home brewing moogerfooger
Star San dries out my skin a little, but it's less than all the concrete I normally work with, so I don't care. Also as far as costs go, you can reuse Star san, lowering the cost dramatically per brew.
One step is definately a sanitizer. It's basically oxy clean without any detergents. Which brings up another point, you can use oxyclean instead, but you have to rinse well since it has surficants and other chemicals in it.
MA_Brewer
Well-Known Member
The ability to reuse is one of the reasons that I switched, now I just have to figure out how I am going to keep tabs on the PH. Test strips?Brewsmith said:
jagg
Well-Known Member
What are yall's feelings on using B-brite sanitizer?
MA_Brewer
Well-Known Member
My feeling is that it is really a cleaner, not an effective sanitizer. C Brite used to be marketed as a sanitizer, but it is no longer packaged that way. I switched to Star San for my sanitizer.jagg said:
B Brite is similar to OxyClean - great as a cleaner.
Sprucemoose
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EdWort said:
What will Iodophor do to a septic system? I assume ruin it, but how? Further, how do you know if you have a septic system? And since I seem to know nothing about anything...What is the land speed of the Cheeta? :fro:
cyfan964
Well-Known Member
it's spelled Cheetah 
... and I think it is somewhere around 72 miles per hour.
... and I think it is somewhere around 72 miles per hour.
cyfan964
Well-Known Member
Also, In Jim Koch's instructional DVD he clarifies B-Brite as a sanitizer. If he says it's one I think I'll trust him because Sam Adam's is darn good!
If you go #2 and the grass gets greener, you are on septic.
Or...if you pay for sewer on your water bill, you are not on septic.
MikeRoBrew1
Well-Known Member
I have used nothing but One Step for 15-20 batches and never had a problem. I mean, it's CALLED One Step.....
If your fermenter is not CLEAN of surface gunk however, you can possibly risk infection.
If your fermenter is not CLEAN of surface gunk however, you can possibly risk infection.
I will be making my first brew this weekend and am planning on using One Step to sanitize.
The package of One Step I am planning to use is about 15 years old - never been opened. Does anyone know if this stuff breaks down over time or should I feel confident in using it?
Since my LHBS is a distance away - it's either gonna be this or bleach me thinks.
The package of One Step I am planning to use is about 15 years old - never been opened. Does anyone know if this stuff breaks down over time or should I feel confident in using it?
Since my LHBS is a distance away - it's either gonna be this or bleach me thinks.
maffewl
Well-Known Member
If you have a Tractor Supply or farm store around you could buy the Gentle Wound 1% titratable iodine (Around $15 for a gallon). The dosage recommended per this forum is .75 ounces (1.5 tablespoons) in 5 gallons of water to get the 12.5 ppm. Check out this thread for more info.
https://www.homebrewtalk.com/f39/idophor-225490/
Just to add one more voice supporting the use of one-step. Hydrogen Peroxide works fantastically as a disinfectant, just for long. Any little bit of dirt, and the effectiveness is basically gone. Used to use One-Step, but have now switched to Star-San for reusability.
I use both One-Step and Star-San. One-Step for cleaning the hard to reach dried out gunk in my carboy and other equipment (I don't clean it the night of brewing because I'm usually too exhausted afterwards). Then on brew day (which may be weeks or months later) I sanitize any equipment that comes into contact with the cooled wort with about 5 gallons of a Star-San/water solution in an old cooler. Haven't had an infected batch yet although I'm only on batch #6.
idahobrew
Well-Known Member
I have used One Step on my first 7 batches so far without a problem. MLBS says it's the best sanitizer. I read somewhere that One Step is not labeled as a sanatizer as they would have to pay (whoever regulates these things) big bucks to have it labeled as a sanatizer. I just purchased some Star San as that seems to be the sanatizer of choice here at the forum. I like the idea that I can use Star San with distilled water and have it last for quite some time. I will probably use both as I still have some One Step left but nothing bad to say about One Step as it has worked well for me.
StarSan is fine for plastics. It comes in concentrated form in a plastic container. I've read and heard multiple interviews with the guys from 5 Star and they say over and over it's fine for plastics.
That being said, I'm no chemist.
No one responded to this. Obviously it's true that hydrogen peroxide is a powerful disinfectant, but is there enough of a % to kill bacteria? typical home use hydrogen peroxide is 3% and it is very powerful.
I am new to homebrewing. I use one step to sanitize (not to clean) by soaking. I feel it is very easy on plastics and rubber parts. I also use 70% to 90% alcohol for spot cleaning.
Star San seems to be really popular. It's one of those things all the homebrewers buy.
I love to be corrected, please don't be shy! I am not one to steer away from the pack, but I'm still not sure if I will be comforted by using Star San like everyone else.
bdjohns1
Well-Known Member
iambeer said:
For what it's worth, I use a contact lens solution that contains 3% hydrogen peroxide as the disinfectant. It comes with a case that has some kind of catalyst in in, so that by the time I wake up in the morning, the case is just normal saline.
So far, I haven't seen anything funny growing in my eyes...
TimpanogosSlim
Well-Known Member
IMHO one-step and other percarbonate based cleaners (including PBW and oxi-clean) do effectively sanitize if used properly, but i admit that i have joined the church of star-san for sake of peace of mind.
I figure if you clean all the gunk off of your gear, and use it immediately thereafter (rinsing twice if you are using PBW or oxi-clean), you are unlikely to get an infection unless you are using a badly scratched ale pail or something - which is not going to get effectively sanitized by star-san either.
But CIP no-rinse sanitizing with an agent that breaks down into yeast nutrient (vs. sodium carbonate which can slow fermentation) just makes sense.
I figure if you clean all the gunk off of your gear, and use it immediately thereafter (rinsing twice if you are using PBW or oxi-clean), you are unlikely to get an infection unless you are using a badly scratched ale pail or something - which is not going to get effectively sanitized by star-san either.
But CIP no-rinse sanitizing with an agent that breaks down into yeast nutrient (vs. sodium carbonate which can slow fermentation) just makes sense.
AnimalHouseBrewery
Member
Which no-rinse sanitizer breaks down into a yeast nutrient?
Sorry to resurrect this old post, but it is better than starting a new thread right?
