Using alcohol to sanitize

[m_f]

Hi there!
In my home country (argentina) most HBrs use etylic alcohol 70% to sanitize. The stuff is more expensive than bleach but still cheaper than one-step sanitizer. Their claim is that ethanol is "one step sanitizer" 'cause you rinse with it (need only seconds of contact time) and then it just dries out. No rinse, etc...

Here in the US, the alcohol available in stores is either isopropyl or denatured ethanol, both toxic and non usable for human consumption. I understand that this is done on purpose to avoid the taxes on alcoholic beverages.

my question is: is there any way to get pute ethanol (usable as sanitizer) at a reasonable price here in the US?

thanks!

 

[DrewsBrews]

Some places sell grain alcohol (190 proof), but it's hard to find in my state. They told me I'd have to get a special license to buy it. So I settled for the next best thing: Bacardi 151.

It's stronger than isopropyl or denatured ethanol and it's safe for contact with food/beer stuff. I wipe it on bottle necks and light it with a fireplace lighter whenever I'm going to transfer cultured yeast from one bottle to another container. Pretty blue flame and instantly sanitized.

I don't know about using it to do larger pieces of equipment though.

 

[WhatsOnTap]

My dad has a bud that HB's and he uses 151 Bacardi to sanitize. He says a little goes a long way. I don't know how he uses it but if you want I can find out...

WOT

 

[Janx]

Why not use Iodophor?

Just saying...

 

[m_f]

I see.
the university here sells the stuff, it's 10 bucks a gallon, but they say clearly CAMPUS USE ONLY...
no way I'm brewing on campus LOL

I was asking, just in case...

 

[parasonic]

my question is: is there any way to get pute ethanol (usable as sanitizer) at a reasonable price here in the US?

It might not be legal, but it's easy to make yourself.

 

[StewJo]

You have to be very careful using any kind of alcohol for sanatizing because of the fire risk. It is very easy to get into a situation where a small spark from static electricity or pilot light can turn your brew room into flaming hell.

I use small amounts of cheap vodka for spot sanitizing, like the mouth of the carboy, thermometer, etc. because it won't hurt anything to get a little in your wort. But you don't want too much of that stuff spread around your workspace.

 

[DrewsBrews]

Agreed. I found that pouring a teaspoon or so into a small, plastic medicine measuring cup, putting the lid back on the bottle, and than dipping a Q-tip into the cup so I can wipe down the bottle neck works well and keeps the exposure to a flame up about the same as pouring a glass to drink.

I like to play with fire once in a while, but not uncontrolled fire.

 

[SteveM]

I believe that at least in Pennsylvania, most 190 proof grain alcohol is sold with the normal booze excise taxes. I think the exception is places like labs and universities (thus the bottle markings). The price difference is enormous. This is all basically "nice to know but useless" information.

 

[KopyKat]

I use "Everclear", a 190 proof alcholol in an atomizer for spraying the neck of my carboy, for yeast growler necks and other small needs. I also use it for my airlock stopper because I discovered that when I used star san or one step, the airlock stopper being slick would pop back out. With the alcholol it grips and stays in.