What sanitizer should I use?

[Headcase]

I just recently started brewing and my LHBS recomended 1 Step. From what I've been hearing it seems that stuff is junk. I've checked out Star San but it looks like it's hard on soft metels, plastics and rubber. I'm just wondering what would work best for sanitizing equipment like auto siphen, hoses, stoppers and other such equipment.

 

[Kraghed]

Alot of homebrewers, myself included, have had good experience with Iodophor. The only negative is that prolonged soaking will eventually start turning your tubing/plastics a browish color.

 

[DavidP]

The only sanitizer that I would recommend against is bleach. That's hard on stainless and is not a no-rinse sanitizer.

I don't think One Step is junk.. I think it just takes a bit more contact time to be effective. Star san isn't hard on metals as people store batches of it in kegs for long periods. Now it can cloud vinyl tubing if left it contact for a long time.

You'll find that star san is the preferred product by many homebrewers because it doesn't stain like iodophor and produces a bug-killing blanket of foam.

 

[Revvy]

First off, Onestep is not TECHNICALLY a sanitizer according to the FDA, it really skirts the line between cleaner and sanitizer, and I highly recommend people use one of the two fda approved no rinse, wet contact sanitizers, approved for brewing. Starsan or Iodophor. I think onestep is the least adequate of them all.

I go into great deal of detail about onestep, starsan and iodophor, here, as well as provide lots of tips for using sanitizers properly. I also recommed that as soon as they finish the onestep they get a "real" sanitizer like the afore mentioned.

There are also links to podcast about starsan and iodophor in here, to help YOU make the best decision possible.

https://www.homebrewtalk.com/f39/sanitizer-question-54932/

 

[Kraghed]

Another feature: since it is iodine based, you can use Iodophor to check your mash conversion for AG brewing. Extract a small amount from your mash into a small dish and add a drop of iodophor. If it turns really dark blue/black then you still have unconverted starches. If it stays pretty much the same color, you are ready to go.

 

[springer]

The only sanitizer that I would recommend against is bleach. That's hard on stainless and is not a no-rinse sanitizer.

why does bleach get such a bad rap? If mixed correctly it is a no rinse sanitizer even Charlie Talley say's its a good sanitizer for homebrewers. Remember that all sanitizers are compared to bleach by the FDA and EPA bleach is the standard base.



Basic Brewing Radio March 29, 2007 - Sanitizing with Bleach and Star San



Having said that I use Starsan not because its better it just out an out lasts longer when mixed with Distilled water . Iodopher is cheaper but once mixed it loses it effectiveness in a short time around 8 hours . So you either need to make fresh or recharge the mix with more.

 

[Headcase]

Thanks for the help fellas.

 

[DavidP]

why does bleach get such a bad rap? If mixed correctly it is a no rinse sanitizer even Charlie Talley say's its a good sanitizer for homebrewers. Remember that all sanitizers are compared to bleach by the FDA and EPA bleach is the standard base.



Basic Brewing Radio March 29, 2007 - Sanitizing with Bleach and Star San



Having said that I use Starsan not because its better it just out an out lasts longer when mixed with Distilled water . Iodopher is cheaper but once mixed it loses it effectiveness in a short time around 8 hours . So you either need to make fresh or recharge the mix with more.

I think bleach is risky for a newer brewer because it leaves more possibilities for error (leaving on stainless & incorrectly using vinegar are a few examples) whereas the other sanitizers are much more fool-proof.

 

[springer]

I think bleach is risky for a newer brewer because it leaves more possibilities for error (leaving on stainless & incorrectly using vinegar are a few examples) whereas the other sanitizers are much more fool-proof.

Yes that's true but done correctly it's the cheapest sanitizer there is and mixed in 1 oz to 5 gallons of water and 1 oz vinegar it's in such a low solution it wont bother SS it will actually decompose to salts before it can do any harm.Think of it this way if it attacks SS in minute concentration then how can they use SS in swimming pools for steps and filter housings?

easy to mix add the bleach to the water mix then add the vinegar.


its really about ease of use thats why my go to is StarSan . Have a qt of Iodopher thats just collecting dust but when not mixed with water it has a shelf life of years so I don't worry about it.

 

[Munsoned]

I'm a believer in diversity and redundancy. I used StarSan exclusively for the last year, but I got to wondering if I might be building up a "brewhouse resistance" to it by using it all the time. So, for the next year, I'm going to swap between Iodophor and StarSan every other batch. I'm also going to use both when dealing with my sour beers (belt and suspenders). They're both cheap enough, so I figure: what's the harm?

 

[nepatsfan1]

I am very much a noob, only 4 batches done, but I use Idophor for sanitizing my equipment and Starsan for sanitizing my bottles. I have dumped one step as a sanitizer as it is really a cleanser more than a sanitizer. For cleaning I use PBW which is almost the same as one step.

 

[Revvy]

I'm a believer in diversity and redundancy. I used StarSan exclusively for the last year, but I got to wondering if I might be building up a "brewhouse resistance" to it by using it all the time. So, for the next year, I'm going to swap between Iodophor and StarSan every other batch. I'm also going to use both when dealing with my sour beers (belt and suspenders). They're both cheap enough, so I figure: what's the harm?

That's what I do, I alternate. Chris Colby mentioned it in a basic brewing podcast last year, (the one on fermenting in kegs.) I also sometimes don't use the same sanitizer I used on brew day on bottling day a month later. So batch A may be starsan/iodophor but batch B may be iodophor/starsan, maybe then batch c is starsan/starsan, and d would be iodophor/iodophor.


It's called a house germ...and it develops over time...

On Craftbrewer radio they said it usually happens around the 10th, the 30th and the 50th batch...even the pro's deal with it (the Brewer at New Glarus said in an interview that a commercial brewery operation gets a 3 year grace period before their first infection)


I got an infection around the 20th batch, I replaced my autosiphon, bottling wand and all my hoses and temporaly change my sanitizer, in case the house germ was getting used to it...


They talk about the "timeframe" of infections, and how it is less likely for a first batch to be infected...it tends to occur around the 10th batch and the 50th...When the equipment gets more used up, and "house germs" start to build up. They used the term "house mouth" in the discussion, how we may not even notice, because we're sort of used to the taste of our beers, it's usually NOT a regular drinker of our beers that notices it.

December#2,2006

“What is sour mashing?” I hear you ask. So said our brewmaster as he guides you thru this most interesting of ways of making a beer. In a nice compact show, we also cover feedback, Kit and Kilo infections, our beer superhero turns “gay”, and a faviourite beer song is requested yet again. Not enough, well also hear about WHO stuffed up his brew day.

http://radio.craftbrewer.org/shows/December2-06.mp3

 

[Munsoned]

That's what I do, I alternate. Chris Colby mentioned it in a basic brewing podcast last year, (the one on fermenting in kegs.) I also sometimes don't use the same sanitizer I used on brew day on bottling day a month later. So batch A may be starsan/iodophor but batch B may be iodophor/starsan, maybe then batch c is starsan/starsan, and d would be iodophor/iodophor.


It's called a house germ...and it develops over time...

On Craftbrewer radio they said it usually happens around the 10th, the 30th and the 50th batch...even the pro's deal with it (the Brewer at New Glarus said in an interview that a commercial brewery operation gets a 3 year grace period before their first infection)


I got an infection around the 20th batch, I replaced my autosiphon, bottling wand and all my hoses and temporaly change my sanitizer, in case the house germ was getting used to it...


They talk about the "timeframe" of infections, and how it is less likely for a first batch to be infected...it tends to occur around the 10th batch and the 50th...When the equipment gets more used up, and "house germs" start to build up. They used the term "house mouth" in the discussion, how we may not even notice, because we're sort of used to the taste of our beers, it's usually NOT a regular drinker of our beers that notices it.

Thanks, Revvy. I knew I wasn't crazy! I thought I read something about infections occuring at "regular" intervals (probably somewhere on this board). I'll have to check out those podcasts...