1% Iodine for sanitizing

[KyleinMN]

Hello,

Ran out of Star San and I'm thinking about trying something different to save some $. I saw some old threads online of people making an Iodine solution to sanitize and claiming it is no-rinse if diluted to the proper amounts.

I had seen a number of products for the dairy industry but most seemed to have other ingredients as well that I want to avoid. This one linked below lists the only active ingredient as 1% iodine so I'm thinking a gallon of this would last me forever. The listed non-active ingredient is: Non-ionic surfactants which a quick google search shows are often used in dishwasher and laundry detergents. I'm thinking this product should work just fine for this purpose once diluted properly: Fleet Farm 1% Iodine

Any thoughts on that? What would be the ideal dilution for a 1% iodine mix?

 

[camonick]

Iodophor is a great brewing sanitizer if used properly. It is an iodine based no rinse sanitizer if mixed properly. It works good in a sanitizing rotation because it kills some bugs that starsan doesn’t. I’ve had this 16 oz bottle for ever and haven’t even used 1/4 of it yet. It says it’s 3.6% iodine and a no rinse solution is 1/4 tsp per gallon of water. You’ll have to do the math if you want to use that gallon jug of 1%, but it will last you 50 lifetimes. I’d get one specifically for brewing.
https://www.morebeer.com/products/btf-iodophor-sanitizer.html
Iodophor is a one time use once it’s mixed and has to be dumped after using… it can’t be saved and reused like starsan, so there’s that. It will also stain items with prolonged contact.
My bottle

 

[Brewdog80]

Not true, as long as it smells like iodine it is effective. It won't last but a few days, but is not immediate toss. And starsan deteriorates with time also....

 

[KyleinMN]

Thanks for the heads up. I just went ahead and bought a bottle of Iodophor since I have some things I need to sanitize soon. In the future I plan to do more research on other potential options outside of the homebrewing hobby as I found a wide range of things like no-rinse milk tank cleaners that are acid based (ingredients seemed similar to Star San in some ways) as well as the Iodine based products.

When I have more time I'll review the technical data sheets and ingredient lists in more detail but it looks like you could get a lifetime supply of sanitizer for pennies on the dollar. Just like how the the same medications are often sold at different prices just based on what they're marketed for.

Excited to give the Iodophor a try though!

 

[camonick]

Not true, as long as it smells like iodine it is effective. It won't last but a few days, but is not immediate toss. And starsan deteriorates with time also....

“a few days” is much different than Starsan mixed with distilled water lasting for several months if kept clean and the pH value remains around 3.
Here’s an excerpt from an interview with a guy who has a Ph.D in medical microbiology.—
“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.” (My emphasis.)
YMMV
It is a product that is used heavily in the dairy industry, so that gives you some idea of its effectiveness though.

 

[bracconiere]

they sell it at farm stores...

and it can be used for starch converstion tests, and also Vitamin C titrations...


i don't know about 'no-rinse', but maybe that would help keep you from getting a goiter?

 

[tracer bullet]

I like the idea of the sanitizer "version" having a surfactant in it. Helps "wet out" on surfaces vs. beading up which wouldn't be as effective.

Iodine is strange, after a few days it's... gone. If anyone knows what happens to it, it might be on topic

 

[camonick]

Iodine is strange, after a few days it's... gone. If anyone knows what happens to it, it might be on topic

From the interwebs…

“The first thing to consider is that Iodine is naturally a gas, like other halogens such as Chlorine. Their natural tendency is to be a gas. Iodophor is made from an Iodine complex that creates a concentrated, liquid, soluble form of Iodine.”
“Typically the Iodine mixed into solution will gas back into the atmosphere in roughly 12-24 hours, turning back to clear water. In a completely air tight container, this shelf life is likely far greater, but it's pretty difficult to put an exact number on it for time. There are things you can look for in solution color (amber vs. clear) and using Iodine test strips as a guide.”

“Other things that will degrade the solution:

-Residual alkaline detergents. The Iodine complex and the Iodophor concentrate are acidic solutions. Mixing into any water that has residual alkaline detergent will neutralize the solution. I've run into people that have had issues running Iodophor through plate/counterflow chillers where there was residual alkaline detergent remaining in the system and it neutralizes the Iodophor solution.

-Excessive agitation or shaking

-UV light, so leave your solution in a dark place”

 

[tracer bullet]

“The first thing to consider is that Iodine is naturally a gas, like other halogens such as Chlorine.

Interesting. Because I also read (first) that it "exists as a semi-lustrous, non-metallic solid at standard conditions". Hence the confusion.

 

[camonick]

Interesting. Because I also read (first) that it "exists as a semi-lustrous, non-metallic solid at standard conditions". Hence the confusion.

Well now I don’t know either. Maybe one of our resident chemists can help.

 

[camonick]

Well now I don’t know either. Maybe one of our resident chemists can help.

The substance we are discussing is Tincture of Iodine

 

[JohnDBrewer]

Couple other things:
-use with cold water to help from degradation
-use the proper amount, too much is poisonous.

 

[T Murph]

I've been using Iodophor as a sanitizer for over 30 yrs. I also use Star San because as long as you maintain good sanitary cleaning practices in your brewery, it also gets the job done. When in doubt or working with new or new to me equipment I use a fresh Iodophor solution. In my experience when stored in a sealed vessel it last for a week or more. I refrain from storing it in food grade plastic due to the yellowing tint that results. Typically I store it in stainless steel and use it within a week or less. I keep a Star San solution on hand for a multitude of task. I replenish it after a couple of months and have never had a problem with it.

 

[jambop]

Interesting. Because I also read (first) that it "exists as a semi-lustrous, non-metallic solid at standard conditions". Hence the confusion.

It is a crystalline solid at std temp and pressure .

 

[Brewdog80]

Don't get me wrong, star San works, I too have used idophore for decades. Don't like to use on plastics, it yellows, but doesn't really harm it. I think having both is a good idea. Rotate and kill everything.

 

[CaptMogul]

I have been using Ideal Gentle Wound Spray from farm stores for many years. We didnt have brew supply stores in Key West then so in my travels I picked up a gallon @ $ 11.00. It lasted over 4 years. I keep a darkened spray bottle and change it every 4-5 brews along with a spray bottle of rubbing alcohol for sanitizers. Mfg said will still be good for a few years after use by date

 

[SanPancho]

iodine is perfect for cleaning your mixed ferment gear. no need to have separate gear for sours/bretts etc if you use the 25ppm and 2min contact. (non-porous stuff only, obviously) its not no-rinse at that point since its 25ppm instead of 12.5, but you can just give it a hot rinse and then re-sanitize at 12.5 if you're not confident in your water cleanliness.

it kills everything.

 

[CaptMogul]

Since I was using iodine for my sanitizer I found this article. Observations not scientific, I printed it at the time so here it is. Original web site is down

 

[bracconiere]

Interesting. Because I also read (first) that it "exists as a semi-lustrous, non-metallic solid at standard conditions". Hence the confusion.

yeah, but the metal will evaporate also.... when it comes to chemistry i've learned, looks of metal aren't your classic cast iron pot or shiny SS brew kettle....

 

[TomSellers]

I see some variation in the recommended concentration. Similar to what surgeons in India did to help prevent catching airborne viruses when doing certain types of surgical procedures (I'll use it before getting on a plane, visiting elderly, or travelling with folks who are coughing and sneezing). I started to use a home-made povidone-iodine nasal spray that is .75% concentration which is mild enough for your mucous membranes so I'd assume 1% is going to be fine. I mix 10% povidine-iodine into a saline solution that I make up from distilled water at home so I get the desired concentration. I then store it in a 4oz glass lined aluminum bottle with a fine mist trigger spray top attached. After a month the smell and tint are the same as day one, so I have continued to use it. I would think that a simple in vitro lab test on a petri dish with some common household bacillus strains would clarify is useful shelf life with respect to suitability to this task.

 

[TomSellers]

Since I was using iodine for my sanitizer I found this article. Observations not scientific, I printed it at the time so here it is. Original web site is down

Looks like Page 4 of this attached article is missing. I was however to find the original which still works here: https://www.bayareamashers.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/02/Iodophor.pdf

 

[CaptMogul]

Living in Key West with out a brew store and running out of a sanitizer around 2010 I found an article on the Web the writer had tthe same problem and started using this Ideal gentle wound spray 1 % Iodine. I have been using it ever since. A gallon will last me over 5 years at $ 14.00. Product mgr at Ideal said I could use it past the exp date with no problem. I tried to purchase another Ideal sanitizer 1.75% but had problems shipping 1 gallon, cant remember product name, about same price. I dont rinse
Ed B