2% Iodine

[IanT]

Hi all. I am new here and have been trying to find an answer on this by looking through previous posts…so far no luck (if this has been answered, please point the way). So, living in the Philippines getting home brew sanitizer is not easy or cheap. I am just starting out and don’t want to spring for large quantities of stuff, and something like Star San is close to $100 after shipping! I have found some 2% iodine solution and want to use this to dilute to 12.5ppm, but am not sure of ratio. I have googled my ass off with no luck. The best I have come up with is that Iodophor is 1.5% and is mixed at 15ml to 20lt (0.5oz to 5gal), so I assume that mixing 10ml of the 2% solution to the same amount of water would give me the same ppm, but I am no chemist (nor mathematician). Is there anyone out there who can help please?

 

[RM-MN]

Boiling water also kills bacteria and does it quickly. Providing you don't let your equipment sit open after hitting it with the boiling water the bacteria count will be very low. I sometimes to this with my fermenter (HDPE plastic bucket) if my bottle of StarSan is not handy. Pour the boiling water down the sides, swirl it around the bottom then turn the bucket as you slowly pour the water out so it touches all surfaces of the bucket as you drain it. Make sure to hit the lid with the boiling water too.

 

[DosGatosBrewing]

I know this forum has discussed using diluted household bleach in the past. It may be simpler than what you are proposing.

 

[Protos]

Is there anyone out there who can help please?

I use 5% iodine at 1 ml to 2 L water ratio. It's a bit higher than the minimally required 12.5 ppm, but whatever, it doesn't transfer into the taste of beer anyway. For some time it's been my only sanitizer and it worked OK for many of my batches until one summer I got several infected batches even despite my thorough iodine sanitation. My opinion now is that iodine is generally OK but not good enough in a hot weather.
Now I disinfect my gear and bottles with a caustic/bleach solution (homemade Antiformin) and still use the iodine solution to wash Antiformin away from the equipment. So, I use iodine just for disinfecting the rinsing water, not for sanitizing equipment.

UPD:
If you are interested what homemade Antiformin is, it's 50 ml caustic drain cleaner + 200 ml bleach + 750 ml water for 1 liter. I soak stuff in it for 15 minutes, then rinse with iodine solution.
That's what I use with a great success already for a year.

Caustic is needed for dissolving invisible bacterial films highly probably left after the previous uses of the equipment, and bleach kills the exposed bacteria. Iodine alone can't do that double job. StarSan can't as well (I've tried it too), but that's another story.

 

[hotbeer]

As mentioned, Boiling water is sanitizer for anything you can put in it for more than a brief dip. If need to let it cool some for other things, then vinegar or something like phosporic acid to make it a little lower in ph probably will be good enough for times you aren't having any issues with infection.

TSP, chlorine bleach can be used too, but they need to be rinsed off of metal stuff. And then you get back to needing water that you are certain is sanitary. So boil some more. I have had TSP etch glass windows I didn't rinse it off of, but maybe I used way too much TSP.

Oxyclean is a good sanitizer too IMO, but lately they've gotten into a big kick about perfuming it up and making a confusing assortment of products for what is essentially it's base ingredient of sodium percarbonate. Probably any versions can be a no-rinse sanitizer, but I'm not certain I'd want to chance what some of the perfumes taste like in my beer. Maybe nothing at all.

I use Iodophor still. Probably like Starsan it might be hard to get there, but I think it pre-dates Starsan, so maybe you might find it there easily.

 

[Rish]

Welcome, IanT. I've used 1 teaspoon of chlorine bleach (Clorox) per gallon of water as a no rinse sanitizer for many batches. No problems and no residual odor or taste.