70% Isopropyl Alcohol vs Starsan for sanitizing

[Rob2010SS]

So I've seen a couple instances lately where people use 70%isopropyl alcohol in spray bottles instead of Starsan in spray bottles. The particular instances I've seen were on butterfly valves on conical fermenters prior to dumping yeast/trub.

Is isopropyl alcohol a common choice among homebrewers to keep handy in spray bottles? Any scientific evidence out there supporting one over the other?

 

[shoengine]

Considering it's highly flammable, I'd avoid misting it in open air.

My go-to for cleaning out wounds. Puts hair on your chest.

 

[day_trippr]

Based on what I've read here over the years I'd be quite surprised if USA brewers commonly use isopropyl as a brew day sanitizer.
Seems more of an "anywhere else but here" thing at most...

Cheers!

 

[TheMadKing]

I use it when I need a higher level of sanitation than star San can provide, such as preparing yeast slants. It also dries quickly (but you have to let it dry). This is a practice used in professional microbiology labs.

I don't use it for any kind of daily sanitizing though.

 

[shoengine]

Doesn't slanting require sterilizing?

 

[Rob2010SS]

This is the latest video where I saw it used. I haven't seen it come up a lot but a few times so I was curious.

 

[jekeane]

We use both PAA and Iso at the brewery. PAA is similar to star san in some regards and we use the Iso to flame ports and valves before collecting or transferring.

 

[TheMadKing]

Doesn't slanting require sterilizing?

It requires sterilizing the vials, loops, and the agar yes, which I do with a pressure cooker. But I use the alcohol to spray down the work area, the yeast container and anything else I might touch that will not come into direct contact with the agar /yeast

 

[Dland]

I use Starsan or Saniclean as a basic bulk pump though sanitizer when sanitizing system, in blow off bath and soaking of parts. The spray bottle of isopropyl is very handy for small parts where I want a quick clean and evaporation, such as spunding valve parts, tops of keg posts after racking, or if I drop a part and don't have a vat o starsan mixed up.

 

[augiedoggy]

Ive never ran into a case yet where the saniclean we use at the brewery didnt work well enough to sanitize... Just seems a bit like a solution looking for a problem to me.