Cheaper cleaning/sanitizing.

[ATXweirdobrew]

So I just bought me some bleach and oxiclean so I can start saving more money when it comes to brewing. I find conflicting information on how much bleach to use to sanitize and its proper use. I also find the some conflicting information for using oxiclean to clean my equipment. Any hints or suggestions?

 

[g-star]

Bleach is a major pain in the ass, requires extended contact time, and must be rinsed thoroughly to avoid chlorine-based problems in your beer. Very poor cost/benefit ratio.

Spend the $5 on a small bottle of Iodophor. Add 1/2 tsp to a gallon of cold water to get the right concentration and avoid wasting it. Or, buy a bottle of Star San and re-use it multiple times. If you can't afford it, time to find a new hobby.

Oxiclean on the other hand is great, and well worth it. I use one scoop per 5 gallons and it does the job just fine.

 

[klnosaj]

oxiclean is sodium percarbonate and sodium carbonate, each of which are fine. But there's also other crap in there (i.e., perfumes and surfactants) that has to be rinsed, and rinsed well. I get 4lbs of sodium percarb at the LHBS for about $14 and don't have to rinse it. Oxiclean at Target costs over $20 for five pounds and Lord only knows what's actually in it.

 

[bucfanmike]

get the walmart store brand of oxy.. name escapes me. sunoxy free maybe. something like that. Same as oxyclean free but super cheap. $15 may seem like alot for a big bottle of starsan, but it lasts forever.

 

[ATXweirdobrew]

Well I do see my LHBS sells iodophor in 32 oz bottles which will give me about twice the amount of use for about the same price as the star san. I think I skip the hassle of bleach which I have been hearing more and more about then just on this forum. I WILL REFUSE TO GIVE UP THIS HOBBY FOR NICKLES AND DIMES GOOD SIRS !!!!

 

[wSelwyn]

I use OxyClean for when I de-label bottles. I get it crazy cheap, but due to perfumes and dyes, I limit its use to only this task.

I used to waste StarSan like it was no one's business, making a full 5gal amount every time. I've now corrected my ways and I know the exact amount to make for each task. Now I see Star San as crazy cheap to buy, as it lasts forever. It stores well too, in case you ever make too much.

I use PBW only for heavy duty cleans. I mostly buy a 4# container of Sodium percarbonate at my LHBS, as it's much cheaper.

 

[klnosaj]

Well I do see my LHBS sells iodophor in 32 oz bottles which will give me about twice the amount of use for about the same price as the star san. I think I skip the hassle of bleach which I have been hearing more and more about then just on this forum. I WILL REFUSE TO GIVE UP THIS HOBBY FOR NICKLES AND DIMES GOOD SIRS !!!!

Figure out how much convenience is worth to you. Iodine (even properly diluted) from a sprayer turns a lot of stuff purple. Then you have to wash it in sodium percarbonate to get the iodine stains out. Star San (properly diluted) sprayed all over everything doesn't do a damn thing other than make it sanitary.

 

[g-star]

oxiclean is sodium percarbonate and sodium carbonate, each of which are fine. But there's also other crap in there (i.e., perfumes and surfactants) that has to be rinsed, and rinsed well. I get 4lbs of sodium percarb at the LHBS for about $14 and don't have to rinse it. Oxiclean at Target costs over $20 for five pounds and Lord only knows what's actually in it.

There's a considerable amount of surfactant in StarSan as well (dodecyl benzene sulfonic acid), and nobody seems to mind that in their beer, as I keep hearing "don't fear the foam!"

Agree on the perfurmes...I will look into straight sodium percarbonate as an alternative.

 

[davis119]

Oxy clean clean makes it with out dyes and perfumes. Comes with a green lid.

 

[John_FL]

The Oxyclean Davis is referring to is Oxyclean Free. No dyes or perfumes. I use it for basically all of my cleaning, and it is amazing stuff. Soak a carboy in hot tap water and Oxyclean and it is almost a no scrub clean.

 

[davis119]

Yup used it to melt off sierra and Newcastle tables yesterday

 

[ryclo]

Oxyclean free and tsp 90 mixed at 70/30 appears to be what PBW is, I make it up and it works really well. The tsp 90 eats anything organinc...

 

[ATXweirdobrew]

So I believe I will be sticking with cleanitizer which I can get more of for the same price as oxiclean free and it has already proven to work for me. But what is the right way to use star san? I have been mixing an ounce per 5 gallons of water to sanitize.

 

[Logzor]

There is a podcast where the maker of Starsan recommends a no-rinse sanitizing solution made of:

5 gallons of water
1/4 cup bleach
1/4 cup vinegar

30 second contact time, no rinsing needed.

Don't mix bleach and vinegar directly.

I've been using this on all of my batches, hasn't failed me yet.

This is insanely cheap and I don't understand why everyone doesn't use this recipe.

 

[cmendo2005]

Ok guys...Bought some LA's Awesome Oxygen Cleaner (Without chlorine) from the dollar store...for you guessed it...a dollar. It has no ingredients on it but was wondering if anyone has tried this stuff before? (Apologies for thread jacking)

 

[John_FL]

The maker of Star San is obviously a much better chemist than I am. But is anything with bleach in it safe as a no rinse? I already have chlorine issues thanks to my water and have been hesitant to use bleach as I figure it would only aggravate the problem.

 

[klnosaj]

The Oxyclean Davis is referring to is Oxyclean Free. No dyes or perfumes. I use it for basically all of my cleaning, and it is amazing stuff. Soak a carboy in hot tap water and Oxyclean and it is almost a no scrub clean.

OxyClean is Sodium Percarbonate and baking soda. You can buy more sodium percarbonate from your LHBS for less money and never, ever, ever have to worry about what's in it.

Ok guys...Bought some LA's Awesome Oxygen Cleaner (Without chlorine) from the dollar store...for you guessed it...a dollar. It has no ingredients on it but was wondering if anyone has tried this stuff before? (Apologies for thread jacking)

You googled this, right? Because I did and what I discovered is that it's sodium percarbonate and a surfactant plus a bunch of dyes and perfumes. It'll need to be rinsed.

 

[cmendo2005]

Yeah I'm just using it as a cleaner I rinse everything no matter what it is besides san star, was wondering if anyone has tried it before though (Seems safeish though?)

 

[klnosaj]

Yeah I'm just using it as a cleaner I rinse everything no matter what it is besides san star, was wondering if anyone has tried it before though (Seems safeish though?)

For all intents and purposes, it's oxyclean.

 

[Logzor]

The maker of Star San is obviously a much better chemist than I am. But is anything with bleach in it safe as a no rinse? I already have chlorine issues thanks to my water and have been hesitant to use bleach as I figure it would only aggravate the problem.

In the podcast he says that at the volume used it's impossible to taste.

 

[Homercidal]

I use Starsan and generally mix it a small bit stronger than called for with distilled water. I keep this in a 3 quart plastic water jug (clear, so I can see the starsan solution). and top off a spray bottle with it.

I use the spray bottle for nearly EVERYTHING! However, when I need to pour it into something to sanitize it, I pour it back into the plastic jug and continue to top off the spray bottle.

For the cost and the ease of use, I don't know why I'd want to use anything else. 1/4 ounce in 3 quarts lasts me a couple of months, and I use it during racking, bottling, cheesemaking, as a household sanitizer, etc.

Just spray it on and let the excess drip.