Have you ever used chlorine dioxide?

[oldschool]

I was just looking through my northern brewer catalog and saw these chlorine dioxide tabs. It says they can be used to kill bacteria in the yeast slurry when harvesting for reuse. Do people use this regularly. To me it sounds like an excuse to not be as careful with your yeast. thoughts?

 

[HomerJR]

I'm with you, if you're careful with your yeast there won't be a problem. If everything's sanitized properly there won't be any bacteria in with your yeast, and proper harvesting techniques will ensure that it stays that way.

Besides, if it kills bacteria, won't it kill the yeast?

 

[Bru]

A few of the guys in our brewing club use chlorine dioxide and swear by it.
It doesn't affect the yeast. The one guy got an infection, ditched the beer and then washed the cake with chlorine dioxide. His brews after that, using the washed yeast, were fine.

 

[Saccharomyces]

While these tablets will kill bacteria they will not kill wild yeasts, and all of the infections I have ever had in my brewery were due to wild yeast contamination.

 

[oldschool]

It is interesting though.

 

[Bru]

Yes, I was thinking that as well - if it doesn't kill brewers yeast it won't kill wild yeast. He must have had a bacterial infection.

While these tablets will kill bacteria they will not kill wild yeasts, and all of the infections I have ever had in my brewery were due to wild yeast contamination.