How much idophor do you guys use?

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newbrewr4fun

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I usually use about a capfull for 5 gallons of water now after reading here. But brew instructions that came with my kit said to use 3 capfulls for 6 gallons.

I capfull gives a nice strong yellow color so I am assuming this is more than adequate. It should also help me stop wasting so much Idophor. I have about a capfull left and I am in the middle of making batch number 2. There were a couple times though where I had everything clean and sanitzed but had to forgo the brewing procedure itself.

Anyways just wondering if anyone has a particular dosage they find works well for them.
 
I just dump in a bunch until it's a really good brown or reddish. But then again I don't get taken by buying "idophor". Rather I just buy Iodine for like $8 a gallon.
 
I usually use about a capfull for 5 gallons of water now after reading here. But brew instructions that came with my kit said to use 3 capfulls for 6 gallons.

I capfull gives a nice strong yellow color so I am assuming this is more than adequate. It should also help me stop wasting so much Idophor. I have about a capfull left and I am in the middle of making batch number 2. There were a couple times though where I had everything clean and sanitzed but had to forgo the brewing procedure itself.

Anyways just wondering if anyone has a particular dosage they find works well for them.

I use 1/2 tsp per gallon. This puts me at the right ppm to get proper sanitization without the need for a rinse. Up until watching the video linked to elsewhere in this thread I used your technique. Since then I take more time to measure accurately.

P
 
Back in December, BTF sent out a NEW datasheet to LHBS's for inclusion with iodophor. As of the first of the year, the recommended concentration is 1 TBS/5 gallons of water.
 
I believe the instructions on the bottle of iodophor I have say 1 cap for 5 gallons. No point using extra if you then have to rinse with unsanitized water...
 
Back in December, BTF sent out a NEW datasheet to LHBS's for inclusion with iodophor. As of the first of the year, the recommended concentration is 1 TBS/5 gallons of water.

Yep. I tend to mix just a bit of iodophor at a time, since a gallon will sanitize a carboy and all my brewing gear for a session. I use a syringe to measure the dosage. Forgive the mixed units, but 1 Tbsp. is just shy of 15 ml, which works out to 3 ml of iodophor per gallon of water.

I've been brewing out of the same iodophor bottle for nearly a year now. Once it's done, I'll probably switch to star-san.
 
I use a syringe to measure the dosage. Forgive the mixed units, but 1 Tbsp. is just shy of 15 ml, which works out to 3 ml of iodophor per gallon of water.

+1 on the syringe, and on this concentration.

3ml/gallon is right at 12.5ppm (no-rinse) concentration.

I know that starsan has a large fan community (and amusing foamy pictures) but I used my small bottle of iodophor up and then bought the larger size. My starsan sits on the shelf, largely unloved. I do like the clever built-in dosing container though. That's genius.
 
+1 on the syringe, and on this concentration.

3ml/gallon is right at 12.5ppm (no-rinse) concentration.

I know that starsan has a large fan community (and amusing foamy pictures) but I used my small bottle of iodophor up and then bought the larger size. My starsan sits on the shelf, largely unloved. I do like the clever built-in dosing container though. That's genius.

Yeah, I bought bulk Dairy Iodophor at tractor supply company for 14 dollars a gallon, so I am set for life....And since I keep a spraybottle full of it with distilled water which lasts nearly forever, I hardly end up mixing a lot of it up.
 
I just dump in a bunch until it's a really good brown or reddish. But then again I don't get taken by buying "idophor". Rather I just buy Iodine for like $8 a gallon.

I really don't think Homebrew stores are out to get you.

12.5 parts per million equals a no rinse solution.

People use waaaay toooo much iodophor. If you are using straight iodine and it is brown or reddish it is way too much. Even if you are using Iodophor and it is brown or reddish it is too much.

How much straight iodine equals 12.5 ppm? I am curious.

With Iodophor it is 1/2 oz. for 5 gallons.

Forrest
 
...People use waaaay toooo much iodophor...

Amen to that...at the rate I'm using iodophor I'll be finished my large bottle in about a 1/2 century. :) Pretty much all my sanitizing is done with a bottle of iodophor that I use to surface-wet my equipment and let sit for a few minutes; I've stopped soaking with sanitizer.
 
I picked up some graduated eye droppers from my pharmacist and my Iodophor use plummeted. When I compared my use before measuring to now, I found I was using stupid amounts and effectively wasting most of my stock.

I make a 2 litre solution with 2 eye droppers of 1ml each. Sometimes I have to beef it up with another dropper full when it starts to get a little weary, but it's still a small fraction of what I used to use.
 
I really don't think Homebrew stores are out to get you.

12.5 parts per million equals a no rinse solution.

People use waaaay toooo much iodophor. If you are using straight iodine and it is brown or reddish it is way too much. Even if you are using Iodophor and it is brown or reddish it is too much.

How much straight iodine equals 12.5 ppm? I am curious.

With Iodophor it is 1/2 oz. for 5 gallons.

Forrest

It's not that they're out to get me, it's just that the iodophore is way to expensive for what it is. I was just pointing out that the exact same thing is marketed elsewhere for considerably less. I don't think I'll run out of my gallon in my lifetime.
 
I do it the easy way

one cap full to 5 gallons of water

I've read the correct amount for a capful is 2.5 gallons.

The way I use it is to make it up in my fermenter per the above. Then immediately drain some off into a large bowl. This sanitizes the spigot in my fermenter (Coopers model) and allows me to sanitize other objects in the bowl. I then swoosh the solution around the fermenter so all parts are wet.

Do this for a couple of minutes then dispose the rest and keep whats in the bowl to do quick sanitizing.
 
Luckily my Iodophor comes in a handy squeeze bottle. I then just squeeze 3 drops into 500ml of bottled water. All is okay.
 
I use three pumps worth when I fill up my 6.5 gallon carboy or 7 gallon bottling bucket. I think one pump is 1/4 tsp, but I could be mistaken.
 
I've read the correct amount for a capful is 2.5 gallons.
.

depends on the bottle size. When I first got into brewing I got the 4 oz bottle that said 1 cap full per 2.5 gallons on the 33 oz bottle its 1 cap full per 5 gallons . I thought have I been doing wrong all this time only to realize that the larger bottle also had a larger cap ... ;)
 
I need some help please. I bought some providone iodine. It says: per 100ml of solution, there is 10g of providone and 1g of iodine.

So, is this the same concentration of iodine solution that everyone here is using?? Do I just need to dilute 1.25ml of iodine in 1L to get the 12.5ppm? My chemistry is awful.

Thanks
 
I need some help please. I bought some providone iodine. It says: per 100ml of solution, there is 10g of providone and 1g of iodine.

So, is this the same concentration of iodine solution that everyone here is using?? Do I just need to dilute 1.25ml of iodine in 1L to get the 12.5ppm? My chemistry is awful.

Thanks

I usually hedge my bets and use 1.5 tbs/5 gallons on non iodophor (like the teat sanitizer I use that is 1% titratable Iodine. The recommended dillution now for Iodophor (from the December of 2007 change that my LHBS notified Iodophor users) is 1 tbs/5 gallon.....But having used regular Iodophor prior to switching I tend to go by color and matching the straw color.
 
So the 1g of Iodine that is listed on the bottle is what I need to concern myself with? It is the titratable Iodine?? Seems similar as it is 1% in my case as well.
 
So the 1g of Iodine that is listed on the bottle is what I need to concern myself with? It is the titratable Iodine?? Seems similar as it is 1% in my case as well.

Your fine...don't worry. Just don't be surprised it it foams up kinda like starsan....I usually add it to water as opposed to the other way around.

Btf-iodophor is no foaming.

But I've noticed that usually standard iodine products like what I use is similar to Five-Star's (maker of Star san) IO-Star.

O-Star Iodophor no rinse sanitizer from Five Star (4oz bottle)


IO-Star Iodophor Sanitizer. A low foaming iodophor (iodine based) for sanitizing. Originally used in the dairy industry, Iodophor sanitizers are quite popular for home brewers looking for a cost effective no-rinse sanitizer.


I put a lot of info in this old thread...https://www.homebrewtalk.com/f39/sanitizer-question-54932/
 
also, look at the warnings on the label - the stuff can be quite nasty if used in too high of a concentration...

but typical America - if 1 Tbsp/ 5 gallons is good, then 1/4 cup must be better!
 
also, look at the warnings on the label - the stuff can be quite nasty if used in too high of a concentration...

but typical America - if 1 Tbsp/ 5 gallons is good, then 1/4 cup must be better!

Yep.....there is an article floating around (it may even be on the thread I linked) that mentions that we, as a whole, do use too much iodophor...
 
Yikes, I must not be using ENOUGH Iodophor. I'm just about out of my first bottle of it, but my concentration of it NEVER gets yellow or red at all. Its rare that I can even discern any discoloration in my sanitizing liquid. None of the batches I've made have ever had an obvious infection (is there such thing as a subtle infection?)
 
Yikes, I must not be using ENOUGH Iodophor. I'm just about out of my first bottle of it, but my concentration of it NEVER gets yellow or red at all. Its rare that I can even discern any discoloration in my sanitizing liquid. None of the batches I've made have ever had an obvious infection (is there such thing as a subtle infection?)

It should be straw colored...like I said the recommended dilution is 1 tbs/ 5 gallons...SO you should be able to do some simple math to break down what that should mean in like a quart of water...IIRC it is 1 or 2 ml/quart I have a children's medication eyedropper from the drug store. I use it for small sanitizer measurements and for iodine mash tests.

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Yikes, I must not be using ENOUGH Iodophor. I'm just about out of my first bottle of it, but my concentration of it NEVER gets yellow or red at all. Its rare that I can even discern any discoloration in my sanitizing liquid. None of the batches I've made have ever had an obvious infection (is there such thing as a subtle infection?)

It should be straw colored...like I said the recommended dilution is 1 tbs/ 5 gallons...SO you should be able to do some simple math to break down what that should mean in like a quart of water...IIRC it is 1 or 2 ml/quart I have a children's medication eyedropper from the drug store. I use it for small sanitizer measurements and for iodine mash tests.

spoon-dropper.gif
 
I just dump in a bunch until it's a really good brown or reddish. But then again I don't get taken by buying "idophor". Rather I just buy Iodine for like $8 a gallon.

I am pretty sure that idophor (iodo meaning iodine and phor meaning carrier) is iodine and a surfactant. I doubt that plain iodine a has the same sanitizing effect.

I buy mine at TSC. It is called Iodosan and is used in the milk industry. About $20 for 4 liters. It gets diluted 1/2 oz to 4 gallons for a 12 ppm solution.

Paul
 
I am pretty sure that idophor (iodo meaning iodine and phor meaning carrier) is iodine and a surfactant. I doubt that plain iodine a has the same sanitizing effect.

I buy mine at TSC. It is called Iodosan and is used in the milk industry. About $20 for 4 liters. It gets diluted 1/2 oz to 4 gallons for a 12 ppm solution.

Paul[/QUOTE

It does at the right dillution...but like you I buy mine at the TSC, but I've never seen Iodosan....I have a gallon of THE dionne gentle iodine, but I will definitely look into the iodosan...

:mug:
 
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