How sterilized does it need to be?

[Revvy]

I've never had any contamination issues, although that doesn't mean there's no risk...does anyone else do this? Or is no-rinse really no-rinse?

I love when people say this.....People still smoke and have sex without condums too, and don't have any problems either, until one day they get cancer or an std.....

Just because you haven't YET doesn't mean you won't.....Then you'll understand why we say. NO RINSE MEANS NO RINSE.

I've brewed with both for years, and NEVER had an off flavor in a batch that could be attributed to using either sanitizer THE CORRECT WAY.

 

[woody34]

I can't believe this thread went 5 pages. Clean, then sanitize. Pretty simple.

 

[jerrodm]

I love when people say this.....People still smoke and have sex without condums too, and don't have any problems either, until one day they get cancer or an std.....

I'm not sure I really dig the level of condescension here...I said pretty clearly in my earlier post that I understand there's a non-zero probability of contamination due to including an extra step (in this case, rinsing with clean--pre-boiled--water in a closed container), but that I was concerned about off-flavors. In my mind that's trading off between one risk, contamination, and another, iodine in my beer. That doesn't seem outrageous to me.

There are lots of things that we do in the brewing process that increase the risk of contamination--e.g., every time we open the fermenter to take a gravity reading, there is some chance that something bad will get into the beer. We still do it, because the value of knowing where your fermentation is at offsets the risk of contamination. Why is it that my rinsing should be a target for ridicule, but not some of the other practices we follow?

At the end of the day, we make tradeoffs between different risks--contamination, sub-optimal fermentation, off-flavors, etc--with the goal of making the best beer possible. Just because I see that particular choice a little differently than you do doesn't make me stupid, which is what I felt your post implied.

 

[stratslinger]

But in all fairness, there's about a bazillion people (estimated) here on HBT using iodophor or starsan and not rinsing and not getting any off flavors in their beer from them. Isn't your insistence on rinsing, to prevent those off flavors, kind of suggesting the other bazillion (estimated) of us are doing it wrong?

Sure, Revvy may be coming across a little strong, but the guy has a point. No-rinse sanitizers are just that: no rinse sanitizers. Join the other bazillion (estimated) of us, already!

 

[jerrodm]

I can see your point--I guess I came in with a question and got a "you're doing it wrong" (and having unprotected sex with hookers, to boot!) and got a little defensive. I tend to be slightly nuts about threats to flavor, as I make more than my share of mistakes that could cause it to be sub-optimal. I'd hate to actually get everything right (it does happen, occasionally) and have some niggling little thing--a faint whiff of iodine, for example--ruin my beer! But I'm perfectly willing to admit it's probably an unnecessary step. Just was curious if anyone else did it as well.

 

[Darwin18]

I'm not sure I really dig the level of condescension here...I said pretty clearly in my earlier post that I understand there's a non-zero probability of contamination due to including an extra step (in this case, rinsing with clean--pre-boiled--water in a closed container), but that I was concerned about off-flavors. In my mind that's trading off between one risk, contamination, and another, iodine in my beer. That doesn't seem outrageous to me.

There are lots of things that we do in the brewing process that increase the risk of contamination--e.g., every time we open the fermenter to take a gravity reading, there is some chance that something bad will get into the beer. We still do it, because the value of knowing where your fermentation is at offsets the risk of contamination. Why is it that my rinsing should be a target for ridicule, but not some of the other practices we follow?

At the end of the day, we make tradeoffs between different risks--contamination, sub-optimal fermentation, off-flavors, etc--with the goal of making the best beer possible. Just because I see that particular choice a little differently than you do doesn't make me stupid, which is what I felt your post implied.

Simply put: No Rinse Sanitizer = No Rinse.

So long as you are using the correct concentration you should have no worries about potential off-flavors derived from your sanitizer.

Revvy might not have held your hand and told you nicely that you're doing something incorrectly and unnecessary, but that's doesn't mean he's wrong. Take his advice constructively.