Sanitizer questions.

[justonemore]

I am just getting started into homebrewing, ie. just brewed first batch last tuesday and all is going GREAT as far as i can tell.

So my question is, if i mix up a gallon of sanitizer in a bucket and seal the top, how long will it stay good? I plan on using a spray bottle with the no rinse sanitizer that I got, but I will have some in a bucket too. Most stuff can just be sprayed but i dont want to waste whats in the bucket if it will "go bad".

 

[Erythro73]

I am just getting started into homebrewing, ie. just brewed first batch last tuesday and all is going GREAT as far as i can tell.

So my question is, if i mix up a gallon of sanitizer in a bucket and seal the top, how long will it stay good? I plan on using a spray bottle with the no rinse sanitizer that I got, but I will have some in a bucket too. Most stuff can just be sprayed but i dont want to waste whats in the bucket if it will "go bad".

But, what is your sanitizer?

I know starsan can be put in bucket and will stay good forever, as long as the solution has been made with distilled water (so the star-san doesn't react with minerals in tap water). Does this situation apply to your sanitizer? I don't know.

 

[justonemore]

But, what is your sanitizer?

Untill it runs out, I am just using the Ez Clean that came with the kit i bought, but i plan on switching to Starsan on the fact that EVERYBODY recomends it, when I need more.

 

[Yooper]

I think EZ clean is an "oxygen" based cleaner. I wouldn't save and reuse that.

 

[WickedLB]

Untill it runs out, I am just using the Ez Clean that came with the kit i bought, but i plan on switching to Starsan on the fact that EVERYBODY recomends it, when I need more.

EZ Clean is not a sanitizer, it is a cleaner. You need to clean everything and then sanitize. Two steps every time! Iodophor and Starsan are sanitizers. Iodophor is cheaper, but will degrade over time and is less environmentally friendly (you are not supposed to put it into a septic, though everyone does). Sanstar is more stable and does not break down quickly.

 

[SumnerH]

Untill it runs out, I am just using the Ez Clean that came with the kit i bought, but i plan on switching to Starsan on the fact that EVERYBODY recomends it, when I need more.

ezclean is a perchlorate based cleaner. It's not technically a sanitizer, though some people get away with using it (or onestep or some other perchlorate).

That aside, they degrade quickly once mixed. It's probably good for a typical brew day, but I wouldn't trust it much past 12 hours--certainly don't reuse it day-to-day.