starsan vs iodophor

[Hopstep]

I just got done brewing a DIPA and am a little worried about the faint smell of iodophor on everything. Should I rinse iodophor with water or just let it dry. I did follow the dilution recommendation but it still seems to have a smell. Would anyone recommend starsan instead?

 

[EdWort]

I have a septic system and gave away my quart bottle of Iodophor and switched to Starsan since it is septic safe. I've never had any problems with it and use it to sanitize all sorts of surfaces. It's great stuff. I highly recommend it.

 

[lx302]

Should I rinse iodophor with water or just let it dry. I did follow the dilution recommendation but it still seems to have a smell.

I too am curious about this. I did read though, you shouldn't have to rinse, just let it dry, but the smell did bother me and was wondering if the smell would permiate the beer.
So I stick with bleach as my sanitizer and never had a problem.

 

[DeathBrewer]

i use nothing but iodophor.

let it dry...you'd have to use a very high concentration and leave it wet for the flavor to get into the beer.

EDIT: as long as i use the right concentration, i don't even let it dry completely every time. i just shake out the water and hold it upside down for a little while. works fine.

 

[Revvy]

They both work equally well, they ARE BOTH NO RINSE at the recommended dillution AND NEITHER affect the flavor of the beer, even if you smell the iodophor, it won't affect the beer......

They both have their pluses and minuses, their fans and their detractors...AND there's a TON of information on each of them on here...My suggestion is rather than solicit opinions, do some research on both of them and make up your mind...

Like I said there's a ton of info on here, a little search will net all the info you need...

Because ultimately between the two, any issue of what is better is going to be PURELY a matter of opinion...Both of them are no rinse, both are fantastic, and BOTH are FDA approved (in fact they are the ONLY FDA approved sanitizers sold in brewing shops, any of the others are not FDA approvd, andusually called clensers instead) ...you too will have to form your own opinion.

I'll start you on your journey with this thread...https://www.homebrewtalk.com/f39/sanitizer-question-54932/

There's a link in there to the basic brewing podcasts, they did two shows back to back one on iodophor, and one on starsan...those are great places to start...because you will learn tips and tricks for using both...and you will probably find all the answers you need to make an informed opinion...

 

[Revvy]

Guys, starsan and iodophor are bot WET CONTACT sanitizers....if you let them dry you are only getting half the job out of them, you are only killing what's already on them...but if any micro organisms touch them after the fact, the nasty will render the object no longer santized...if the surface is wet, then the bugs are toast....

The motto for them is "If you let them dry, the bugs no longer die...".

 

[DeathBrewer]

that's why you leave them upside down to drip dry, so nothing drops inside them.

carboys can be put inside one of these guys and sit around until you're ready to pour your wort:

CARBOY DRAINER @ Williams Brewing

 

[Revvy]

that's why you leave them upside down to drip dry, so nothing drops inside them.

carboys can be put inside one of these guys and sit around until you're ready to pour your wort:

CARBOY DRAINER @ Williams Brewing

+1 on this!!!!!!

 

[BrianTheBrewer]

I back Starsan 100% stuff is great

 

[GrantLee63]

I too have a septic system and I use Iodophor. Not a good idea?

I have a septic system and gave away my quart bottle of Iodophor and switched to Starsan since it is septic safe. I've never had any problems with it and use it to sanitize all sorts of surfaces. It's great stuff. I highly recommend it.

 

[joe6pack]

I'll get one of those carboy drainers eventually, but for now, I just put a sanitized juice glass over the neck of the carboy while its waiting for the beer.

 

[abracadabra]

I too have a septic system and I use Iodophor. Not a good idea?

I personally like Star-san better because of it's many different uses (example) I wash my fruits and vegi's with it but:

If you treat your septic tank right otherwise a little bit or even 5 gallons of diluted iodophor won't cause any problems

How Septic Systems Work - Septic Tanks - Septic Tank Design - Septic System Design - Septic Fields - Septic Tank Systems - In-depth Expert Septic System Information on Septic Tank Pumping, Septic Pumps, Septic System Maintenance, Septic Repairs, Sept

Can Some Conditions Kill Off Needed Septic Tank Bacteria?
If other conditions at a property have resulted in killing-off the (needed) septic tank bacteria (such as adding unusually large amounts of bleach, disinfectants, or antibiotics to a septic tank) some folks sell bacterial "starters" to "rejuvenate" the septic tank. To me this makes little sense for the following reasons:

Calculations of "septic tank die-off" which demonstrate that about 2 gallons of bleach is likely to harm septic tank bacteria have been based on a "static septic system", a fixed septic tank volume into which no new wastewater, sewage, and their diluting and re inoculating effect have been considered.
If you don't correct the conditions that have caused a bacterial die-off in the septic tank, no amount of starter or booster is going to make any difference.
Adding products such as enzymes which claim to break down grease risk destroying the floating scum layer in the septic tank, forcing unwanted oils and debris into the leach field.
As soon as you stop putting inappropriate bleach, disinfectant, or antibiotics into the septic system and after the first time someone uses a toilet, the septic tank has been re inoculated with what it needs.
Forcing hydrogen peroxide or other chemicals into drainfield or leach field soils can damage the soil and contaminate the environment.

 

[Shonuff]

that's why you leave them upside down to drip dry, so nothing drops inside them.

carboys can be put inside one of these guys and sit around until you're ready to pour your wort:

CARBOY DRAINER @ Williams Brewing

A couple weeks after christmas last year I bought one of the plastic christmas tree stands for $1. It works great as a carboy drainer.

 

[Pelikan]

Guys, starsan and iodophor are bot WET CONTACT sanitizers....if you let them dry you are only getting half the job out of them, you are only killing what's already on them...but if any micro organisms touch them after the fact, the nasty will render the object no longer santized...if the surface is wet, then the bugs are toast....

The motto for them is "If you let them dry, the bugs no longer die...".

Star san is advertised as leaving a high TDS/acid film when it dries that continues to zap the nasties. Kind of like a microbial flypaper. That said, too much handling will effectively remove this microfine layer, as will rinsing.

I don't know this for sure, but I believe I read somewhere that iodophor is out of production.

 

[Brew-boy]

I used to use iodophor at the recommend rate but I always had this "House" flavor in all my beers. I switched to Star San and bingo it was gone, so for me I am a big believer in the product. I threw all my iodophor out and have never looked back. You need to do you own research and see what works best for you in your situation.

 

[Fusorfodder]

Spray bottles of star-san ftw!

 

[billtzk]

I've used Iodophore for years. Yesterday I bought a bottle of Star San at my LHBS because I wanted to try it. I brewed yesterday, so I used the Star San.

It makes a lot of soapy bubbles. I didn't mind it for bucket-sanitizing the parts for my conical and brewing gear. But I was really dismayed by the foamy bubbles left in my conical after I drained it. It was 1/3rd full of foam. I didn't want to rinse it out for fear of contaminating my sanitized conical, so I racked my finished wort on top of it. If it makes my beer taste soapy, this will make for a really expensive lesson.

I've also used Saniclean, another product by Five Star. It is not as economical to use as Star San since it isn't as concentrated. It doesn't foam, but even when you first mix it, it looks like dirty water.

I will use the Star San and the Saniclean that I bought, but I won't buy any more of either of them. I prefer Iodophore. It is easy to use, inexpensive, and doesn't foam.

 

[MgMt_Home_Brew]

I use the onestep no rinse sanitizer... But I have been thinking of switching to one of these. I guess I will have to do some research.

 

[dazed]

I use the onestep no rinse sanitizer... But I have been thinking of switching to one of these. I guess I will have to do some research.

One Step is a no rinse cleaner not a sanitizer...unless they made another product that i havent heard of.

 

[dazed]

If it makes my beer taste soapy, this will make for a really expensive lesson.


I will use the Star San and the Saniclean that I bought, but I won't buy any more of either of them. I prefer Iodophore. It is easy to use, inexpensive, and doesn't foam.

Reapeat after me : DON'T FEAR THE FOAM

I have been using it for years...You will not taste any soap...actually the yeast will eat all of it up...Its Superior to iodophor IMO. I don't much care for all of my brewing equipment turning a nice redish pink either.

 

[Revvy]

One Step is a no rinse cleaner not a sanitizer...unless they made another product that i havent heard of.

Go read the link I posted in my first post...al the info about Onestep is explained there...

Pelikin, you mis heard something...Iodophor hasn't stopped being produced...

 

[BrianTheBrewer]

Starsan is not bad for your beer, read more into it. I use oxy-clean for my carboys to get them nice and clean, I then rinse it, then put starsan in it and rinse that out. Even leaving a little starsan in the batch is not bad for the beer.

I back starsan over anything else.

 

[joe6pack]

You shouldn't rinse out the starsan. I know because I used to do that and I was flamed for doing so. The thinking is that there could be nasties in the rinse water (unless you use RO or pre boiled water). And also, anything that floats down and touches the surface is no longer going to be zapped if you are sans starsan.

I have foam-fear issues myself, but I'm striving to conquer them.

 

[dazed]

Go read the link I posted in my first post...al the info about Onestep is explained there...

...

I have heard OneStep is not as effective because you cannot clean and sanitize at the same time, you clean first and then sanitize.
But If the FDA doesn't wasnt to aprove it for sanitizing...thats good enough for me to reach for a different product.
My personal results with Oxyclean or PBW followed up by star-san have worked flawlessly buy YMMV.

 

[Pelikan]

The foam in star san is not made of soap, but two kinds of acid, the predominate one being phosphoric acid. Phosphoric acid provides an essential nutrient when diluted -- phosphorous -- that nearly every living organism requires to one extent or other. The guy that said yeast eats the star san was fairly astute.

I don't know where I read about the iodophor being discontinued. It was on a forum, and I recall the guy being pretty adamant about it. But it was probably bull.

 

[shertz]

Not sure how you use Star San since I use an acid sanitizer that I get at work, but if you dilute your sanitizer with water (which I'm sure you do), put the water in first, then add the sanitizer as this will not cause as much foam. In fact, you should always do this anyways for safety reasons.

 

[BrianTheBrewer]

I have heard OneStep is not as effective because you cannot clean and sanitize at the same time, you clean first and then sanitize.
But If the FDA doesn't wasnt to aprove it for sanitizing...thats good enough for me to reach for a different product.
My personal results with Oxyclean or PBW followed up by star-san have worked flawlessly buy YMMV.

Yes...I agree. Oxy-clean or PBW then Stra-San is ga great process I do.

 

[SPLASTiK]

But If the FDA doesn't wasnt to aprove it for sanitizing...thats good enough for me to reach for a different product.

FDA doesn't want to? You have a source for that?

On the issue of iodophor flavor in beer: read this experiment

 

[dazed]

FDA doesn't want to? You have a source for that?

On the issue of iodophor flavor in beer: read this experiment

Let me rephrase that " If its not FDA approved for sanitizing...thats good enough for me to reach for a different product.

I don't have any proof, and do not know if they have, or have not tested it for that.

 

[tmuhle]

I'm pretty new to the wine/beer making process and have recently ran out of the cleanser sanitizer that the Brew store gave me with my wine kit. I have fould out about the starsan and iodophor from the board here.

My question is...is there a place to buy either of these sanitizers locally? Not at a brew store (very far from my home) or on the internet? Any info would be great. Thanks!