This is what a shop owner told me.

[Lepersquatch]

Ran into a local homebrew/Wine store to buy sanitizer. I greeted the shop owner and told him I was looking for some sanitizer and walked over to the section where the Iodophor and star san and other sanitizers are. He told me thoes wernt sanitizers? I said OOOOOOOOOOKKKAAAAYYYY. What do you recommend? He gave me a powder I forget what it is called but have herd of it before. Anyways I brought it. I have a question. How long should you sanitize your equipment for using this stuff? This shop has been in business for over 30 years mind you in the same spot. Star-san and Iodophor not sanitizers?

 

[DKershner]

It is what the SAN in Star-san stands for. Powder...I can think of PBW, One Step, a few others, but no real sanitizers. If it were me, I would go back and get some star san or iodophor...or both!

 

[Revvy]

He's got it a little mixed up...actually backwards.

The little powder he's trying to pawn off on you is probably onestep, which although touted as a sanitizer, according to the FDA is a cleanser.

Starsan and Iodophor are the FDA approved sanitizers used in brewing (and the dairy industry for that matter.)
I put a lot of info explaining that in here- https://www.homebrewtalk.com/showthread.php?t=54932

 

[Lepersquatch]

Thanks I will go buy some star-san or the like. What I brought was some chemical name not a brand. I brought it a month ago and forgot the name.

 

[GilaMinumBeer]

Metabisulfite?

Go back and ask him for a sterilizer and he'll give you StarSan or Iodophor.

 

[MikeG]

Maybe C-Brite. Those seems to be ubiquitous with the starter equip that I've seen.

 

[MeatyPortion]

I've used Onestep (which is probably what he gave you) for all my beers and haven't had a problem. That lhbs owner is still confused though.

 

[camiller]

Maybe C-Brite. Those seems to be ubiquitous with the starter equip that I've seen.

+1, C-Brite used to be labeled as a sanitizer (In fact I could probably dig up an old packet that says so) and the story (see below) I heard was that they simply didn't want to pay for certification in every state. C-Brite (0.8oz packets) is included in the Tru-Brew equipment kits assembled by Crosby & Baker and sold in numerous homebrew shops in the US. It may be included in other kits as well.

C-Brite Packaging Change

Many of you have noticed the recent change in our C-Brite packaging. Please rest assured it’s exactly the same fine product it’s always been. The formulation hasn’t changed at all.

The packaging story is a bit complicated. The formulation of our C-Brite is a federally approved sanitizer and for years we thought that was enough. As we learned last year with our difficulties in one State, it turns out that sanitizers must be registered on a State-by-State basis, at a cost of up to $300 per State, per year. This neither we nor our producer is willing to do. It’s expensive and it’s a paperwork nightmare. Accordingly, we have had to take the product and sell it as a cleanser instead, just like we did with B-Brite years ago.

The second part of the story is where it gets even more complicated. Turns out sanitizers can be ‘no-rinse’ when used in the proper concentrations, which is how we labeled C-Brite in the past. Unfortunately, no cleansers are permitted to be labeled ‘no-rinse’. So, when we changed the packaging on C-Brite from ‘sanitizer’ to ‘cleanser’, even though we did not change the formulation at all, we cannot call C-Brite ‘no-rinse’ if we call it a cleanser.

So there it is: Same great product, same formula, and it will work just like it always did. Please reassure your customers that nothing has changed but the packaging. It’s just that we can no longer make the same claims. As we said, the formula happens to be a US EPA approved sanitizer, but we can’t sell it that way without registering it in every State.

On the positive side, we hope you’ll like the new plastic packs. They will keep the product fresher, and the packages are nice & shiny, and, we think, more attractive.
Instruction on the C-Brit packet: CLEANSING: Clean object to be sanitized with 1-2 packets C-Brite (0.8 ounce packet) in 2 gallons of warm water and rinse well with potable water. It may be necessary to remove beer stool, gross filth and heavy soil from the surface by a pre-scrape, pre-flush and where necessary a pre-soak treatment.

SANITIZATION: No-rinse effective sanitization requires a solution of 100 ppm available chlorine. This will be achieved by dissolving the contents of an 0.8 ounce packet of C-Brite in 2 gallons of warm water. Thoroughly wet all surfaces to be sanitized. Let stand at least one minute. Drain and AIR DRY.

Ingredients: C-Brite is an active chlorine based preparation. Sodium Dichloro-s-triazinetrione dihydrate 6%, inert ingredients 94%. Provides 3.3% available chlorine

 

[Lepersquatch]

Thanks for all the replies. Should I go back there or should I go somewhere else in your opinion. Dont want to get misinformed again. Theres already so much to keep in mind.

 

[camiller]

Thanks for all the replies. Should I go back there or should I go somewhere else in your opinion. Dont want to get misinformed again. Theres already so much to keep in mind.

Well... Which product did he actually give you?

 

[Lepersquatch]

It was Metabisulfite.

 

[camiller]

It was Metabisulfite.

I would not use that as a sanitizer. If he deals more with wine making that beer making I can see how he would be confused but I would go back and get star-san or Iodophor. If his shop is convenient to you go ahead and buy from him, just don't rely on his information.

 

[Lepersquatch]

Thanks sounds good to me.

 

[springer]

Metabisulfite can be used a sanitizer. But I wouldn't use it it far more convenient to use Iodopher or StarSan

 

[Revvy]

Metabisulfite can be used a sanitizer. But I wouldn't use it it far more convenient to use Iodopher or StarSan

As well as cheaper.

If the guys prices are good, his store is clean, his ingredients are fresh, then ignore what he says and spend your money. You'll find that not every proprieter reads every forum or book or listens to every podcast, so the last book or info they may have learned may be in Papazian from 30 years ago. They also may only brew kits. Or simply JUST be of the "you can't teach an old dog new tricks" mentality.

But not every person, especially one of those "you can't teach an old dog" types aren't going to be up on the latest ideas.

Remember to a lot of LHBS'er or employees, it is only a job..not an obsession...so they are not always as necessarily passionate, or zealous learning new things, or trying new techniques, like we are....SOme even though they have been in the business forever, may never had progressed in the hobby beyond extract kits...some may rarely brew at all.

So often it is not surprising that we know more or are at least in touch with more info that someone who does it for a living....

This is an ever evolving hobby...Places like this is where you find the most state of the art information/wisdom about brewing, because of the sheer number of us trying new things, hearing new things, and even breaking new ground and contributing to the body of info on the hobby...Look at some of that inventions that came out of here, and then ended up later in BYO articles by our members...

It is podcasts and forums like this where you will find a lot more state of the art, or current views, and even scientific information...I mean if Jamil, John Palmer or Papazian even farts on a podcast, one of us beergeeks are going to start a thread on it within 10 minutes.

So if you are dealing with ab old school LHBS owner/employee...don't back down, and don't let him get to you...

Remember- It is HUMAN nature to scorn that which we don't understand... It even happens on here sometimes, when someone attempt to break new ground, or suggest something different from common wisdom (we still get people who scorn the idea of long primaries, and still believe in autolysis)...but it really is not the norm here.

But not necessarily "out there" in the world of Home brew shops.

In fact if you have one like that, Don't even tell him what you are doing buy your stuff, give him your money, and whistle your way out the door..knowing that what you might be attempting is probably light years ahead of HIS knowlege base.....

And more than likely your beer will end up better than his!!!

 

[Brewing Clamper]

Well... Which product did he actually give you?

Was it a white powdery substance? It's Anthrax!!

 

[SumnerH]

It was Metabisulfite.

This isn't useless for brewing, though. You can break half a tablet into every 5 gallons of tap water to eliminate chlorine and chloramines.

 

[Ohio-Ed]

If you know what you need, I would buy from the LHBS, but be cautious of his advise.

That said, you might check the container size he carries if you buy StarSan... my LHBS sold 8oz containers for almost the on-line cost of a 32oz container.

 

[jiggs_casey]

I have always used onestep. Only onestep, and nothing but the onestep, so help......

nevermind...

 

[northernlad]

While my LHBS is helpful they, like the rest of us, do not know everything. They would not ever tell me something as incorrect as Star-San/ Iodophor are not sanitizers.
I do as much reading, and pouring over this site as I can and generally go to my LHBS knowing what I want and then run it by them. I often tell them things I have learned that they do not know.

 

[Lepersquatch]

Ah I like the educating point as well.