Using Iodophor

[telebrewer]

To sanitize beer equipment, do you use the 12.5 ppm or the 25 ppm as per the bottle label? Which ever one it is, how much should I add to a 6.5 gallon fermentor the sterilize? My last two batches have been infected. I was told early on that 1 tablespoon per 5 gallons is good. I hope that is wrong and maybe the source of my infections. Thanks...

 

[RighteousFire]

its 1 teaspoon per 1.5 gallons which works out to 1 and 1/3 tablespoons per 5 gallons. (remember 3 teaspoons is 1 tablespoon)

this is for a 12.5ppm concentration by the way.

when using iodophor you don't need to completely immerse the items in solution. in reality you could make a 1 gallon batch, put it in the fermenter, put a lid on it, and shake the crap out of it for a minute to be sure to coat everything. doing this is enough to coat the surfaces and sanitize effectively.

using a spray bottle full of an appropriate concentration and spraying it down very well works as well.

anything approaching, and definitely at or above 25ppm has to be rinsed as it is not considered no-rinse at that concentration. beer can be racked directly onto a 12.5ppm concentration that has been appropriately drained and air dried.

also, above 25 ppm is considered disinfecting.

the 3 levels of "anti-bacterial"

sanitized = 99.9%
disinfected = 99.99%
sterilized = 100%

 

[Pappers_]

That is a great and thorough explanation, thanks!

 

[RighteousFire]

Your welcome. I use iodophor for non brewing applications as well, like sanitizing baby bottles and other things. I have had the same bottle for a very long time, also. It's very good at deodorizing.

On the cold side I use it for my fermenter and airlock obviously, but I also keep a small bucket to dunk my stirring paddle in while chilling. I also dunk a large stainless steel seive in it that I use for filtering trub. I never have luck with whirpooling and the small mesh provides excellent airation. I don't bother with a siphon during boil/pitching. I only use it for bottling now. It's so much easier to pick the kettle up and just dump it in the fermenting bucket.

 

[JacktheKnife]

Gentlemen,

It is September and raining,
thundering too.
I am getting in the mood to 'brew me up some ale'.

I was reading this thread and was thinking back...
I seem to remember for 16 years,
I put three cap fulls,
'from the small bottle of idophor'
in a carbouy {5 or 7.5 gallon}
I soak everything including 'my hands...'
{the most important part} too, for 15 minutes.


Thank you...

'First post in a long time...'

JacktheKnife

 

[RighteousFire]

You soak your hands for 15 minutes? That cannot be comfortable.

I don't know how large the caps for the small bottles are but I can't imagine it's larger than a table spoon. Maybe half a tablespoon? Regardless, if it worked and helped you make good beer then RDWHAHB.

 

[JacktheKnife]

RighteousFire,

'Naw' man, that was a 'mental typo.'
My hands only get soaked for 2-3 minutes.
It really helps however.


Thanks...


JacktheKnife

 

[pksmitty]

Get a medicine dropper from the baby department of any store (WalMart, Target, etc). Cheap, and teaspoon/ml measurements are marked on it. Just don't let SWMBO breathe the air in that department!!!

 

[Pappers_]

Get a medicine dropper from the baby department of any store (WalMart, Target, etc). Cheap, and teaspoon/ml measurements are marked on it. Just don't let SWMBO breathe the air in that department!!!

Finally, a use for those damn measuring tubes that came with every children's prescription over the years!

 

[Beavdowg]

I'm convinced that you can ruin your beer by making the iodophore too concentrated. My first batch with iodophore I wasn't super careful about how much water I was using to make my sanitizing solution, and, I was shooting for the 25ppm instead of the 12.5ppm. My final beer had a noticable cleaner aroma and taste to it. It was drinkable and we drained all 5 gals but I wasn't proud of it. I wasn't exactly sure what it was until I was making my sanitizing solution for my last batch. I was much more careful this time. In fact I used my fermenting bucket with the gal marks to fill to 5 gals and put in 1 1/2 capfuls. It actually says to use 2 capfuls for 12.5ppm but I was too chicken after my last batch. After I emptied the fermentor prior to filling with wort I took a big wiff inside the bucket and it smelled exactly like the off aroma I'd had in my previous beer. So I rinsed out the bucket before I filled with wort. It's supposed to be no rinse at 12.5ppm but I could still smell it. I think the key here is that even at 12.5ppm we still need to allow it to dry. Anybody think different?

 

[oswegan]

PBW followed by Star San as directed -I have never had a contamination or off taste/smell - just a whole lot of kick-a** beer.

 

[Pappers_]

I'm convinced that you can ruin your beer by making the iodophore too concentrated. My first batch with iodophore I wasn't super careful about how much water I was using to make my sanitizing solution, and, I was shooting for the 25ppm instead of the 12.5ppm. My final beer had a noticable cleaner aroma and taste to it. It was drinkable and we drained all 5 gals but I wasn't proud of it. I wasn't exactly sure what it was until I was making my sanitizing solution for my last batch. I was much more careful this time. In fact I used my fermenting bucket with the gal marks to fill to 5 gals and put in 1 1/2 capfuls. It actually says to use 2 capfuls for 12.5ppm but I was too chicken after my last batch. After I emptied the fermentor prior to filling with wort I took a big wiff inside the bucket and it smelled exactly like the off aroma I'd had in my previous beer. So I rinsed out the bucket before I filled with wort. It's supposed to be no rinse at 12.5ppm but I could still smell it. I think the key here is that even at 12.5ppm we still need to allow it to dry. Anybody think different?

I've used idophor on many batches and have never experienced what you describe. But I don't measure by the capful, either. My bottle does not say to measure by the capful, fyi, but by teaspoonful.

 

[samc]

I'm convinced that you can ruin your beer by making the iodophore too concentrated. My first batch with iodophore I wasn't super careful about how much water I was using to make my sanitizing solution, and, I was shooting for the 25ppm instead of the 12.5ppm. My final beer had a noticable cleaner aroma and taste to it. It was drinkable and we drained all 5 gals but I wasn't proud of it. I wasn't exactly sure what it was until I was making my sanitizing solution for my last batch. I was much more careful this time. In fact I used my fermenting bucket with the gal marks to fill to 5 gals and put in 1 1/2 capfuls. It actually says to use 2 capfuls for 12.5ppm but I was too chicken after my last batch. After I emptied the fermentor prior to filling with wort I took a big wiff inside the bucket and it smelled exactly like the off aroma I'd had in my previous beer. So I rinsed out the bucket before I filled with wort. It's supposed to be no rinse at 12.5ppm but I could still smell it. I think the key here is that even at 12.5ppm we still need to allow it to dry. Anybody think different?

At the 12.5ppm if drained it will not be detectable. You are just hypersensitive to it now because you think it will be something you can taste. You most likely were drinking green beer that needed time to age and possibly had overdone the Iodine. I used to use it on food service equipment and nobody ever said yuck that tastes like Iodine or some other off flavor.

 

[Beavdowg]

PBW followed by Star San as directed -I have never had a contamination or off taste/smell - just a whole lot of kick-a** beer.

Hey Oswegan,

I live in Lake Oswego! Cool. As to your post, I'll make my final decision after the next couple batches, but I have considered switching to Star San. Iodophore is just so cheap, though.

 

[RighteousFire]

I've used idophor on many batches and have never experienced what you describe. But I don't measure by the capful, either. My bottle does not say to measure by the capful, fyi, but by teaspoonful.

As does mine. I've never seen ones that say anything about capfuls.

 

[springer]

Directions on BTF iodopher quart size

1/4 ounce per 2.5 gallons for 12.5ppm.

1 capfull =1/2 ounce.



jeeze I needed to use the magnifying glasses to read it .. sucks getting old

 

[vballdrummer]

I use iodophor for non brewing applications as well, like sanitizing baby bottles and other things. I have had the same bottle for a very long time.

How often do you drink out of that?

 

[Pappers_]

That explains it, I use the smaller sized bottle.

Directions on BTF iodopher quart size

1/4 ounce per 2.5 gallons for 12.5ppm.

1 capfull =1/2 ounce.



jeeze I needed to use the magnifying glasses to read it .. sucks getting old

 

[Beavdowg]

Directions on BTF iodopher quart size

1/4 ounce per 2.5 gallons for 12.5ppm.

1 capfull =1/2 ounce.



jeeze I needed to use the magnifying glasses to read it .. sucks getting old

So it must come down to what size bottle of BTF you have. My 16.9oz bottle says:

1/4 ounce per 2.5 gallons for 12.5ppm

1 capfull=1/4 oz.

So you'd need 2 capfuls for 5 gals.

Point again here is to specifically read the directions on your bottle because the caps must be different sizes. Or, as a previous poster said, 1 tsp of Iodophore in 1.5 gals of water for 12.5 ppm concentration regardless of cap size.

 

[tomtom]

I've used an iodine solution before and there was defined iodine funk to the brews. I ditched that method and bought some Star San. Problem solved.

 

[chwilliams]

Related question, anyone had an allergic reaction to iodophor?

I've been using BTF for years, and tonight while cleaning a fermenter, using the concentration listed on the bottle, my arms broke out in a bad rash, after I washed it off the rash subsided.