What do Europeans use to clean/sanitize their equipment?

[Elysium82]

I brewed a few years ago in Spain. I am planning to go back after this covid madness and brew again. Just BIAB only 1-2 gallons per brewday.

I can barely remember what I used to clean/sanitize. I remember that back in the days when I read a lot about brewing, people were using oxi something and StarSan. Now, even back then...... those US products were hard to find in Europe. Has anyone come up with either a homemade powder or liquid solution that can be used to keep the brewing process/equipment up to standards? Or just anything that can be purchased in a normal convenient store?

Thank you.

 

[Nate R]

There are many threads here about home made PBW and sanitizer.

Generic oxi-clean (without scents) is usually the go-to. Search "homemade pbw" here.

Star-san is the best sanitizer in my opinion.
Either Palmer or Pappazain suggests a small bleach solution. Like a cap of bleach in a gallon of water.
Look up the free on-line version of "the joy of homebrewing"

 

[Birrofilo]

I live in Italy. I can find PBW and SaniClean and StarSan at homebrewing online shop. I use hot water and dish soap for cleaning, that 95% of the needs. PBW very occasionally, and I spray a water solution of SaniClean on things that I want to sanitize. I never fill buckets with SaniClean and throw stuff in.

Most people here in Italy would use bleach at a 4ml/l solution and then rinse as a sanitizer. Some use paracetic acid. Also available are enzymatic detergents such as Enzybras. The detergent most used professionally appears to be Oxiclean, which might also have a bland sanitizing effect.

This is an example from an Italian online shop: Detergenti e sanitizzanti - Attrezzature

 

[Erik the Anglophile]

As birrofilo said, dish soap and soft side of sponge for cold side equipment, on mash tuns etc I go a little harder and use a brush or the angry side of the sponge. Soak in PBW solution over night for spigots, O-rings etc. Just rinse well so no soap residue is left.
Saniclean for disinfecting fermentation/bottling buckets, spoons, spigots etc
I think we have most of the products you guys have or our own versions of it.

 

[hotbeer]

For one to two gallon batches I can't imagine you need much. Most can be just put in hot water near boiling temp.

Vinegar, chlorine bleach, Oxyclean, probably Hydrogen Peroxide since that is some of what Oxyclean breaks down to when mixed with water. TSP works too.

Don't leave chlorine bleach or TSP on surfaces to dry though. I've had metal pitted by chlorine bleach and glassed etched by TSP when left to dry.

As long as Europe's been making beer, I'm sure they have something for sale over there.

 

[Taket_al_Tauro]

Until now I've been using an equivalent of Oxyclean (brand name: Chemipro OXI) exclusively for both cleaning and sanitation purposes. I know Oxyclean isn't strictly speaking a sanitizer. But I never had an infected batch so far, so it seems to work well enough for me.

Recently Star San became available also here in Switzerland, so probably you are going to find it in Spain as well.

 

[Erik the Anglophile]

Until now I've been using an equivalent of Oxyclean (brand name: Chemipro OXI) exclusively for both cleaning and sanitation purposes. I know Oxyclean isn't strictly speaking a sanitizer. But I never had an infected batch so far, so it seems to work well enough for me.

Recently Star San became available also here in Switzerland, so probably you are going to find it in Spain as well.

To be fair, dish soap and a good rinse is probably clean enough. But why risk anything.

 

[Taket_al_Tauro]

To be fair, dish soap and a good rinse is probably clean enough. But why risk anything.

Yeah that is my feeling as well by now. As long as you do not have complex brewing systems with multiple valves, CIP and what not. I'm still using Oxyclean on my cold side equipment as it gives me peace of mind.