What Sanitisers and Cleaners are used.

[osagedr]

Star San for me, both for brewing and winemaking.

 

[Tonedef131]

Star San 4 lyfe yo

 

[GilaMinumBeer]

First I mix StarSan with Iodophor. Then I mix Acidulated Bleach with One Step. Then I blend the two toghether.

If you listen closely. You can hear the buggers scream and then POP!

 

[sp1365]

Idorphor for me.

 

[bonzombiekitty]

While I'm still doing my first batch - I've been using bleach the whole way through.

 

[PseudoChef]

I think I have my Star-san cost down to about pennies per batch. I have only used about 12 oz during 2 years of brewing.

 

[shortyjacobs]

Starsan, because it stays good in a spray bottle for a long time, (especially with distilled water).

 

[starrfish]

I still use bleach. Always have... not too much trouble to do a hot tap water rinse. hot water breaks down the bleach faster than cold, and I mix my bleach really strong. 1/2 cup or more to 5 gall. (i just free pour bleach, it's CHEAP!) never had any problem getting rid of bleach using hot water rinse.

Have been interested in trying StarSan... just haven't had the need, no problems with using bleach. Brother tried Idophor, had less than great results ended up with a sour batch. ALTHOUGH he's not known for his best brewing practices. I also didn't like the stained equipment. I usually replace my fermentation bucket at a particular level of staining... I wouldn't know when to replace if I used Idophor! LOL.

 

[mmb]

StarSan. I buy a 5 gallon water jug of distilled water and mix up a batch. Capped and stored it keeps for some time.

 

[shortyjacobs]

I still use bleach. Always have... not too much trouble to do a hot tap water rinse. hot water breaks down the bleach faster than cold, and I mix my bleach really strong. 1/2 cup or more to 5 gall. (i just free pour bleach, it's CHEAP!) never had any problem getting rid of bleach using hot water rinse.

Have been interested in trying StarSan... just haven't had the need, no problems with using bleach. Brother tried Idophor, had less than great results ended up with a sour batch. ALTHOUGH he's not known for his best brewing practices. I also didn't like the stained equipment. I usually replace my fermentation bucket at a particular level of staining... I wouldn't know when to replace if I used Idophor! LOL.

Balsy re: the hot tap water rinse. Most will avoid that due to hot tap water not being sterile...but others have luck with it.

 

[Malticulous]

I keep a spray bottle of starsan on hand at all times. It's hard to beat the speed and easy of use.
I have all my fermenting equipment taking a bleach bath as I'm brewing and rinse them with warm water from my chiller. Then I spray them with starsan.
I use iodopher for bottling and racking because I dislike foam.

I found each one has it's drawbacks. Bleach breaks down vinyl hoses and turns them white then you can get off flavors from them. Iodopher stains things. Starsan foams up and is acidic enough to be harsh on my hands. The foam makes it hard to see when a bottle is full and my dry hops ride out on it.

 

[nostalgia]

I seem to remember some people using StarSan on carboys and Iodophor on bottles (since StarSan is clear and foamy, Iodophor is not foamy but stains).

I use StarSan for everything, but recently I tried SaniClean by the same manufacturer for sanitizing kegs. Allegedly it's a low-foaming version of StarSan.

I wanted the low-foam so I can see the liquid level in the keg to prevent overfilling (which I've done twice with StarSan, once resulting in a backflow of beer into my regulator. Do not want.).

The SaniClean is definitely a different formula - it's a different color in the bottle, uses a different dilution and smells a lot stronger.

-Joe

 

[bonzombiekitty]

Balsy re: the hot tap water rinse. Most will avoid that due to hot tap water not being sterile...but others have luck with it.

If it's city water it's probably just fine. The problem is the aerator being infected. I'd expect simply soaking the aerator in a sanitizing solution of some sort would make it sterile enough.

When I transferred my batch from primary bucket to a 5gal carboy, I filled the carboy up with water and bleach, popped in the siphon equipment, let it sit for a while, and then siphoned off the solution. I had the solution flow over the tap as it emptied out of the carboy.

Seems to have worked well enough.

 

[ibbones]

Star San for me. After I used up what came in my starter kit, Brew Vent.

 

[shortyjacobs]

I use StarSan for everything, but recently I tried SaniClean by the same manufacturer for sanitizing kegs. Allegedly it's a low-foaming version of StarSan.

I wanted the low-foam so I can see the liquid level in the keg to prevent overfilling (which I've done twice with StarSan, once resulting in a backflow of beer into my regulator. Do not want.).

The SaniClean is definitely a different formula - it's a different color in the bottle, uses a different dilution and smells a lot stronger.

-Joe

FYI, Saniclean is NOT a sanitizer, it's a cleanser. If you read the Tech Sheet, it says "Always sanitize equipment just prior to start up with a
suitable sanitizer as required by local public health regulations. "

Starsan's tech sheet, by comparison, lists it as a USDA recognized sanitizer.

 

[JOHN51277]

San of the Star. Its the only way I have ever gone and NEVER have had a problem! I like the pretty foam in the carboys too!

 

[tetrylone]

+1 on starsan. That stuff rules!

 

[nostalgia]

FYI, Saniclean is NOT a sanitizer, it's a cleanser. If you read the Tech Sheet, it says "Always sanitize equipment just prior to start up with a
suitable sanitizer as required by local public health regulations. "

Starsan's tech sheet, by comparison, lists it as a USDA recognized sanitizer.

I have read the tech sheet. However according to my reading, Saniclean still works as a sanitizer, it's just not registered with the USDA as a sanitizer because of red tape issues.

For example, in this thread about the podcast with Charlie Talley of Five Star Chemicals:

Sani-Clean is not an EPA recognized sanitizer due to tougher laws that dictate labeling it as such, but it is basically just Star-San without the foam. The other difference is that it is weaker so you have to use more, 1oz. per 3 gallons of water. There really isn’t much more to say about this product other than, if you don’t like the foam use this.

I'm listening to the actual podcast now. In the discussion about what the EPA lets them put on the labels, Charlie was asked "whether or not [Saniclean] is actually a sanitizer":

...it required two or three independent labs to duplicate your research...then you got into $4500 where they had to give you a new stamp every year...it got very heavy quickly, as far as the monetary amounts.

I can use the product and say it's an acid rinse, because that's what it is, like Starsan is an acid rinse. It's not my fault if it kills something.

Apparently they had Starsan approved in the 70's when the EPA was less stringent.

Then the interviewer asked the question directly:

Then is it safe for me to say that an acid rinse is a sanitizer - that's why you would acid rinse something, right?

That's right.

So what's the difference in the chemistry?

They're both based on phosphoric acid, and both work on a pH of 3.5...The Starsan is a high foamer. Then you have to find a soap that will live in the acid that's a low foamer.

So I'll take the word of one of the founders of the company.

Thanks,

-Joe

 

[shortyjacobs]

So I'll take the word of one of the founders of the company.

Thanks,

-Joe

Meep. Good call, I sit corrected.

 

[nostalgia]

Meep. Good call, I sit corrected.

Heh I'm just spreading the informational love around. That's actually a really good podcast. I'm going to kill some time at work listening to the rest of it.

-Joe

 

[Buffman]

+1 for StarSan. Great stuff. The foam, which I understand is as effective as the liquid, actually lets you use less of the product. Shake it up, get foam or liquid on everything for a few minutes, and the bugs are gone.

 

[UTbrewer]

I have been using Brew Vint Cleanitizer to great success so far...is this stuff just not as readily available? I got it with my Austin Homebrew Supply kit and it works great!

I haven't had any problems with buggies so far and I am on batch 5.

 

[cjmcfoot]

I use iodophore to sanitize. I use bleach to "clean". If your equipment does not dry out properly you can get mold growing in small hard to find places. Because of this I initially clean with a bleach soak, rinse well then sanitize using Iodophore, plus I can use the iodophore as a starch reagent.

 

[chromados]

+1 for starsan, when i first started using it i was running through it like crazy but then i got smart and since i keg i had an extra bottling bucket sitting around and i am able to just keep a 5 gallon batch mixed up at all times. It also makes it nice when i make starters or clean up because i dont have to mix its already sitting there for me. I figure as long as its not dirty and still foams/acidic ill be good to go.

 

[Homercidal]

StarSan FTW!

I love that it's no rinse.

I love that I can mix 2.5 gallons with distilled water and use it over and over...

I love that it doesn't stain.

I love that once the PH gets above a certain point (like when you rack beer onto it) it becomes YEAST FOOD!

I love that I can keep a spray bottle for weeks and weeks and just spritz everything.

I love that there is no chance of getting chlorine off-flavors (BTW - If you are using Chlorine Bleach as a sanitizer, you REALLY need to mix about 1 TBSP of Bleach AND 1 TBSP of Vinegar in 5 gallons of water, in order to make an effective sanitizer. Bleach alone is great for removing stains, but not that effective at it's usual PH to kill bugs. Make sure you put them each in the water, not together. Mixing the two without diluting with water will be BAD for you.)

I usually love the foam.

 

[GilaMinumBeer]

StarSan FTW!

I love that it's no rinse.

I love that I can mix 2.5 gallons with distilled water and use it over and over...

I love that it doesn't stain.

I love that once the PH gets above a certain point (like when you rack beer onto it) it becomes YEAST FOOD!

I love that I can keep a spray bottle for weeks and weeks and just spritz everything.

I love that there is no chance of getting chlorine off-flavors (BTW - If you are using Chlorine Bleach as a sanitizer, you REALLY need to mix about 1 TBSP of Bleach AND 1 TBSP of Vinegar in 5 gallons of water, in order to make an effective sanitizer. Bleach alone is great for removing stains, but not that effective at it's usual PH to kill bugs. Make sure you put them each in the water, not together. Mixing the two without diluting with water will be BAD for you.)

I usually love the foam.

I love that it has a pH limt to it's effectiveness. Thus making it an easy product to evaluate it's stibility.

 

[Evan!]

Listen to Revvy, I have read 50% of his informational topics and he knows what he is talking about. Or at least he acts like he knows and since I don't know any better, I believe every word he writes. If he told me to throw dirt in my beer to clear it, then I would and I would guarantee it would work, because Revvy said it.

Nothing like blindly following someone because they act like they know what they're talking about. Cult of Revvy FTW!

I can't wait till Revvy finally snaps and starts telling you people to sanitize with their own urine, or ferment with Fleischmanns, or do a SMaSH with black patent, and you listen to him, because, well, Revvy said it! I would El-Oh-El for days!

 

[Scut_Monkey]

I randomly switch between StarSan and Iodophor. Keeps the bugs guessing.

Ditto. 90% of the time Starsan and 10% iodophor just in case I get some resistance to either. I figure it can't hurt.

 

[TexLaw]

I use both iodophore and Starsan, as well. Which one I choose depends largely on habit and which one is closer at the time. I do keep Starsan in a spray bottle, and that is magnificent. Starsan also is easier to mix up in smaller batches, while iodophor seems more suited to larger batches.

I'm off to brew a SMaSH with black patent and cheesy hops, now, cuz Revvy said so.


TL

 

[ohiobrewtus]

Listen to Revvy, I have read 50% of his informational topics and he knows what he is talking about. Or at least he acts like he knows and since I don't know any better, I believe every word he writes. If he told me to throw dirt in my beer to clear it, then I would and I would guarantee it would work, because Revvy said it.

Hopfully you're joking.

Look, there are plenty of people around here who have either brewed a lot of beer or brewed for a long time. AFAIK, Revvy is included in that group. He just happens to be uber-active on the forum compared to others.

Uber-activity does not equal brewing omniscience. Take the advice or Revvy, me, or anyone else for that matter - and put it to use to come up with systems and methods that work for YOU.