What Sanitisers and Cleaners are used.

[StubbornMuttBrewing]

My husband and I live in Germany. Before we moved here, we used to use Star-san for all out beer brewing needs. Unfortunately, it's not available here without a 3 week waiting period to arrive from the States. We've ordered it.

But in the meantime, only these products: http://www.hobbybrauerversand.de/Reinigen
and these products:
http://www.brouwland.com/en/

...seem to be available. The list of those products is below. All of them are completely unknown to us, and it's hard to find reviews and opinions by homebrewers. Where do you guys stand on their use as sanitizers or cleaners? Has anyone used them?

biostream Aseptica
Chemipro Acid
Chemopro Caustic
Chemipro Oxi
TM Desana Max fp
Eilfix Bacy-Sept Disinfecting Cleaner
Eilfix Glass Cleaner
Iodophor (That's a sanitizer, right?)
Caustic Soda
P3- Alcodes/ P3- Asepto
Potassium Sulfite
Trisodiumphosphate

 

[Walking_Target]

Iodophor is a sanitizer. The Chemipro Acid is likely similar to Star San but you need the ingredients before you can make that call.

 

[AdamHasser]

If I'm cleaning the equipment off with hot water and Easy Clean right after I brew, do I still need to use Star San (or similar) before I brew again? I've only done one batch and I'm getting ready to do another.

 

[IPAndy]

Anyone ever used castile soap before? Never used it myself, but it's non-detergent and we have a good deal of it.

 

[tduro]

I've used regular clorox bleach for years, and found it to be cheap and effective. However, I'm having a harder and harder time finding it. Instead, I'm finding "Germicidal Bleach", "Splashless Bleach", "Concentrated Bleach", and others. The concentrated bleach says "do not use for sanitizing or disinfecting. For sanitizing or disinfecting, use Clorox Regular Bleach". I've searched the web, but can't find much reliable info. I'm afraid the new stuff has detergents, thickeners, surfactants, and other ingredients that might make rinsing difficult.

Has anyone gone down this road and found any info useful to a homebrewer?

 

[peterlonz]

I have used commonly available (bought at the supermarket) regular bleach for over 10 years. I then purchased a house with a swimming pool & discovered (available at the local pool shop) "liquid chlorine" which is a very strong bleach.
I can't recall now the chemical which is dissolved in water ti create this bleach but it does not matter anyway because it works great & it's a lower cost than supermarket bleach.
You will probably have to buy 5 or 10 litres, but at about $0.75 per litre that's peanuts.
Caution: This stuff is strong & will burn hole is most fabric if spilled onto your clothes undiluted. I always wear safety glasses when I use it & some very old clothes. A 50:50 dilution will yield you a strong sanitizing agent which just needs modest care to rinse away (is use cold filtered water, the hot water out of the hot tap for rinsing).
Hope that helps.

 

[5Star]

Hi Stubborn Mutt. Five Star products are available at some homebrew stores in Europe. This may be a faster option for getting the product than ordering it from the US. Here is a link to the UK stores that carry it http://www.fivestarchemicals.com/wp-content/uploads/zUnited-Kingdom5.pdf

We also have stores in Sweden, Norway, Ireland and other countries that carry the products. You can find the list on the Five Star website http://www.fivestarchemicals.com/safety-supplies/

My husband and I live in Germany. Before we moved here, we used to use Star-san for all out beer brewing needs. Unfortunately, it's not available here without a 3 week waiting period to arrive from the States. We've ordered it.

But in the meantime, only these products: http://www.hobbybrauerversand.de/Reinigen
and these products:
http://www.brouwland.com/en/

...seem to be available. The list of those products is below. All of them are completely unknown to us, and it's hard to find reviews and opinions by homebrewers. Where do you guys stand on their use as sanitizers or cleaners? Has anyone used them?

biostream Aseptica
Chemipro Acid
Chemopro Caustic
Chemipro Oxi
TM Desana Max fp
Eilfix Bacy-Sept Disinfecting Cleaner
Eilfix Glass Cleaner
Iodophor (That's a sanitizer, right?)
Caustic Soda
P3- Alcodes/ P3- Asepto
Potassium Sulfite
Trisodiumphosphate

 

[5Star]

New here and great list. I did a search in this thread and didn't see anything but sorry in advance if I'm asking a question that's already been answer.

Are any of those cleaners/sanitizers bad for aluminum? I have an aluminum brew pot. I assume sanitizer is not required since it will be boiling the wort.

I can't speak for the other products, but PBW (Five Star's Alkali Cleanser) works really well for cleaning organic materials on aluminum. HOWEVER, aluminum is a very soft metal and PBW can scratch the surface if not completely dissolved before use. You should also lower the amount of PBW used because the metal is soft. DO NOT use Star San or Saniclean on aluminum. It will blacken the metal almost immediately. You should consider investing in stainless.

Since you are boiling, no need to sanitize, but you definitely want to remove the organic materials that are left after the boil.

Hope this helps!

 

[5Star]

If I'm cleaning the equipment off with hot water and Easy Clean right after I brew, do I still need to use Star San (or similar) before I brew again? I've only done one batch and I'm getting ready to do another.

Hi Adam. We always recommend a 2 step process for brewing. Cleaning and sanitizing are not the same things, and you need to do both to ensure safety. Cleansers can loosen and remove organic materials BUT they do not kill. In order to kill you need to use a sanitizer. Whether that is a Five Star product or not, always use a sanitizer.

 

[5Star]

How long does Star-San keep? How do you know that you need to replace it?
Same question for Sani-Clean?

This seems to be a hot topic on the forum, and a question that we answer on a daily basis here in the office.

Star San High Foaming Acid Anionic
1. Star San is an effective sanitizer at 3.5 PH or below. The best method to ensure effectiveness is to check with PH strips prior to use.
2. If your Star San goes cloudy, that is an indication that the PH is rising. To combat this you can try sweetening your mix with a little more Star San. Always check the PH again prior to use.
3. If you use RO or DI water and a closed container your Star San will stay effective for a VERY long time. Highly recommended.
4. Use 50 to 120 degree Fahrenheit water
5. NO RINSE (Don't Fear the Foam!)

Saniclean Low Foaming Acid Anionic
1. Saniclean is an effective sanitizer at 3.5 PH or lower. The best method to ensure effectiveness is to check with PH strips prior to use.
2. If kept at a PH of 3.5 or below Saniclean will remain effective for a week at a time without a need for sweetening. Check the PH prior to use.
3. Use 50 to 120 degree Fahrenheit water
4. If you use RO or DI water and a closed container your Saniclean will stay effective for a VERY long time. Highly recommended.

Just remember to always test the PH prior to use and you should be good.

 

[Tom128]

So doing some research I am confused on Oxyclean's status as a simple cleaner and not a sanitizer. It seems as though Oxyclean is hydrogen peroxide when activated with water, and hydrogen peroxide is very effective at sterilization. Isn't Oxyclean the same thing as OneStep? I have both and they seem to be identical.

 

[SteveWPG]

Not sure if this has been asked but I can't find it anywhere. I want to use Bar Keeper's Friend to CIP my fermenters (cleaning and passivating) but I'm am not sure how much to use. What concentration do I mix it?

 

[G8S]

If I want to dry heat sterilize my bottles in the oven, after a rinse in Star San, would it be critical to have no foam left before going into a hot oven (300-340 deg F)? Of am I going over board? I am trying to prep them for short storage, NOT immediate bottling.

 

[schmitt777]

Not sure if this has been asked but I can't find it anywhere. I want to use Bar Keeper's Friend to CIP my fermenters (cleaning and passivating) but I'm am not sure how much to use. What concentration do I mix it?

I have inadvertently scorched my new kettle :-(. PBW is not working on a couple quarter sized spots that I just can't seem to get clean even with a green scrubber and a lot of elbow grease.

Any thoughts on cleaners to get this off the bottom of my brew kettle ? Bar keepers ? Just don't want to ruin my kettle.

Where did you buy bar keepers ?

 

[SteveWPG]

I have inadvertently scorched my new kettle :-(. PBW is not working on a couple quarter sized spots that I just can't seem to get clean even with a green scrubber and a lot of elbow grease.

Any thoughts on cleaners to get this off the bottom of my brew kettle ? Bar keepers ? Just don't want to ruin my kettle.

Where did you buy bar keepers ?

I bought mine at Canadian Tire for $2/1lb can. It is something that is pretty easy to find I think, and is supposed to be pretty good for that kind of stuff.

EDIT: I think you can get it at a lot of home stores; they have a list of places it's sold on their website.

 

[5Star]

Hello,
Five Star recommends sanitizing immediately before use. If you sanitize with Star San, (or any other means) and then shelve the vessel or bottle, you are risking contamination.

Always sanitize just prior to use.

If I want to dry heat sterilize my bottles in the oven, after a rinse in Star San, would it be critical to have no foam left before going into a hot oven (300-340 deg F)? Of am I going over board? I am trying to prep them for short storage, NOT immediate bottling.

 

[5Star]

I have inadvertently scorched my new kettle :-(. PBW is not working on a couple quarter sized spots that I just can't seem to get clean even with a green scrubber and a lot of elbow grease.

Any thoughts on cleaners to get this off the bottom of my brew kettle ? Bar keepers ? Just don't want to ruin my kettle.

Where did you buy bar keepers ?

Hello,
Is your kettle stainless? PBW is very effective at breaking down carbon. Have you tried upping the concentration and letting it soak?

 

[EVBrewing]

I was browsing thru this thread and wanted to add a couple comments to some of the posts i saw. First the bleach, chlorine and adding vinegar thing. Chlorine is the same thing as bleach, just at a much higher concentration. Bleach is a much more effective sanitizer if added to water with a low ph. Anything acidic can be used for this. Vinegar, lemon juice, citric acid etc. Next, the oxyclean thing. Oxyclean is powdered hydrogen peroxide, but i believe it has detergents added to it also. I personally use 35% food grade hydrogen peroxide i buy at a local hydroponics store and dilute it down to 3%. Very good cleaner and sanitizer. The peroxide you find at your local grocery store has other additives in it.

 

[Elysium]

When you sanitize with bleach it's best to mix an equal amount of bleach and vinegar into the water you're sanitizing with. Bleach on its own won't kill certain bacteria unless the water has some acidity to it (hence the vinegar.)

It's important not to mix the vinegar and bleach directly, or you will end up with a nasty toxic cloud. Pour the bleach into the water, mix, then add the vinegar. There's an audio file here http://www.basicbrewing.com/index.php?page=radio (March 27th) that breaks it all down.

I've done all my sanitizing with bleach/vinegar and never had a sanitation-induced infection.

Hi there

Sanitizing or cleaning with bleach? I am asking because I am looking for a good cleaning agent.

 

[naughty240]

Ok im sure this has been asked and answered but I cant find it. LOL

Ok so I got my new pump sprayer. Should I clean with PBW before I put the Line cleaner (LLC) in?

Or can I just give the sprayer a good shake then fill my lines like normal?

Thanks

 

[David-in-Oregon]

i use starsan as a cleaner/sanitiser, if i have a fermenter that has caked on yeast ill add the star san let it sit for a few mins and go at it with the carboy brush works great!

i clean my mash tuns out with it every now and then also

I just started making cider and I used Starsan with a carboy brush to clean my plastic carboy. There is still a cider smell to the carboy. Should I be doing something more to clean my carboy or is the Starsan fine?

 

[bandt9299]

Star San is a acid based sanitizer, not meant for cleaning. You should be using PBW or Oxy Clean free for cleaning, a nice long hot soak then scrubbing. But if you have a better bottle plastic carboy you should not be using a carboy brush either it will scratch the plastic. A good cleaner will need no scrubbing. If you feel you need to scrub a plastic carboy after a good long soak empty 3/4 of the cleaner out and put a small towel/rag in the carboy and shake it all around. Good Luck.

 

[David-in-Oregon]

Star San is a acid based sanitizer, not meant for cleaning. You should be using PBW or Oxy Clean free for cleaning, a nice long hot soak then scrubbing. But if you have a better bottle plastic carboy you should not be using a carboy brush either it will scratch the plastic. A good cleaner will need no scrubbing. If you feel you need to scrub a plastic carboy after a good long soak empty 3/4 of the cleaner out and put a small towel/rag in the carboy and shake it all around. Good Luck.

Thank you for the info.
I used the carboy brush once on my better bottle, so I think it'll be ok.
I'll go out and get some oxy clean today.
Thanks again.

 

[abungay]

Why isn't Urine on the list?

ok ok delete this one if you want to keep this thread 100% serious

Why is "Urine" capitalized? Is it someone's name or a place? I don't want to meet a Urine or spend any time there.

 

[hercher]

Hi there

Sanitizing or cleaning with bleach? I am asking because I am looking for a good cleaning agent.

Bleach is not a cleaner. It will make your whites whiter, and your fermentors sanitary.

As many others have mentioned, PBW or Oxyclean are your best bets for cleaning.

 

[berts]

Hi Im reading that starsan can have an affect on metal , Does it damage the spring on the inside of the bottle rinsers. The kind of bottle rinsers that can fit on top if a bottle tree. Bert

 

[ProfessorWoland]

I'm now using VPW to clean. (I used to use it to sanitise too) and Starsan to sanitise.

 

[Jette]

I'm not sure if this applies to HB, but people who allergic to shellfish will have an allergic reaction to the iodine in most iodine based cleaners. Has anyone had a problem with this? I know in the medical field we always have to ask before we use iodine.

I don't know if you CAN be allergic to iodine. It is an essential nutrient and you have it in your thyroid.

 

[Jette]

Does PBW sanitize too? Is it the same thing as One Step? I read that in Germany they use Sulfuric acid. Anyone heard of this?

 

[hercher]

Does PBW sanitize too? Is it the same thing as One Step? I read that in Germany they use Sulfuric acid. Anyone heard of this?

PBW does not sanitize.