Sterilize Or Sanitise

[Brewme]

So much has been written on the subject of sterilizing/sanitising.

There are so many products available to the home brewer.

I am thinking of using Iodopher as a sanitiser. Does it have to be rinsed off with water after use? Will it leave a hospital smell in the beer?

I have previously used sodium metabisulphate. Info in HB books suggest the SO2 be rinsed off with cool bolied water or can be left to air dry as the yeast can tolerate a bit of the sterilizer.

I have been rinsing everything with cold water from the tap with no problems.....yet.

If everything has to be rinsed with cool boiled water, I would have to boil gallons of it using heaps of electricity just to pour it down the sink.

Are these air dry sanitisers any good or just a load of hype?

Cheers

 

[Pete2501]

I am thinking of using Iodopher as a sanitiser. Does it have to be rinsed off with water after use? Will it leave a hospital smell in the beer?

Iodopher is a no rinse sanitiser when mixed in the correct quantities.

Edit: typo

 

[eamonnfoley]

So much has been written on the subject of sterilizing/sanitising.

There are so many products available to the home brewer.

I am thinking of using Iodopher as a sanitiser. Does it have to be rinsed off with water after use? Will it leave a hospital smell in the beer?

I have previously used sodium metabisulphate. Info in HB books suggest the SO2 be rinsed off with cool bolied water or can be left to air dry as the yeast can tolerate a bit of the sterilizer.

I have been rinsing everything with cold water from the tap with no problems.....yet.

If everything has to be rinsed with cool boiled water, I would have to boil gallons of it using heaps of electricity just to pour it down the sink.

Are these air dry sanitisers any good or just a load of hype?

Cheers

Sounds like your just starting out and there are plenty of things to consider. Do yourself a favour and go to www.brewingnetwork.com and download two "Brew Strong" episodes. One about cleaning and one about sanitation. Everything you need to know will be discussed in there.

 

[JonnyAnchovy]

1 vote for starsan here. I've been using it ever since I went AG, and haven't had any infection issues yet. It is SO cheap per batch, very easy to use, and apparently pretty effective.

I'm glad to never have to use sodium metabisulphate again - I nearly gassed myself with the stuff in my early brewing days.

 

[Nick JD]

I soak the fermenter with napisan to clean off the last brew's crud, rinse it with cold water about 3 times and store it.

When I'm just about to pour wort in it I boil 2L of water, pour it in and shake it a little. Then I slowly rotate it so the walls are sloshed with the boiling water. It becomes too hot to hold with bare hands - I run some through the tap.

No infections.

 

[mika]

I soak the fermenter with napisan to clean off the last brew's crud, rinse it with cold water about 3 times and store it.

When I'm just about to pour wort in it I boil 2L of water, pour it in and shake it a little. Then I slowly rotate it so the walls are sloshed with the boiling water. It becomes too hot to hold with bare hands - I run some through the tap.

No infections.

I have this little spray bottle with some tiger repellant in it. Bought it off e-bay at a lot less than what they said the rrp was ! Spray a little on myself each day and haven't seen a tiger yet. This stuff is amazing ! Running out though, so I'll have to get some more.

 

[MarkBastard]

+1 for Starsan, so god damn good. Should have bought it ages ago.

 

[Brewme]

I have this little spray bottle with some tiger repellant in it. Bought it off e-bay at a lot less than what they said the rrp was ! Spray a little on myself each day and haven't seen a tiger yet. This stuff is amazing ! Running out though, so I'll have to get some more.

Try going into the tigers enclosure at your local zoo and see how good your spray works

We're all waiting with baited breath for the outcome of that adventure.

 

[marksfish]

i alternate between iodorfor and starsan in no rinse quantities and and have never had off flavors from either and i leave the fermenter or keg wet.

 

[Mobbee007]

I use Idophor it was what was recommended by mates and I rinse everything just before use no probs with a bit left in fermenter in 6 brews so far

 

[argon]

+1 for starsan. Kep it at the right proportions in a small spray bottle. I soak all my gear in napisan in between brews. On brewday rinse it all out with regular tap water then spray the bejesus out of everything that goes within 6 feet of the wort, me too. Just about everytime I use a piece of equipment it gets sprayed before and after. I use it very liberally a d it drill lasts ages and heaps cheaper than anything else I've used

 

[Nick JD]

I have this little spray bottle with some tiger repellant in it. Bought it off e-bay at a lot less than what they said the rrp was ! Spray a little on myself each day and haven't seen a tiger yet. This stuff is amazing ! Running out though, so I'll have to get some more.

Yes - boiling water will rip to living shreds any bacterium that ain't either a thermophile (not an issue to beer) or a solitary and exceedingly rare endospore (that will be Russell Crowed by your yeast when it pokes it's head out).

I find it isn't to good with human skin either.

Use all the chemicals you want ... but heat works. 120C and pressure, KILL 'EM ALL.

When you are getting surgery - do you see the surgeon spraying his scalpal with starsan?

 

[DUANNE]

just a question. how are you getting water to 120 and transfering it to your fermenter. and also how hot is the water after 5 mins of splashing around in there. not trying to pick shit mate but id rather trust chemicals in this situation. your fermentor just isnt an auto clave . an added bonus is starsan breaks down into a yeast nutrient.KILL EM ALL was a great album though!

 

[beers]

do you see the surgeon spraying his scalpal with starsan?

cant say I've seen one pouring a kettle of boiling water over one either..

 

[Barley Belly]

Religiously I :-

Rinse fermenter out with hose
Add napisan and jug of boiling water and shake
Top up with cold water and leave 24 hours then drain and rinse
Add 1/2 cup bleach/vinegar, top up with tap water and leave 24 hours then drain and drip dry in the sun, then store

When ready to use, spray with bleach/vinegar, leave 5 mins, add jug boiling water 100C, swish, tip and dump ya cube/yeast, gladwrap, fridge, beer :icon_chickcheers:

But that's just me

 

[drsmurto]

Yes - boiling water will rip to living shreds any bacterium that ain't either a thermophile (not an issue to beer) or a solitary and exceedingly rare endospore (that will be Russell Crowed by your yeast when it pokes it's head out).

I find it isn't to good with human skin either.

Use all the chemicals you want ... but heat works. 120C and pressure, KILL 'EM ALL.

When you are getting surgery - do you see the surgeon spraying his scalpal with starsan?

What are you smoking?

 

[manticle]

Yes - boiling water will rip to living shreds any bacterium that ain't either a thermophile (not an issue to beer) or a solitary and exceedingly rare endospore (that will be Russell Crowed by your yeast when it pokes it's head out).

I find it isn't to good with human skin either.

Use all the chemicals you want ... but heat works. 120C and pressure, KILL 'EM ALL.

When you are getting surgery - do you see the surgeon spraying his scalpal with starsan?

Well hopefully no because the general should have kicked in.

Whatever works for your brewery works for your brewery and I have no wish to naysay it but the sterilisation of medical instruments has little in common with dropping several litres of boiling water (usually around 100 if my secondary science school classes are anything to go by) into a plastic bucket.

You use whatever processes you want to for YOUR beer but you don't need to justify it with bad science.

 

[rendo]

Hey....does anyone use the Morgans's no-rinse sanitiser. I think it is a Hydrogen peroxide based sanitiser?

Is that what starsan or Idophor uses??

Never used no-rinse before, but I said I would give it a go, never had a problem either, anyway

I now have acquired a bottle of Morgans no-rinse and it is sitting on the shelf looking at me and I am wondering what to do with it

eg put it in a spray bottle etc....I have a bottle tree with a rinser/squirter thingy on top of it...should I put the no-rinse stuff in that...at the right proportions of course and use that to no-rinse my bottles?? Are these rinser/squirter thingies good?

rendo

 

[Hatchy]

I have this little spray bottle with some tiger repellant in it. Bought it off e-bay at a lot less than what they said the rrp was ! Spray a little on myself each day and haven't seen a tiger yet. This stuff is amazing ! Running out though, so I'll have to get some more.

Do you know if there's a retailer in Adelaide that stocks this stuff? I've never seen a tiger here but if I did I'd love to be pre-sprayed with tiger repellant.

I use boiling water to "wash" my coffee cup at work & I'm yet to have a single infection in that cup, boiling water isn't something I use to sanitise brewing equipment. I used sodium met for years, it made me feel ill but I'm not convinced the bacteria felt the same. I'm sure I'll get told off by someone for saying this but I don't do much to wash my fermenters and have only used napisan on fermenters that haven't been used for a while. I figure that if a fermenter has just brewed 23 litres of beer then it was sanitised ok. I just sponge out the carp from the krausen & the bottom, give it a good looking over to make sure there's no specks in there & starsan it. I have a bucket of starsan with everything I think may need to be sanitised in it & if I sanitise something that doesn't need to be sanitised then I haven't lost anything. I chuck in a bottling valve, an airlock, my stirring spoon, (more than) enough bottletops, some scissors, the bulk priming hose, a measuring cup and anything else that's in my brewbox that looks like it'll still work after it gets wet. I chuck the same solution in my fermenter with all the gear (except the scissors), leave it standing for a couple of minutes, lay it down for a couple of minutes and just rotate it so everything gets some decent contact time. This probably isn't best practice & I'll try to remember to edit this post after I've had an infection. I've only just started using no rinse & I love it. Next time I've got a spare afternoon & have nothing to bottle I'm planning on sanitising about 25 dozen longnecks and sticking them back in their boxes under glad wrap ready to go. I've got 2 decent size plastic tubs & I figure that if I fill them both with starsan by the time I finish drowning 2 dozen bottles in the 2nd tub the 2 dozen bottles in the 1st tub will have had a good amount of contact time, I reckon I can get 25 dozen done in under 2 hours. As for cleaning bottles I just give them 2 good rinses after I empty the bottle. They look pretty clean inside after a bit of water & a good shake.

I'm sure there are stacks of ways I could sanitise better but I figured that there may be blokes doing worse who may find this heplful. If not then at least I kept myself amused for a while & wasted some more space on the interweb.

 

[LLoyd]

pop your fermenter taps..