Sanitization/Cleaning products

[ADHD Curmudgeon]

Just for curiousity sake, what does everyone use for sanitization/sterilization?

I'm currently using concentrated domestos and hot water (ensuring to thoroughly rinse after). Any comments?

[Beerpig]

Unscented Napisan to clean ................ iodophor to sanitise

Cheers

[rwh]

Alkaline salts to clean (essentially the same as the napisan) and idophor to sanitise.

[scblack]

Iodophor, and the odd Milton tablet.

[Cortez The Killer]

household bleach for everything

cheers

[ADHD Curmudgeon]

What's idophor? (pardon my ignorance.)
How much nappysan do you use?
and, do you guys use the same for your bottles?

[ACTbrewer]

Unscented Napisan to clean ................ iodophor to sanitise

Cheers

Same same.

[rwh]

Idophor is an iodine based sanitiser available from your homebrew shop. Um, as for the alkaline salts, I just use what it says on the side of the bottle. Like a tablespoon for 10L or some such. It's much like washing clothes.

And yes, same for bottles.

[lethaldog]

Earth choice, dishwashing detergent to clean (well rinsed) and sterex to steralise, works a treat

[Aussie Claret]

Do yourselves a favour and steer clear of bleach based sanitisers, especially in plastic type fermenters.
It does affect your beer and taste, does linger and can taint the plastic utensils you use, even if you rinse well.

Use Nappy san and a good no rinse sanitiser such as Idophor (personally I use Hysan a H2O2 and colliodal silver non rinse sanitiser).

It WILL I guarantee make your beer better.

AC

[ADHD Curmudgeon]

Thanx A.C. That was the sort of info I was after.
Now I know I will switch.

[Eureka]

I agree with the bleach causing problems with the plastic fermenter if you over do it, however you only need a concentration for 1 - 1.5 % free chlorine and it shouldn't be a problem at all, therefore bleach is really cheap!

[ADHD Curmudgeon]

Thanks for all your help guys.

You guys are the only ppl That I can talk to that brew, so your input is very valuable to me.


P.S. What are some brand names for Alkaline salts (besides nappysan) & Idophor so I can find them?

[Aussie Claret]

ADHD,
Just use the cheapest Napisan type homebrand stuff you can find, unscented of course. The homebrand stuff usually has the highest concentration of active ingredient (which I think is H2O2, could be wrong there though).
Idophor is only known as that and is availalbe from HBS, or try the Hysan if you can get it; check with your local Flower nursery, as they use it to sanitised cuttings etc. It is great stuff. 1ml per litre in water 6minute contact time no rinse and away you go.

Just one comment from earlier in the thread, if you do use bleach as your sanitiser, you need to rinse well; how do you know that your rinsing water is free from contamination? You don't unless it's boiled which would be a big hassel IMHO. Seriously steer clear of bleach, I used to use it and can honestly say my beer has improve out of sight since using alternatives.

AC

[blandy]

I for one use hardly anything other than Iodophor. It's really easy to use, especially since you can spray it onto stuff. There's less worry about bissing bits.

Just remember though, it won't clean, it just kills the germs.

[rwh]

Dunno what brand my alkaline salts are, I got it from Big W though. Some kind of brewing brand.

Diswasher detergent is the same kind of stuff, as is unscented Napisan. H2O2 isn't the active ingredient... that's hydrogen peroxide, and is another kind of sanitiser. Called brewsheild at G&G I think. Crazy stuff, same thing you use when you're peroxiding your hair, you just use a higher concentration then. It's also what the cells in your body use to kill bacteria and parasites (yay, go my cell biology degree!) Just watch it, it's highly caustic.

Um, yeah Idophor is a brand name. Most HBSes buy it in big barrels and decant it into little bottles for sale.

[blandy]

They also use Iodophor for hospital sanitation because it doesn't stain.

there go all my plans of getting my labcoat stained with Iodine marks

[scblack]

They also use Iodophor for hospital sanitation because it doesn't stain.

there go all my plans of getting my labcoat stained with Iodine marks

It bloody well stains my gear - skin etc, when in concentrated form - when diluted no, then it does not stain.

[ADHD Curmudgeon]

Just one comment from earlier in the thread, if you do use bleach as your sanitiser, you need to rinse well; how do you know that your rinsing water is free from contamination?

Unfortunately, the tap water in my area is very heavilly fluridated and chlorinated, so there's not TOO great a risk of infection, but still, you're right.

But it doesn't make that great a brew. I need to buy an urn to boil the water, theoretically boiling should also remove the chlorine.

[lethaldog]

filtering would help too