Lazy brewer's sanitizer recommendations

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truckpoetry
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Lazy brewer's sanitizer recommendations

Post by truckpoetry »

Once I get my water issues figured out (only one problem to fix at a time so that I'm not trying to figure out which changed variable messed up my beer worse than it was...), I am also taking a look at sanitation and whatnot.

I have never had an infection (knock on wood), but I also find that I am lazy, and would like a simpler way to do the things I do... so I'm looking for recommendations. What I would love is something I could put in some hot water in my mash tun, wash my plastic items in, and backflush through my wort chiller all in one swoop to clean and sanitize it all.

What I use now is mostly iodophor and/or light bleach solutions where needed, and a swab of vodka for small things like airlock stoppers before I put them in.

The Iodophor is pretty good across the board, but I'd really love something that is not as prone to stain all of my plastic items. Bleach is a no go because of the amount of rinsing, etc. and the fact that I can't use it on metal items due to corrosion... Vodka way too expensive to use in this quantity, even McCormick's.

So - is there a no-rinse, no-stain, don't need ridiculous protective gear to use, relatively inexpensive sanitizing solution out there that works on both plastic and metal? Pros/Cons/Other?

Just don't really want to go experimenting through a bunch of $12 cleaners just to figure out I hate them, too, and should have gotten some opinions first.

Thanks,
Cameron
Cameron Mathews
chris mewhinney
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Re: Lazy brewer's sanitizer recommendations

Post by chris mewhinney »

Hey Cameron. Sounds like you're describing Star San, and/or Saniclean. Because they are acid based, you don't want them in contact with SS for more than a few minutes, but they sanitize almost instantly, anyway. They are also no rinse and stay effective for weeks/months after mixing. Star San is seriously foamy, so you don't want to run that through a pump. Saniclean would be better for that purpose. Neither product needs to be in hot water, either.

I'm pretty meticulous about cleaning and sanitation...so you likely won't want to go to quite the extremes I do. But for what it's worthy, here's my routine:

-Cleaning: I clean literally everything associated with brew day (kettles, hoses, connectors, pumps (disassembled), plate chiller, false bottoms, etc.) with Oxyclean after every 2-3 uses. Some items (kettle and kettle false bottom, certain hoses, flasks) I clean after every use. I simply load it all in the kettle, fill with very hot water, and drop everything in. Soak for several hours, then rinse very thoroughly with hot water.

-Brew Day: I sanitize everything except carboys in a large plastic container (8 gallons). It's of a shape and height that makes access easy (i.e. longish and shallowish). I simply mix up a Star San solution and place all the small stuff in it for a couple of minutes before use. I use it on brew day for sanitizing hoses, chiller, airlocks, rubber stoppers, yeast containers, scissors, etc. I store all carboys with a 1 gallon solution of Star San. When I need the carboy, I just shake it up to ensure all surfaces are freshly coated, then drain it into the container above.

-Yeast Starters: I sanitize everything in Iodophor, though Star San would work fine. As always, I use a plastic container (medium sized) and place the yeast pack/vile, scissors, stoppers, airlocks, and flasks in it prior to adding DME and water to the flask.

-Bottling/Kegging Days: Due to the foaming properties of Star San, I don't use it for bottles or kegs. I also find Star San causes keg poppets to leak due to the slippery-ness of the surfactant. So, I use Iodophor for all bottling and kegging equipment sanitizing. Again, I use a large plastic container filled with an Iodophor solution to sanitize bottles, counter pressure filler, caps, hoses, bottling tree, etc. I got over the yellow hose issue long ago...

-I also keep a spray bottle with a Star San solution for quick jobs, like sanitizing the tops of my yeast starters, emergency keg part satitaion, etc.

By the way, using these procedures and sanitizers I've had no issues with contamination. I find other ways to screw up my beers!
Chris Mewhinney
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Re: Lazy brewer's sanitizer recommendations

Post by Thors Brother »

Chris... nice details, thank you for this post.

-Thor's Brother
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MixnMatchBrew
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Re: Lazy brewer's sanitizer recommendations

Post by MixnMatchBrew »

Star san is fine for extended contact with stainless steel. I make up mine with reverse osmosis water and store it in plastic buckets and kegs.

Bleach is bad for extended contact with stainless steel. It will pit the metal at the surface line of the solution.

Oxyclean is great general purpose cleaner. If you are going to clean with it, be sure to rinse very well before sanitizing. Soaking bottles for more than a day will create a film on the glass that is hard to clean off.

PBW is a great cleaner. It goes a long way and tends not to leave a film behind and rinses easier than oxyclean. It is expensive.

Wayne.
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Re: Lazy brewer's sanitizer recommendations

Post by BrotherhoodBrew »

I agree on the starsan being safe to leave in contact with metal only if it is diluted to working strength. Undiluted would be a bad idea. I've used starsan for 7yrs now and love it . BTW don't fear the foam it is no big deal.
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chris mewhinney
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Re: Lazy brewer's sanitizer recommendations

Post by chris mewhinney »

Interesting about the SS and Star San. The reason I added that caution is because I have a few SS connectors for my chiller that I soaked in the Star San solution for just a couple of hours prior to the first use. They both turned blackish and I could see "stuff" floating off them in the solution. Perhaps the solution was too strong...or they're not REALLY SS connectors... In any case, since then, I never leave SS in contact for more than a few minutes. But I'm glad to hear that was an anomalie.
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Re: Lazy brewer's sanitizer recommendations

Post by MixnMatchBrew »

chris mewhinney wrote:Interesting about the SS and Star San. The reason I added that caution is because I have a few SS connectors for my chiller that I soaked in the Star San solution for just a couple of hours prior to the first use. They both turned blackish and I could see "stuff" floating off them in the solution. Perhaps the solution was too strong...or they're not REALLY SS connectors... In any case, since then, I never leave SS in contact for more than a few minutes. But I'm glad to hear that was an anomalie.
That happens to zinc coated brass. My connectors for my kegs did that too.
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Re: Lazy brewer's sanitizer recommendations

Post by ssage21 »

I agree that StarSan is the laziest way to go. Like MixnMatchBrew I have a 5 gal bucket full using R.O. water (clearly labeled for safty). Parts don't need to sit in the solution very long so you can throw things in, do something and when you think of that part again it’s ready.
As far as Stainless steel is concerned, the active ingredient (phosphoric acid) can be used as a "pickling agent" to passivate steel after welding.
JaySchafer
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Re: Lazy brewer's sanitizer recommendations

Post by JaySchafer »

MixnMatchBrew wrote: Oxyclean is great general purpose cleaner. If you are going to clean with it, be sure to rinse very well before sanitizing. Soaking bottles for more than a day will create a film on the glass that is hard to clean off.
Been there, done that. Even wiping the bottles down with a damp towel doesn't totally remove the dust. I suppose I should soak my bottles and stuff for a bit less time, but I've learned to live with bottles that look like Dusty Miller plants. In the mean time, aside from cosmetics, I haven't had any obvious negative effects on the beer.
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Re: Lazy brewer's sanitizer recommendations

Post by MixnMatchBrew »

JaySchafer wrote:
MixnMatchBrew wrote: Oxyclean is great general purpose cleaner. If you are going to clean with it, be sure to rinse very well before sanitizing. Soaking bottles for more than a day will create a film on the glass that is hard to clean off.
Been there, done that. Even wiping the bottles down with a damp towel doesn't totally remove the dust. I suppose I should soak my bottles and stuff for a bit less time, but I've learned to live with bottles that look like Dusty Miller plants. In the mean time, aside from cosmetics, I haven't had any obvious negative effects on the beer.
If you get that hazy film after a soak in oxyclean, a soak in vinegar or star san will remove the film.
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JaySchafer
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Re: Lazy brewer's sanitizer recommendations

Post by JaySchafer »

Thanks Wayne, good to know.
Whammers10
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Re: Lazy brewer's sanitizer recommendations

Post by Whammers10 »

Hello All. I just got back into brewing a few months ago...I brewed a bunch for several years in the early 90's. I've been impressed with the amount of shared knowledge and general ingredient availability and brewing advancements in 20 years! The Internet sure is nice! Anyway, I have never had an issue due to sanitization and (knock on wood) will continue to do what I do until there is an issue. The best 16 bucks you can spend is for a plastic garbage can that is just for brewing. Bleach and hose water...soak the whole lot in there and rinse when you need it. I've never measured bleach, but I bet I use at least 2x or 3x what is needed to sanitize all of my equipment. I just rinse very well and my hands are always clean. I would say this qualifies as sufficient for the lazy brewer as well as being very effective. I've never used OxyClean for brewing but when I have used it for carpet stains it feels like I have slimy fish-hands. I could see where this would be a film problem with bottles and such.
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Re: Lazy brewer's sanitizer recommendations

Post by MixnMatchBrew »

Bleach will work if its handled in the proper manner, but I really suggest you give Starsan sanitizer a try.

It is very economical. You can reuse it and use it in a spray bottle to wet down all your items. At the proper dilution it is no rinse and you don't have to let your items dry before using them.

If made with reverse osmosis water or distilled water it will stay clear. If you mix it with our tap water it tends to go cloudy but my ph tests show it stays in the proper range for weeks and I've used it like that too. I prefer it to stay clear so I can see if its collecting much junk.

I tend to make a bucket at a time and fill a corney keg of it to push from keg to keg so one is ready for filling each time a beer finishes fermentation. I usually will pour the starsan in the bucket to a clean bucket each brew session to get it off anything that might have settled out of the starsan.
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erikasha
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Re: Lazy brewer's sanitizer recommendations

Post by erikasha »

JaySchafer wrote:Thanks Wayne, good to know.
you welcome dud i also wana thanks wayne. 8) :)


hand sanitizer dispensers

http://www.dillonchem.com/c-133-purell- ... izers.aspx
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