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EtienneK

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Mar 22, 2007
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What do you guys use as Sanitizer?

I've been using 'Copper Tun No Rinse Steralizer' (http://www.brewshop.co.nz/copper-tun-no-rinse-steriliser.html) up until now. It's sodium percarbonate based - and what I've gathered from most sources is that:

1) It's not really a steralizer, but a cleaner
2) It's not 'no rinse', since it'll leave a soapy taste and smell behind

So it seems that I will need to switch. Iodophor seems like a good switch, but the only place I can find it in SA is here: http://distillique.co.za/distilling_shop/other-consumables/327-iodophor-sanitizing-agent-200ml.html

Star San would be #1, but I can't seem to find anyone selling it in SA. Anyone know of a place?
 
Necropolis

Necropolis

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Feb 26, 2007
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Perasan hasn't let me down yet.

It is no rinse - you should give a 5 minute contact time; I've never had any issues.

You don't need to worry with gloves - the undiluted perasan smells strong but I avoid messing any on my hands and if I do I wash it off quickly.

The only thing with perasan is that it won't keep for a long time - a few days at most - after which is breaks down into alcohol and water.
 
Dimpie (COMPUTEK)

Dimpie (COMPUTEK)

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From John Palmer ...

Star San
Star San is an acidic sanitizer from the makers of PBW and was developed especially for sanitizing brewing equipment. It requires only 30 seconds of contact time and does not require rinsing. Unlike other no-rinse sanitizers, Star San will not contribute off-flavors at higher than recommended concentrations. The recommended usage is one fluid ounce per 5 gallons of water. The solution can be put in a spray bottle and used as a spray-on sanitizer for glassware or other items that are needed in a hurry. The foam is just as effective as immersion in the solution. Also, the surfactant used in Star San will not affect the head retention of beer like those used in detergents.

Star San is my preferred sanitizer for all usages except those that I can conveniently do in the dishwasher. A solution of Star San has a long usage life and an open bucket of it will remain active for several days. Keeping a solution of Star San in a closed container will increase its shelf life. The viability of the solution can be judged by its clarity; it turns cloudy as the viability diminishes.

One last note on this product: Because it is listed as a sanitizer and bactricide by the FDA and EPA, the container must list disposal warnings that are suitable for pesticides. Do not be alarmed, it is less hazardous to your skin than bleach.

Iodophor
Iodophor is a solution of iodine complexed with a polymer carrier that is very convenient to use. One tablespoon in 5 gallons of water (15ml in 19 l) is all that is needed to sanitize equipment with a two minute soak time. This produces a concentration of 12.5 ppm of titratable iodine. Soaking equipment longer, for 10 minutes, at the same concentration will disinfect surfaces to hospital standards. At 12.5 ppm the solution has a faint brown color that you can use to monitor the solution's viability. If the solution loses its color, it no longer contains enough free iodine to work. There is no advantage to using more than the specified amount of iodophor. In addition to wasting the product, you risk exposing yourself and your beer to excessive amounts of iodine.

Iodophor will stain plastic with long exposures, but that is only a cosmetic problem. The 12.5 ppm concentration does not need to be rinsed, but the item should be allowed to drain before use. Even though the recommended concentration is well below the taste threshold, I rinse everything with a little bit of cooled boiled water to avoid any chance of off-flavors, but that's me.
Click to expand...

I got some StarSan from a friend in Canada & will never look back at using anything else.!
 
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EtienneK

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Mar 22, 2007
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COMPUTEK said:
From John Palmer ...



I got some StarSan from a friend in Canada & will never look back at using anything else.!
Click to expand...

Yeah I also read Palmer (have the book on my bed side table).

Problem is, different Iodophor brands mix theirs stronger or weaker than others. I guess I'll just follow the directions of the site that sells the Iodophor.

And count yourself lucky with your Star San. Once that's gone, it's going to be very hard to get some more here in SA. If you do manage to get some, let us know, please!!
 
Dimpie (COMPUTEK)

Dimpie (COMPUTEK)

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Apr 7, 2009
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^ The nice thing is, it lasts for years ... you mix a batch with RO water and as long as the PH stays below 3-3.5, it's good to go brew after brew ;)

I'll will definitely order from abroad once I run out .... maybe we should all request our lhbs to start importing some when they import their other goods ;)
 
EchoZA

EchoZA

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May 26, 2005
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EchoZA said:
This weekends potential recipe, 1 x can Irish Stout + 1 x can Wheat Malt extract. Question is... do I need to add any sugars to this? I will also be adding vanilla to this towards the end of the fermentation process, I have fresh quality vanilla pods, how many and do I split and steep them before adding or split and scape into the brew? Any suggestions welcome.
Click to expand...

Update, tested a bottle last night (1 1/2 weeks in bottle) and I am happy with the results. This is going to be a lovely winter beer :)
 
S

Shnorkiller

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Jul 26, 2012
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297
hi all,

my OG's keep remaining slightly lower than i need it to be (Brewing BIAB)...

any advice?
 
Necropolis

Necropolis

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Feb 26, 2007
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Generally speaking you will get less efficiency with BIAB than you would get from straight all-grain.
 
B

Beachless

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Oct 6, 2010
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It can also be a temperature issue during the mash its harder to keep a even temp with biab.
You might lose less water during the boil. Was your final volume the same as the recipe?
Lots of other reasons as well and everyones setup is different so you need to adapt the recipes to you equipment.

Personally I dont have a grain mill yet so I add a bit less water to make up for my biab being slightly less efficient and losing less water during the boil but I am normally not too far off the recipe OG and volume.
 
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