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2/25/2013 -- Does the Idophor solution lose its effectiveness once mixed up? After making up 2.5 gallons for brew day I poured it into secondary glass carboy and was planning on using it to sanitze bottles
Response From Homebrew Heaven: No, it doesn't. It loses effectiveness with exposure to air (oxygen). If mixed up, and capped off in a container it can last a long time indeed.
You can tell by the color. It goes from a light yellow/orange to clear when it is no longer effective.
8/27/2012 -- I am interested in recommendations for CLEANING a glass (5-gal) carboy. Overall, the carboy is in great shape (no films, build ups etc), it's in good enough condition I would consider it "new". I have SanStar for sanitizing it, but I haven't done an initial cleaning. What should i use? I read about 10:1 bleach cleaning (10 parts water) I've also read about using oxyclean (non-perfume based). Thanks for any suggestions you may have.
visited the store the other day and was amazed by the customer service, look forward to working with you all in the future!
Response From Homebrew Heaven: Both Super Grunge Remover and One-Step are great for cleaning glass carboys. See links below
I would NOT use bleach for that purpose. It's an effective sanitizer, but not that great of a cleaner. 10:1 ratio is also WAY too much bleach. We've smelled/tasted too many beers ruined by the use of bleach.
5/17/2010 -- what is your phone number?
Response From Homebrew Heaven: We can be reached at (425) 355-8865
Our toll free order is (800) 850-2739
10/19/2009 -- Do you recommend dilluting the Iodophor when using the sanitizing injector, or do I use it full strength?
Response From Homebrew Heaven: Most definately dilute it!
7/17/2008 -- URGENT!!
is this product safe to use to clean 5 gallon bottles of water????
Response From Homebrew Heaven: This product is a sanitizer, not a cleaner.
What's the difference?
The short version is this: A cleaner removes oils, grease, dirt etc. A sanitizer kills off germs and bacteria.
Iodophor is certainly a good sanitizer, and perfectly safe to use on bottles of water. It is widely used in the milk production and soda pop industries. It does not do a thing to dirt, grease etc. If there are surface problems like that, you should use a good cleaner FIRST, and then sanitize with Iodophor.
7/3/2008 -- how can you measure 1/10 of an ounce?
Response From Homebrew Heaven: Indeed, that is hard to measure, but it is basically one cap full. After mixing with water, if the solution has just a faint yellow-orange color...that is about right.
6/23/2008 -- Are you supposed to sanitize the gaskets in bleach water with a hot water rinse or is there a special way of sanitizing them?
Response From Homebrew Heaven: We like to use Iodophor sanitizer. It is very inexpensive, non-caustic, and very easy to use.
Here is a link to that product:
http://store.homebrewheaven.com/Product158
Whatever you do, DON'T boil them. A friend of ours did that, and forgot they were on the stove. You guessed it, the pan boiled dry and then caught the gaskets on fire. Smoked up his entire kitchen. Had to re-paint, and explain the details to his wife...ouch!
4/13/2008 -- I need something to clean Growler's. Should i use iodophor sanitizer? What kind of brush size would you recommend?
Response From Homebrew Heaven: Cleaning and sanitizing are two different things. Iodophor is a great sanitizer, and as long as your growlers are clean (free of soil, oils etc) it will work just fine to sanitize. If the growlers actually require cleaning, we like Super Grunge Remover for that.
Our regular bottle brushes should work well for your growlers, if they need to be brushed to remove residue etc.
Actually, I never use a cleaner or brush. I simply rinse them after using, and then use iodophor to sanitize before refilling.
4/11/2008 -- I used a properly diluted Iodophor solution to sanitize my (cleaned) bottles prior to bottling but I did not rinse the bottles nor did I allow them to air dry - will this affect the additional fermentation/carbonation process and/or negatively affect the flavor of the beer?
Response From Homebrew Heaven: Hard to say, really.
As long as there wasn't "pools" of sanitizer in the bottles (and they just had a film of it on the inside) my GUESS is that you won't notice a difference.
3/21/2008 -- Would it be just as effective if I used the proper dilution of Iodophor Sanitizer in a spray bottle and applied the spray mist rather than soaked in a bucket dilution?
Response From Homebrew Heaven: Yes. I do it all the time. Breweries do it too, for small parts (fittings etc).
2/5/2008 -- Can you use an old Pepsi, Dr. Pepper etc 2 liter bottle and cap for fermenting root beer? By reusing the caps I am concerned about air leakage.
Response From Homebrew Heaven: Yes, you can do it. I am assuming here that by "fermenting" you mean the fermentation that takes place in the bottle, producing carbonation. Just sanitize and screw them on tight. I have never had a problem with leakage.
Iodophor is ideal for sanitizing both bottles and caps.
1/28/2008 -- When it comes to plain bottle caps (not the oxy caps) what's the best way to sanitize - boiling?... vodka?... Idophor?...
Response From Homebrew Heaven: Boiling is a BAD idea. It can damage the seals. Vodka is too good for THAT purpose. It's for drinking!
Iodophor is ideal. Easy, quick, and inexpensive. I wouldn't use anything else.
1/26/2008 -- I live about an hour (if traffic is good) from the address on your website. Do you have an actual store or is everything here based solely online?
Response From Homebrew Heaven: Yes, we have an actual brick-and-mortar store in Everett, WA. People actually walk in and buy stuff!
Our address is:
Homebrew Heaven
9109 Evergreen Way
Everett, WA 98204
Here is a video of our shop:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N1a5fKvv8XI
Heck, you can actually call us on the phone, too! It's 425-355-8865. A person will actually answer as long as it's business hours!
8/23/2007 -- The Ohio Health Dept told us that we have to get an iodine sanitizer to wash our knives, saw parts, grinder parts et because we have a two bin sink instead of a 3 bin sink. Is the Iodophor Sanitizer what we need? (Is this an iodine sanitizer?)
Response From Homebrew Heaven: Yes, this is the stuff!
7/30/2007 -- Once something is sanitized with iodophor how long can it sit out, say on the kitchen counter, before getting contaminated.
Response From Homebrew Heaven: A very, very long time. As long as the color is still there, it is fine. Oxygen in the air will deplete the iodine, but that would take probably days, even in an open container. If the container was sealed, it would last for weeks, probably. That STILL doesn't mean it is "contaminated". That would take longer still, or might never happen at all.
Now stop worrying and start brewing!
7/19/2007 -- How long will a batch of 12.5ppm idophor solution continue to be effective for sanitizing? (ie How many times can I re-use it?)
Thanks for the AWESOME site!
Response From Homebrew Heaven: If it is kept SEALED (away from air/oxygen) it will be effective for a long time. Don't have any data on that, but certainly for weeks. Maybe months.
Thank YOU for visiting!
6/20/2007 -- Hi, not a question, a suggestion for your users. I just started brewing beer and found I had several long things I needed to sanitize. Notably I have a beer thief (used for sampling specific gravity) and an auto-siphon and hose assembly. I couldn't find anything deep enough to submerge either of these items even halfway, so I made two containers using 3 inch PVC drain pipe (thin wall) and end caps glued on (the end caps for this wall thickness have flat ends allowing the containers to stand free). I made these containers 26 inches tall and fill one with Iodophor sanitizer and the other with boiled water to rinse in. This lets me nicely sanitize all my tubes and stuff. Without these, it would be a real problem. Have fun. John Lakeland
Response From Homebrew Heaven: Nice suggestion!
Thanks
5/31/2007 -- I was checking about this mead kit, and was wondering if the deluxe beer kit has everything needed for the process.
Also, this question is out of place, but I'm not sure how much iodine sanitizer to add per each gallon of water. I've made two batched of beer that have both turned out, but i'm not sure if i'm using too much or too little sanitizer per gallon of water i mix up.
Response From Homebrew Heaven: Yes, the Deluxe Brewing Equipment Kit has everything necessary to make mead, BUT mead is traditionally more like a wine. You may want to bottle it in wine bottles, and use a corker and corks for that purpose. I would suggest adding a double lever corker.
As far as the iodophor sanitizer, it takes very little to do the job. If there is a light yellow color to the solution, that is about right. Use 1/10th ounce per gallon water for 12.5 ppm sanitizing solution. You can go as high as 1 oz per 5 gallons. That will give you about 25 ppm in the sanitizing solution.
5/5/2007 -- Is Iodophor Sanitizer suitable for use in my primary wine carboy?
Response From Homebrew Heaven: On the carboy/fermenter, certainly. But not IN the wine!
4/10/2007 -- I recently purchased your highly rec. iodophor sanitzer & was wondering which strength you rec. the 12.5ppm or 25ppm. In your product disc, u say 4oz makes 20gal(25ppm) & go on to say 1/10 makes 1gal(12.5ppm). What's best?
Response From Homebrew Heaven: I like to use as little as possible. 12.5 ppm is sufficient to get the job done.
3/28/2007 -- Just got my brew kit and wanted to know about what the proper dilution for the idophor and the cleaner included in the kit?
Also any tips for what to put both in, I was thinking of buying a gallon garden sprayer to use and plastic bucket for hoses.
Response From Homebrew Heaven: A 4 oz bottle of iodophor makes about 20 gallons of sanitizer. 1/10 of an ounce per gallon is enough to be effective.
For the Super Grunge Remover, about 1 tblsp per gallon is sufficient.
Most people just use the plastic primary fermenter, and clean/sanitize in there. If you use a sprayer, a small plastic sprayer is sufficient, like 16-32 oz. A gallon is a LOT of sanitizer...
3/12/2007 -- I have read that some people simply spray Iodophor onto their carboy's or bucket's surface. Is it really that easy? Do I simply need to make a solution and then spray everything good? I have been filling a bucket and soaking everything up to now and it takes a lot of water and sanitizer.
Response From Homebrew Heaven: Iodophor requires 2 minutes contact time to be effective. It doesn't matter HOW you do it, so spraying can be just as effective, provided the surface(s) stay wetted. Breweries often use spray bottles to sanitize fittings and such. If it's good enough for them, it's good enough for home brewers.
It would be difficult or impossible however, to sanitize the inside of your siphon hose or bottle fillers (for example) by spraying only. I would certainly siphon a little thru there (known trouble spots!) to be safe.
1/14/2007 -- I need help with using Iodophor iodine for sanitizing. After reading all the Q&A on sanitizing,I am way too anal about sanitizing, but humor me.
I have been having problems with a sour taste in my beer since I switched to Iodophor. I make a 15-20 ppm solution with HOT water, let sit for 10-15 min, dump and rince with more HOT water, then fill when the container is at room temperature (a few minuites later).
Is it true that Iodophor iodine should not be used in hot water? Why is air drying better than rinsing and immediately filling. And if I air dry, I really don't need to rinse?
Thanks for a great web site!!!
Response From Homebrew Heaven: First off, it's unlikely that a sour taste is the result of using iodorphor. It is a VERY effective sanitizer. I would make sure that your siphon hose, bottle filler and such (small diameter stuff where bacteria can hide) is clean and sanitized. No need to get anal about it. You might just REPLACE that siphon tube, too. If there IS a contamination problem, it is not likely to be a container/carboy/bucket, it will likely be the tubing or in other crevace where bacteria can lurk.
Iodophor should be used in COLD water, not hot. It is more effective that way. It only needs 2 minutes to do it's work, not longer.
If you WANT to rinse because you need to use the equipment right away, there is no harm in doing that. Use cold water. If there is no rush, go ahead and air dry it. It's just as effective.
Which is MORE effective? I don't know/care. Let's not get obscessed with this sanitizing thing. Brewing is a FUN thing!
11/15/2006 -- Do you think it would work if I tried to sanitize my bottles at 200 in my oven for 15 to 20 minutes? Or is this a stupid idea? (after they were cleaned first).
Response From Homebrew Heaven: I have heard of people doing it that way, but I have also heard of problems (contamination, glass breakage etc). I wouldn't do it when using iodophor is so easy and inexpensive.
11/8/2006 -- AFter using Iodophor Sanitizer, is it necessary to allow the bottles, fermenter, etc. to completely dry? What will happen if it is not?
Also what is the best type of water to use in brewing- spring, distilled, tap?
Response From Homebrew Heaven: Yes, the iodophor needs to completely air dry, or it will leave some residue. Maybe not detectable, but it will leave some. If you need to use the equipment sooner, go ahead and rinse it.
The best type of water to use is the type you LIKE. Traditionally, British type ales use a harder, mineral rich water. Pilsners use a soft water, for instance.
The tap water in our area seems to work well for most any kind of beer/wine, but that may not be the case in your area. Hard to say. Even here, there are some people who obtain spring water because they like it better. As I say, the best is what YOU prefer...
10/29/2006 -- I just tasted a brand new batch of beer that I brewed. This beer has a metallic after taste. I have tasted this before on one other batch that I brewed. Any clue as to what it is or what I did wrong? I also had a headache the next morning after drinking one 16 oz bottle of this beer, if that helps you figure this out.
Response From Homebrew Heaven: Without knowing the specifics, it's hard to say, HOWEVER...we frequently hear this from people who use BLEACH to sanitize. The bleach taste is often interpreted as "metallic". Using too strong a solution and/or poor rinsing will do that. It's a poisen, after all, so it should be no surprise that it gives headaches, too.
These are the BIG reasons we don't recommend using bleach as a sanitizer. Iodophor is a better, safer product for this purpose.
9/25/2006 -- Can I use Quat as a sanitizer if I use 150 ppm, and submerge for 2 min? Will it be necessary for a rinse?
Response From Homebrew Heaven: We don't comment on products that we don't sell. We don't even know what Quat is...
If it is an "iodophor" type product, but not Iodophor, and is used for other purposes, like in dairies, it can contain undesirable things like lanolin. Be careful.
5/20/2006 -- When I clean bottles.Do I have to submerse them for 2 minutes or can I just dip them in and swish them around and then put them on the tree?
That sounds like what the pump does.
Response From Homebrew Heaven: Lets not confuse cleaning and sanitizing. They are different.
If you are referring to sanitizing using iodophor, the important thing is the surface contact time of 2 minutes. That can be done by immersing them, or by immersing them and letting them hang upside down of a bottle tree. That works just as well. Yes, a sanitizer pump does the same thing if you have one.
2/1/2006 -- What is iodine percentage of iodophor?
Response From Homebrew Heaven: The active ingredient is butuxy polypropoxy polyethoxy ethanol-iodine complex, which is 12.54% (ofm total)...that provides 1.6% titratable iodine.
1/31/2006 -- Is it ok to clean out a gallon container, add 1.5tsp. iodophor/gallon water , and keep it as a RTU sanitizer? Is an old milk jug ok to use as long as i clean it out?
Response From Homebrew Heaven: Sure!
Another trick used by home brewers and microbreweries alike is putting some iodophor solution into a plastic spray bottle for quick sanitizing of equipment surfaces.
12/6/2005 -- Is it at all necessary to sanitize new equipment such as new primary/secondary fermentation vessels? Or will a quick rinse be good enough?
Response From Homebrew Heaven: I see no need to CLEAN it (after all, it's already clean), but a quick sanitization is a good idea. Just use iodophor, and use it!
8/6/2005 -- Do i put all my equipment in the plastic fermenter to sanitize everything?if so wont the iodophor stain the bucket?
Response From Homebrew Heaven: Yes, that is a good way to do it. It only takes a very small amount of iodophor to do the job. Very little color in the water. You only need to expose your equipment for 2 miniutes, also. Using it this way, it won't stain your bucket.
8/6/2005 -- What is the best way to sanitize all my equipment?
Response From Homebrew Heaven: We like to use a product called Iodophor. It is very effective and inexpensive. Here is a link to it:
http://www.nexternal.com/hombre/?Product=158
6/29/2005 -- How much Iodophor should I use per gallon?
Response From Homebrew Heaven: It's 1 1/4 tsp for 2 gallons, I guess for 1 gallon you could use about 1/2 tsp. Let it soak about 5 minutes then hang your equipment upside down and let air dry for about 15 minutes to allow the iodine to disipate. And yes, if your in a hurry you can rinse with water(air drying is recomended though).
5/2/2005 -- What is the difference between sanitizing and Cleaning?
Response From Homebrew Heaven: BIG difference. Cleaning is the removal of any grime, oils, residue etc. Sanitizing is the removal of bacteria, molds etc. that can affect your brewing.
It is possible to have a surface that is clean, but not sanitized, for instance (and visa versa).
3/10/2005 -- How long after sanitizing bottles/carboys with Idophor (and air drying) need I wait until it is safe to put the beer into them?
Response From Homebrew Heaven: Once they are dry, they are ready to fill. No need to wait.
3/7/2005 -- What are your thoughts on using bleach to sanitize things???
Response From Homebrew Heaven: We are not enthusiastic about it, having tasted too many beers that were ruined by using too much bleach, or by insufficient rinsing. If it's all you HAVE, by all means use it temporarily, but Iodophor is a much better, and safer alternative.
3/3/2005 -- For my last batch I used my plastic fermentation bucket as my sanitizing container. I used iodophor and I have a question regarding its tendency to stain. Because of my possibly over-hyped concerns with sanitation, I soaked my equipment in the plastic bucket two times before I started brewing, and therefore the iodophor was sitting in my bucket for a fair amount of time. Because of this, my bucket is stained and there is an iodophor odor emenating from my bucket. Also, my vinyl tubing is stained. If I used my plastic bucket as the primary fermentor this time around, would it be safe for my beer? Would the idophor odor/flavor/stain leech into my beer if it sat in the primary for 10-14 days? Just how serious and/or damaging is the stain capability of iodophor to my beer/wort if used in the proper dilution? Any help would be greatly appreciated.
Response From Homebrew Heaven: It sounds like you were using an "overly strong" concentrate of iodophor, along with an unnecessarily long soak time. It really only takes a SLIGHT amount of color in the solution to do the job. Also 2 minutes exposure is sufficient to sanitize. Used properly, there is no concern with passing that flavor/odor into your beer.
Having said that, you equipment is probably just fine, altho I have no way of judging that from here. If you are concerned, try filling up your fermenter with water and letting it sit for say, a week, and taste the water. I'm betting that the taste will not be transmitted into the water.
2/11/2005 -- Prior to brewing, can I use Iodophor Sanitizer (mixed in proper solution) for flushing/sanitizing my counter-flow wort chiller followed by a clean water flush (distilled water)?
P.S. Your web-site, product line, and service is outstanding and first class. Thanks a bunch from a new brewer.
Response From Homebrew Heaven: Yes, absolutely. Iodophor is a good sanitizer for counterflow chillers.
Thanks YOU, Mark!
1/23/2005 -- Would I need to fill my fermentors to the top with sanitizer/cleaner to soak or can it be sloshed around?
Response From Homebrew Heaven: Sloshing around is just fine with Iodophor. All you need is some surface contact for about 2 minutes. On outside surfaces of things like spoons, hydrometers etc, it is common for people to make up a spray bottle, and just mist the surfaces for 2 minutes. Works well too.
12/27/2004 -- Is "Iodophor" the same as "Betadyne" (the sanitizer used in hospital operating rooms). It seems that they are both iodine-based cleaners. Would "betadyne" work as well as "iodophor.
Response From Homebrew Heaven: I'm not sure. I have been told that some of the "other" iodine based sanitizers contains things like lanolin, which would NOT be good for beer or wine.
9/22/2004 -- Okay, do you have to be able to perform magic in order to get the inside of a siphon hose dry? I know that if you don't keep your siphon hose clean it is the most likely to develop bacteria. Which in turn can do your body some damage, what my friends and I like to call, "screaming Apache butt piss." I clean my siphon hose exceptionally well, probably cleaner then most people would. Only one problem! I can't get all the water out of the siphon hose. Not even days later, while it's sitting in my kitchen at room temperature on my wife's dish drying rack. This makes for great morning conversation between my wife and I on a daily basis. So I ask you.................how is it done?
Response From Homebrew Heaven: Well...the only time this hose has to be sanitary is just before you use it. A little moisture, as long as it's clean, shouldn't be an issue. Before use, however, it makes sense to run a little sanitizer thru the tubing so that it is clean AND sanitized.
After using, give it a rinse and forget it. Mornings with the wife should be reserved for well...other things.
9/13/2004 -- When sanitizing things like racking tubes and siphoning tubes, it can take FOREVER for the iodophore solution to air dry.
Is it best to use such tubing as is, with residual iodophore, or is it better to rinse it with tap water to avoid any off flavors?
Thanks in advance for your answer and for you informative web site.
Response From Homebrew Heaven: As long as you are using the proper dilution, either way should be just fine. A few drops of sanitizer in a 5 gallon batch doesn't amount to diddly, and I'm sure you would never taste it. If you want to be absolutely sure, give it a quick rinse.
9/13/2004 -- I am a new meadmaker. While brewing beer several years ago, one of the biggest pains in the arse was sanitizing all those bottles on bottling day.
Do you see any problem with sanitizing bottles at one's leisure ahead of time, capping them, and then opening them just before filling?
Sanitizing and capping 12 or 24 at one's leisure seems much less stressful than sanitizing 50 or more on bottling day.
Thank you for your informative website.
Response From Homebrew Heaven: I see no problem with that at ALL. Just cover them up to prevent your cat, or dog, or pet mouse from getting to them.
8/14/2004 -- Can this product be used to sterilize plastic bottles for soda pop brewing and storage?
Is an iodine based sanitizer recommended/necessary for that purpose or is boiling water sufficient?
Thanks,
Josh
Response From Homebrew Heaven: Yes, it can be used that way.
Yes, I would use iodophor. Boiling water will melt the plastic anyway.
6/22/2004 -- i need a product to clean beer lines without rinsing
Response From Homebrew Heaven: There is a difference between cleaning and sanitizing. Iodophor will sanitize, but it is not a cleaner. You would normally "flush" the lines with beer anyway, would you not?
A product call One-Step might be what you need, but you should still flush it. You can find it in our "Cleaners and Sanitizers category.
4/13/2004 -- I have brewed Wizards Wheat beer several times with very good results. I have since moved onto
other types of beer. Unfortunately I seem to be having a problem with my primary fermenter.
Even after I sanitize it using 2oz of bleach to 5 gallons of cool water and leaving it sit over night
it still has an odor to it. My last batch of beer had a sour taste to it. Should I throw it out and get a
new primary fermenter? Would a glass carboy work satisfactorily as a primary fermenter? If a
glass carboy is OK as a primary fermenter how would you go about pitching your yeast into it?
Response From Homebrew Heaven: This is exactly why we don't recommend using bleach as a sanitizer. By the way, 2 oz is waaaaay more than you need.
I'm betting that the "sour" taste is really just bleach.
Iodophor is a much better choice for this.
It's difficult to say whether (or not) the bleach smell/taste will dissipate over time. It may. I would get a new primary in the meantime. For about $9, why not?
Yes, a glass carboy works nicely as a primary fermenter, but we like the plastic primary better. It's easier to clean, unbreakable, light etc. Carboys are nice, in that you can watch the fermentation, but that's about the only advantage for a primary fermenter.
There is plenty of room for adding yeast to a carboy.
4/13/2004 -- I'm stationed in Germany and the faucets here do not allow for a bottle washer. If I sanitize with a rinseless Iodine sanitizer, my bottles should be fine without the rinse, correct? And also, anything special cleaning wise with the flip-top bottle ceramic pieces?
Response From Homebrew Heaven: Correct, sir. Iodine dissipates into the air. No need for rinsing.
Iodophor also works nicely for the ceramic tops on flip-top bottles.
3/17/2004 -- how much sanitizer does a 4 oz. bottle of the iodophor make?
Response From Homebrew Heaven: About 20 gallons.
3/4/2004 -- Regarding cleaning bottles: is using a bottle washer a replacement for a bottle brush? We have been rinsing (after inital pour), soaking, scrubbing then sanitizing before bottling. Can we just bottle wash, sanitize then bottle?? Thanks for answering you've got a great supply website.
Response From Homebrew Heaven: It sounds like you do way more than I do. Frankly, I have never had a problem with a bottle that was rinsed after being used, and then sanitized before filling.
As long as your bottles don't accumulate a lot of "crud" between uses, I see no reason for all that scrubbing.
I'm sure you will find people who disagree with my approach, but hey...why take it further than necessary?
Now if you are using bottles from a recyling center, where anything could be found in those bottles, then yes, a scrub is probably a good thing.
Thanks for the kind words about our website! We work hard on it.
1/31/2004 -- After I mix the iodophor solution, can I keep it in a container and use it again, or do I need to get rid of it and make a new batch each time I want to use it?
By the way, I am really enjoying your website. I found it a long time ago and bookmarked it to look at later and then forgot! I am finally giving it the time it deserves. I keep telling my husband "listen to this....!" I was really glad to find Blackberry Merlot too. We've made a lot of Niagra Mist kits and really enjoyed them. We got started on this last summer from a man we met when we were in Canada and we are having a great time. I've been using Sodium Metabisulphite as a sanitizer until now. Thanks!
Response From Homebrew Heaven: You can re-use it several times, actually. As long as there is some color to it, it is still effective.
Thanks for the kind words about our website. We work hard on it, and have fun, as well!
12/1/2003 -- Hello,
Just getting back into it after a few years off.
In any case I find being sanitary the largest pain in the arse during the process. I am so consumed about sanitation it bugs me. So I have the following questions. After sanitizing my equipment, like the funnel, siphon hoses, fermenter etc, how long can they sit in the open air before they are considered at risk again? Mind you i keep all bottles, carboys and fermenters upside down and siphon hoses under the upside down fermenter pails during the boil. OR should I be sanitizing the equipment just before the wort boil is about to end.
All the literature tels you to sanitize, cleanliness,sanitize, cleanliness, and more BUT never tell you the best way to implement the sanitization process.
Response From Homebrew Heaven: Wow. You ARE consumed about sanitation. I believe you've taken it too far. Making beer is really no different than making soup, and common kitchen practices are usually sufficient for brewing. I have never had an infection, and after working in a brewship for 10 years, I have only "heard" of a few from customers.
Yes, things like fermenters and funnels need to be sanitized, but once done, I see no need to be concerned with airborne bacteria. The only thing that I am really careful with is the siphon hose, since it tends to trap moisture and crud.
Remember too, that there is only a short time when your wort is susceptable to infection...from just after cooling from the boil, to when active fermentation kicks in. The boil protects the wort, and so does the CO2 produced by the fermentation itself. After that, the alcohol and hops are working for YOU, and help to protect the beer.
In short, sometimes the available literature goes too far on this issue. If it seems excessive...it probably is.
11/19/2003 -- After a long hiatus (about 10 years), I am returning to the homebrewing world. Is it a good idea to replace my plastic equipment (fermenters, tubing, etc.) or will a good dose of sanitizer bring it back into safe, usable condition?
Response From Homebrew Heaven: I would keep the fermenters. As long as they are not too crusty, and a good cleaning will restore them. Cleaning is different than sanitizing, of course, so after a thorough cleaning, use something like Iodophor to make sure it has been sanitized as well.
Siphon hose is known to harbor bacteria, however, and is inexpensive to replace. I would do that.
10/25/2003 -- What is the shelf life of the unused sanitizer?
Response From Homebrew Heaven: If you keep it sealed up, probably for many, many years. About the only thing that degrades it is oxygen.
8/18/2003 -- What percentage of idophor is in solution in the B_T_F product?
Response From Homebrew Heaven: It contains 12.54% active ingredient, with a huge chemical name (I'm no chemist!) which provides 1.6% titratable iodine. When properly diluted, it contains MUCH less, however!
7/1/2003 -- Is this product meant to be diluted or used full strength? What is the dilution factor? How much product is needed to wash 25 wine bottles and 4 5-gallon carboys?
Response From Homebrew Heaven: It is meant to be diluted! The concentration is 12.5 to 25 parts per MILLION. A 4 oz. bottle makes approx 20 gallons of solution. Normally, this means just make up a solution in a bucket or tub and expose your equipment for 2 minutes. Sink your wine bottles in it. Easy. You can either fill up your carboys or just slosh the iodophor around for a while. Either way works just fine.
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