Steriliser

Hi,

I use VWP cleaner steriliser BUT I feel I waste an awful lot of water rinsing my containers etc, can anyone put me onto a more suitable steriliser please.

Bill

yes either starsan which is no rinse and can be applied via a spray bottle or videne which is an iodine based steriliser. I use videne just needs a quick rinse

As i only make wine I use Milton tablets or liquid which only needs 15 minutes contact time and is a no rinse steriliser, if you are making beer and used Milton you would have to rinse as you do with the VWP as i believe even the slightest trace left behind can ruin your brew.

Cheers Mark1964 and Chippy_Tea, I like the Idea of no rinse.

Bill

Does not rinsing starsan add odd flavour? Seems a weird concept not rinsing as not sure I like the idea of then drinking chemicals.

Bunglebrewsbeer said:

Does not rinsing starsan add odd flavour? Seems a weird concept not rinsing as not sure I like the idea of then drinking chemicals.

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I'm with you Bunglebrewbeer. Starsan may be tasteless, but can corrode metal and burn skin. It's true that food and drink is full of stuff like this, but if I'm gonna poison myself it's the copious amounts of alcohol that's gonna get me :rofl: I use suprmarket own brand 'Milton' tabs too, with a quick rinse. Infact often i just slosh with boiling water, which is non rinse. :-D

I've just heard certain products shouldn't be used on stainless steel pans as it can affect the pan so wondering which is best to use.

I have to say, I always rinse a little bit when I've sprayed on starsan. I just get paranoid that the bubbles will affect the brew adversely. I like that I don't have to dissolve it like a powder!

Hi all,

I like the Idea of Milton steriliser tablets or fluid, if it's good enough to sterilise babies bottles etc then it should be safe with wine, the trouble with what I have been using is the amount of waste water that goes down the plughole 3 times more than the amount of wine I make.

Bill

Being old fashioned, and tight as a Duck's, I still use the old CJJ Berry method, 12 Campden tablets crushed and dissolved in a pint of warm water, put it in a 2L lemonade bottle, dissolve 5 tablespoons of citric acid in another pint of warm water and add to the lemonade bottle.

DO NOT INHALE THE GAS, USE IN A WELL VENTILATED AREA!!!!! (I think they used this at the Somme)

That said, I just rinse everything in the solution and put it back in the bottle, as long as you can smell the sulphite, it's working. I find that amount does me for about a month of quite regular wine making.
Steel or iron utensils don't like it.

This is a great thread on sterilisers and cleaners - http://www.thehomebrewforum.co.uk/showthread.php?t=28039

Gorty said:

Being old fashioned, and tight as a Duck's, I still use the old CJJ Berry method, 12 Campden tablets crushed and dissolved in a pint of warm water, put it in a 2L lemonade bottle, dissolve 5 tablespoons of citric acid in another pint of warm water and add to the lemonade bottle.

DO NOT INHALE THE GAS, USE IN A WELL VENTILATED AREA!!!!! (I think they used this at the Somme)

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Was about to post this myself.

Keep it tightly stoppered or it will deteriorate. Pour it from container to container, swilling around and allow to dry, although it imparts no tastes, nasties, etc onto your brew!

I use boiling water. Works for me...

I use Starsan and don't rinse. This is what John Palmer says about it in How to Brew:

"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."

Check out the page this is from, with info about different sanitisation methods:

http://www.howtobrew.com/section1/chapter2-2-3.html

I also found these posts on the American forum about the safety of Starsan:

"Take a listen to basicbrewing radio's interview with Chuck Talley, the inventor of Starsan. http://cdn.libsyn.com/basicbrewing/bbr03-29-07.mp3

He's even drank diluted starsan with no ill affects. He says in the interview that any excess starsan becomes yeastfood and is actually good for fermentation. So you are safe."

"If I am not mistaken, the active acids in starsan are phosphoric (which is cola) and the stuff they put in toothpaste."

Hi again, how do you guys sterilise the screw caps on wine bottles.

Bill

Last lot, well, they got turfed in a tub of Milton solution with the baby bottles.

I use chlorine based products too and the best thing to do it rinse the bucket out a couple time and then fill 5-10l of water and dump a campden in and splash it around a bit, works a treat,

I was wondering that.... I've been using no-rinse sterisliser for beer brewing and although it does seem odd and unnatural, not to rinse things, I haven't and just shook off as much of the liquid as possible. I have got the brew safe sanitiser. however, I've now noticed that (when making wine) people tend to rinse it with water, I've even seen them use tab water, which seems very odd to me as they just sterilised everything. Am I getting it wrong? As I am thinking about making wine next, what is the best method? Or should I even rinse off my brew safe steriliser for making beer?

As I posted earlier i use milton tablets (no rinse) and don't rinse, beer brewers have to rinse as chlorine can spoil their brews.