Best Star SAN Alternative including all new Chemsan

[Seghes]

I now use the Bleach & White Vinegar method, Mix is 1 teaspoon of bleach to 1 gallon of water first and then 1 teaspoon of White Vinegar mix well. Amazing results and very quick because you don't need to leave stuff in soak just rinse and drain for a minute of off you go! DO NOT MIX BLEACH & VINEGAR TOGETHER, dilute the bleach in the water first!

Thanks for the great tip. Any idea how many times you can re-use the mixed solution. I used a gallon to sanitise several pressure kegs, then threw the solution away. Could I keep using it?

 

[CD]

Alternatively you can fill a PB up with water plus 150cc of Antiformin S, leave it for about 12 hours before running it into the next PB. Rinse the first one, remove its tap, and put it and its top into a bucket of water plus 60cc of Antiformin S, then in my case do the same for all seven PBs used per brew. Run the last one into a 5 gallon fermentation bin, which can be used to sterilise any items that come into contact with the beer, and submerge any bottles in use.

So that’s just 210cc of Antiformin S for each of the 5 or so times I brew each year, and I have NEVER experienced ANY of the problems detailed on this thread. Is nobody out there listening!

 

[Drunkula]

Could I keep using it?

No. It has to be made up every day. Bleach only remains stable because of the high pH. As soon as you lower it to make it a killing machine it starts self destructing.

 

[parpot]

Thanks for the great tip. Any idea how many times you can re-use the mixed solution. I used a gallon to sanitise several pressure kegs, then threw the solution away. Could I keep using it?

Its that cheap, I just use new every time!

 

[OliH]

Alternatively you can fill a PB up with water plus 150cc of Antiformin S, leave it for about 12 hours before running it into the next PB. Rinse the first one, remove its tap, and put it and its top into a bucket of water plus 60cc of Antiformin S, then in my case do the same for all seven PBs used per brew. Run the last one into a 5 gallon fermentation bin, which can be used to sterilise any items that come into contact with the beer, and submerge any bottles in use.

So that’s just 210cc of Antiformin S for each of the 5 or so times I brew each year, and I have NEVER experienced ANY of the problems detailed on this thread. Is nobody out there listening!

I think most people on this thread are looking for a no rinse sanitiser for easy bottling. There are many easy cheap ways to sanitise if you don’t mind rinsing, which isn’t much bother with 5 containers. It becomes a lot more hassle with 40 or so bottles. We are listening, you’re not providing the solution.

 

[CD]

I certainly wouldn't put beer into a bottle that had had bleach and vinegar in it, and not been rinsed out. The owner of my local home brew shop tells me that he sells quite a lot of Antiformin S, so I find it odd to see no mention of it at all on this forum.

 

[craft_ales_project]

I use proxitane, better than Star San, supposedly the best germicide known to man. No need to wait for it to dry like Star San, just rinse with proxitane and use.

Interesting alternative, looks more 'friendly' than Starsan. I've been using Chemsan, where do you buy yours from foxy?

 

[craft_ales_project]

I think most people on this thread are looking for a no rinse sanitiser for easy bottling. There are many easy cheap ways to sanitise if you don’t mind rinsing, which isn’t much bother with 5 containers. It becomes a lot more hassle with 40 or so bottles. We are listening, you’re not providing the solution.

I saw a guy on Youtube who simply puts his bottles through the dishwasher, can't think of a simpler way myself, good old heat will do the job? I haven't tried PET bottles tho, not sure if it would dis-form them (if that's a word?)

 

[Chippy_Tea]

saw a guy on Youtube who simply puts his bottles through the dishwasher,

Would a dishwasher get hot enough to do the job?

My dishwasher moans if i run the water too hot, i tell her to use marigolds she tells me to **** off.

Joking aside a few members heat their bottles in the oven i cannot remember what temp or for how long but i am sure someone will advise.

 

[craft_ales_project]

Would a dishwasher get hot enough to do the job?

My dishwasher moans if i run the water too hot, i tell her to use marigolds she tells me to **** off.

Joking aside a few members heat their bottles in the oven i cannot remember what temp or for how long but i am sure someone will advise.

I guess if it sanitises plates & cutlery then job’s a good’un?

 

[Chippy_Tea]

I know nothing about dishwashers other than i will neve own one, i believe you can buy then with sanitising feature but it would appear the majority do not have this option -


Joseph Mccray, former TV Chef doing live segments at Local TV (2008-2016)

Answered September 30, 2019·

While the average home dishwasher does not sterilize whatever is in it, you can sanitize, which is a higher standard that clean but less than sterile. Many newer models have a sanitize feature which heats the water to a higher temperature, then dries at a higher temperature. Commercial dishwashers heat the water to 180° and have high pressure jest to blast away food debris. They can be considered sanitized, but since they are exposed to the open air in the kitchen upon removal, they tend to be exposed to any airborne pathogens that happen to be floating. To sterile dishers, one would have to put them in an autoclave, and many type of china would not handle the exposure to high temperature that they would get in one of those guys.

 

[An Ankoù]

How many bottles can you get in a dishwasher? Not many. How much of the detergent and other stuff is going to be washed out by the rinse? Not all of it. Looking back at the beginning of the thread, dilute thin bleach was recommended and I'd go along with that. Put your dirties in an FV full of bleach solution and leave them overnight. They'll come out spotless and de-crudded. Rinse well (I rinse with a bot of metabisulphite, not to further the sterilisation, but to kill any remnants of chlorine from the bleach) and Fanny's your aunt.
As for baking your bottles in the oven; that would work fine, but if there's any sediment crud at the bottom, it'll just bake hard and give you a gusher- not from contamination, but from the unevenness of the surface of the glass there.


Go for bleach. You know it makes sense. Even the Orange Man knew this.

 

[craft_ales_project]

How many bottles can you get in a dishwasher? Not many. How much of the detergent and other stuff is going to be washed out by the rinse? Not all of it. Looking back at the beginning of the thread, dilute thin bleach was recommended and I'd go along with that. Put your dirties in an FV full of bleach solution and leave them overnight. They'll come out spotless and de-crudded. Rinse well (I rinse with a bot of metabisulphite, not to further the sterilisation, but to kill any remnants of chlorine from the bleach) and Fanny's your aunt.
As for baking your bottles in the oven; that would work fine, but if there's any sediment crud at the bottom, it'll just bake hard and give you a gusher- not from contamination, but from the unevenness of the surface of the glass there.


Go for bleach. You know it makes sense. Even the Orange Man knew this.

Fair point, but depends on the trays in your washer (his seemed extremely accommodating), plus, I wasn't suggesting adding any detergent, just the 60-70 degree water. I'm fairly sure I could get 20 500ml PET's per tray. I always rinse my PET bottles as soon as I've poured the beer, it takes 10 seconds and leaves them free from yeast etc. Don't work harder, just smarter as they say?

 

[An Ankoù]

Fair point, but depends on the trays in your washer (his seemed extremely accommodating), plus, I wasn't suggesting adding any detergent, just the 60-70 degree water. I'm fairly sure I could get 20 500ml PET's per tsay. I always rinse my PET bottles as soon as I've poured the beer, it takes 10 seconds and leaves them free from yeast etc. Don't work harder, just smarter as they say?

Whoa, I was thinking of glass bottles. Not even sure if PETs will stand a 70C wash. They'll certainly get pushed all over the place by the jets and battered by the rotors.

 

[craft_ales_project]

Whoa, I was thinking of glass bottles. Not even sure if PETs will stand a 70C wash. They'll sertainly get pushed all over the place by the jets and battered by the rotors.

Tell you what, I'll try it out on a PET next load, get back to ya!!

 

[kelper]

A dish washer won't clean dirty bottles' insides.

 

[craft_ales_project]

A dish washer won't clean dirty bottles' insides.

Absolutely it won't, but I'm in the habit of flushing the bottling straight after pouring, a stitch in time an' all that!

 

[kelper]

Some PETs (there are 1300 + versions) withstand 130C. So it might be worth experimenting. But in water, not in the oven! Personally, I rinse immediately and then cap and sanitise just before use. Even the sediment rises away easily if you don't let it dry out.

 

[craft_ales_project]

Some PETs (there are 1300 + versions) withstand 130C. So it might be worth experimenting. But in water, not in the oven! Personally, I rinse immediately and then cap and sanitise just before use. Even the sediment rises away easily if you don't let it dry out.

It has to be tested! So I’ve lined up a brave volunteer for the mission, in the name of sanitisation, sacrifices need to be made..

 

[kelper]

Put one in boiling water!