Here is a list of cleaners and sterilsers with dilution rates and breif descriptions of uses to use as a guide for any members looking for alternative cleaners or sterilisers.
This is an old post and was not posted by me, be careful out there!
As with all Cleaners and sterilisers Precautions must be taken. Read the instructions, Wear rubber gloves in some cases thick heavy duty rubber gloves, wear eye protection, and don't spill them on any surface you may want to keep looking nice. And most importantly Keep out of reach of children!
Washing Soda 2 tablespoons per Litre
Also known as Sodium Carbonate. The crystals are dissolved in hot water and the equipment left to soak for about 20 minutes. Rinse equipment thoroughly after use. Not as effective as Caustic Soda and no sterilising power.
OxyClean 1 Scoop per 10 litre for light cleaning, 1 scoop per 2.5 litre for heavy cleaning.
Good all purpose cleaner with no sterilising powers. Best mixed with warm to hot water. Cleaning action lasts for 6 hrs. Do not store mixed solution in sealed bottles, the oxygen released will cause it to pop. Will need rinsing prior to sterilising.
Household Bleach 2.5ml per Litre
Can be used diluted with water to clean and sterilise plastic equipment and glass bottles. Thick bleach is better at cleaning as it foams and thin bleach is better at sterilising, Also don't use the fragranced stuff it may leave some flavours in your equipment.
Corrosive to stainless steel if left for any length of time and will also blacken and corrode brass and copper.
Needs thorough rinsing of cleaned items with hot water to remove any taints. Precautions needed when handling are goggles and rubber gloves.
VWP 1/2 teaspoon per Litre
An all purpose chlorine based cleaner/steriliser. Can be mixed to the above ratio in warm water will clean all your homebrewing equipment in around 10 minutes. It WILL release a chlorine based gas and care should be taken not to inhale it when you first add it to your water and any other time. Will need several hot water rinses to remove any taints that may be left. It's known for sticking around inside Fv's etc. Wear gloves and goggles.
Videne 1.25ml per Litre
You need the Antiseptic Solution not the Tincture. This is a No rinse solution at the above rate and is only a steriliser it has no cleaning powers and is Iodophor based. Can be mixed up into spray bottles and stored until it the colour fades, ideally with low alkalinity and Chlorine Free water.
Five Star, Io Star 1.5ml per Litre for a spray on solution.
A product from the USA same principals as Videne but has loads more info on the Fact sheets see Clicky. This sheet gives differing contact times per usage and strengths. But for most home brewers usage this would be the above ratio with 1 min contact time and drain, No need to rinse. Wear gloves and goggles.
Five Star, Star San 1.5ml per Litre
Star San is a blend of phosphoric acid and dodecylbenzenesulfonic acid and is also a self foaming sanitizer. It can be applied through a foamer to produce self-adhering sanitizing foam for external sanitation. It is not recommended to use STAR SAN on soft metals because of the acid nature of this product. At the above ratio a 1-2 min contact time is recommended, Star san is a no rinse sanitiser. Wear gloves and goggles.
Star San 1.5ml per Litre
Another ââ¬Återminal disinfectantâ based on phosphoric acid which again doesn't need rinsing, this product is diluted with water and may be sprayed on items or just used as a rinse. The solution may be re-used as long as the pH stays below about 3.0. Not suitable for dilution with hard water as the alkalinity will partly neutralise the acid causing it to be ineffective. Precautions, use goggles and rubber gloves when handling the concentrated product.
Antiformin S 1-2% solution in cold Water
This product is a caustic based cleaner with an added chlorine donor. It comes supplied in liquid form and will thoroughly clean equipment whilst being effective against most bacteria. This is not corrosive to stainless steel when used at the recommended dilution and rinsed with hot water. But is corrosive to Aluminium and Zinc. Needs thorough rinsing after use. Precautions needed when handing are goggles and rubber gloves.
Caustic Soda 25 gram per Litre
Also known as Sodium Hydroxide, this cheap and powerful cleaner is available in crystal form and may be used for normal cleaning and sterilisation purposes by making up in cold water, or for heavily soiled items and stubborn deposits at 50g per 1L of water. The advantages are a very effective cleaner whilst also providing some degree of sterilising power.
A very thorough rinsing with hot water is necessary after use and this cleaner is strongly corrosive to aluminium, also will leave deposits on vessels when used in areas with very hard water. Precautions needed when handling are goggles and heavy duty rubber gloves, as this product can cause severe burns to skin.
Fam 30 5.5ml per liter
A Iodophor based disinfectant designed for dairy use as a no rinse terminal disinfectant, but also has cleaning powers at the above ratio's. Can be purchased from farm supplies stores and only comes in 5 ltr containers. An alternative to the more nasty Peracetic Acid. Use gloves and goggles
Peracetic Acid 10ml per Litre
This has in recent years become the standard disinfectant for the brewing industry and is a blend of hydrogen peroxide and acetic acid which is extremely effective against a wide range of bacteria. It's supplied as a 5% solution which is diluted with cold water and may be conveniently sprayed on pre-cleaned items. Can be used as a soak solution at the above rate, recommended contact time for soaking is 20 mins but anything over 30 seconds will have worked. Peracetic Acid may be used as a ââ¬Återminal disinfectant¢ immediately prior to use and does not require rinsing. Will not corrode stainless steel. Don't use on Copper or Zinc. No cleaning power. Extremely harmful to skin. Precautions needed are goggles and heavy duty rubber gloves strongly recommended. This is also a mucosal irritant, do not inhale, use in a very well ventilated area, the vapours alone will make your eyes stream.
This is an old post and was not posted by me, be careful out there!
As with all Cleaners and sterilisers Precautions must be taken. Read the instructions, Wear rubber gloves in some cases thick heavy duty rubber gloves, wear eye protection, and don't spill them on any surface you may want to keep looking nice. And most importantly Keep out of reach of children!
Washing Soda 2 tablespoons per Litre
Also known as Sodium Carbonate. The crystals are dissolved in hot water and the equipment left to soak for about 20 minutes. Rinse equipment thoroughly after use. Not as effective as Caustic Soda and no sterilising power.
OxyClean 1 Scoop per 10 litre for light cleaning, 1 scoop per 2.5 litre for heavy cleaning.
Good all purpose cleaner with no sterilising powers. Best mixed with warm to hot water. Cleaning action lasts for 6 hrs. Do not store mixed solution in sealed bottles, the oxygen released will cause it to pop. Will need rinsing prior to sterilising.
Household Bleach 2.5ml per Litre
Can be used diluted with water to clean and sterilise plastic equipment and glass bottles. Thick bleach is better at cleaning as it foams and thin bleach is better at sterilising, Also don't use the fragranced stuff it may leave some flavours in your equipment.
Corrosive to stainless steel if left for any length of time and will also blacken and corrode brass and copper.
Needs thorough rinsing of cleaned items with hot water to remove any taints. Precautions needed when handling are goggles and rubber gloves.
VWP 1/2 teaspoon per Litre
An all purpose chlorine based cleaner/steriliser. Can be mixed to the above ratio in warm water will clean all your homebrewing equipment in around 10 minutes. It WILL release a chlorine based gas and care should be taken not to inhale it when you first add it to your water and any other time. Will need several hot water rinses to remove any taints that may be left. It's known for sticking around inside Fv's etc. Wear gloves and goggles.
Videne 1.25ml per Litre
You need the Antiseptic Solution not the Tincture. This is a No rinse solution at the above rate and is only a steriliser it has no cleaning powers and is Iodophor based. Can be mixed up into spray bottles and stored until it the colour fades, ideally with low alkalinity and Chlorine Free water.
Five Star, Io Star 1.5ml per Litre for a spray on solution.
A product from the USA same principals as Videne but has loads more info on the Fact sheets see Clicky. This sheet gives differing contact times per usage and strengths. But for most home brewers usage this would be the above ratio with 1 min contact time and drain, No need to rinse. Wear gloves and goggles.
Five Star, Star San 1.5ml per Litre
Star San is a blend of phosphoric acid and dodecylbenzenesulfonic acid and is also a self foaming sanitizer. It can be applied through a foamer to produce self-adhering sanitizing foam for external sanitation. It is not recommended to use STAR SAN on soft metals because of the acid nature of this product. At the above ratio a 1-2 min contact time is recommended, Star san is a no rinse sanitiser. Wear gloves and goggles.
Star San 1.5ml per Litre
Another ââ¬Återminal disinfectantâ based on phosphoric acid which again doesn't need rinsing, this product is diluted with water and may be sprayed on items or just used as a rinse. The solution may be re-used as long as the pH stays below about 3.0. Not suitable for dilution with hard water as the alkalinity will partly neutralise the acid causing it to be ineffective. Precautions, use goggles and rubber gloves when handling the concentrated product.
Antiformin S 1-2% solution in cold Water
This product is a caustic based cleaner with an added chlorine donor. It comes supplied in liquid form and will thoroughly clean equipment whilst being effective against most bacteria. This is not corrosive to stainless steel when used at the recommended dilution and rinsed with hot water. But is corrosive to Aluminium and Zinc. Needs thorough rinsing after use. Precautions needed when handing are goggles and rubber gloves.
Caustic Soda 25 gram per Litre
Also known as Sodium Hydroxide, this cheap and powerful cleaner is available in crystal form and may be used for normal cleaning and sterilisation purposes by making up in cold water, or for heavily soiled items and stubborn deposits at 50g per 1L of water. The advantages are a very effective cleaner whilst also providing some degree of sterilising power.
A very thorough rinsing with hot water is necessary after use and this cleaner is strongly corrosive to aluminium, also will leave deposits on vessels when used in areas with very hard water. Precautions needed when handling are goggles and heavy duty rubber gloves, as this product can cause severe burns to skin.
Fam 30 5.5ml per liter
A Iodophor based disinfectant designed for dairy use as a no rinse terminal disinfectant, but also has cleaning powers at the above ratio's. Can be purchased from farm supplies stores and only comes in 5 ltr containers. An alternative to the more nasty Peracetic Acid. Use gloves and goggles
Peracetic Acid 10ml per Litre
This has in recent years become the standard disinfectant for the brewing industry and is a blend of hydrogen peroxide and acetic acid which is extremely effective against a wide range of bacteria. It's supplied as a 5% solution which is diluted with cold water and may be conveniently sprayed on pre-cleaned items. Can be used as a soak solution at the above rate, recommended contact time for soaking is 20 mins but anything over 30 seconds will have worked. Peracetic Acid may be used as a ââ¬Återminal disinfectant¢ immediately prior to use and does not require rinsing. Will not corrode stainless steel. Don't use on Copper or Zinc. No cleaning power. Extremely harmful to skin. Precautions needed are goggles and heavy duty rubber gloves strongly recommended. This is also a mucosal irritant, do not inhale, use in a very well ventilated area, the vapours alone will make your eyes stream.
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