Recommend a "no rinse" steriliser...

[OlliesDad]

Just bottled my first cider and on opening the DJ there was the faintest whiff of hospital operating theatre though it doesn't seem to have adversely affected the cider.

However, I find effectively rinsing all my gear difficult, time consuming and uses a lot of water, so I'm looking for "no rinse" alternatives to my current sterilisers (I'm using RWP and / or Miltons), any ideas?


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[Bigcol49]

Hi!
The problem with rinsing is that tap water is not sanitised, so you could be adding "nasties" to your brew.
I have used StarSan and found it to be a very effective sanitiser. It produces a lot of foam, but there's nothing to worry about as it breaks down to products that the yeast can chomp on. Don't fear the foam!
The inventor of StarSan, Charlie Talley, makes two interesting points on a homebrewing podcast: first, if you clean effectively you don't need to sanitise; in that case sanitisation is a "belt and braces" measure.
He then recommends a no-rinse sanitiser made with 40ml of bleach mixed well in 5 litres of water followed by 8ml of white (distilled) vinegar. NEVER mix bleach and vinegar directly - the gas it produces can be fatal.

 

[braziliain]

Just to clarify, it is 1.6ml per litre of bleach which is 8ml / 5L.

In this case, he is using a bleach which is 50 parts per million of sodium hypochlorite.

You can use any other bleach, but the key is diluting it to 80ppm.

If using Charlies 50ppm bleach then distilled vinegar should be mixed in equal measure, so 8ml/5L of water&bleach solution.

Article here: http://beerliever.com/bleach-no-rinse-sanitiser-home-brewing-beer/

I've been using this on my last couple of brews but haven't tasted anything yet, so can't report back.

 

[Bigcol49]

Hi!
Thanks for spotting the typo - 6 now changed to 8.
The bleach that I use is 0.99%, whereas bleach at 50000 parts per million is 5%, so that means I need to use roughly 5 times the amount of bleach to get 80 parts per million. That's why I use 40ml (I actually use 41.25ml as that's the closest I can get with my measuring spoons).
No taste problems from brews that have been sanitised with bleach/vinegar.

 

[Vinotinto]

+1 for Starsan

 

[MattH1973]

miltons are no rinse I think, I'm trying those on my mulled TC at present. certainly easy to use.

I considered starsan but read it is acidic and that this can cause issues ?

 

[OlliesDad]

I'd read about the potential issue with rinsing with tap water, (though what else I'm supposed to use?!) hence looking for a 'no-rinse'.
But also it is just a real PITA trying to rinse out tubing, bottling wands and so forth.
At the moment nothing is lasting long enough in the bottle for me to worry too much but I need to find a better overall solution (no pun intended!).
Thanks for the tips so far...


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[Bigcol49]

Hi!
I've experienced no problems with StarSan - the only downside is that tap water causes the pH of the solution to rise above 3.0, rendering it useless, so you need to buy bottled water.

 

[Bigcol49]

. . . it is just a real PITA trying to rinse out tubing, bottling wands and so forth.

Hi!
Try a garden pressure sprayer - not my idea, I saw it on You Tube.
Buy one that's dedicated for sanitising.
You'll need to jury rig connections with various diameters of tubing but it works really well.
I used to detest cleaning tubing, but now it's a breeze.

 

[MickDundee]

miltons are no rinse I think, I'm trying those on my mulled TC at present. certainly easy to use.

I use it too. But there is fierce debate in here about whether it needs to be rinsed. However, their own website ( http://www.miltonbaby.com.au/milton-household-sterilisation-ideas/) claims this:

When it comes to making your own homebrew, it’s important to always clean, sterilise and rinse every piece of equipment that comes into contact with the brew.
Place your pre-cleaned bottles in the made-up solution and allow to soak for 15 minutes. Shake off excess solution and place the bottles in a ventilated and sanitary location where they can fully dry. No need to rinse the Milton solution from the bottles.

 

[MyQul]

Hi!
I've experienced no problems with StarSan - the only downside is that tap water causes the pH of the solution to rise above 3.0, rendering it useless, so you need to buy bottled water.

If you find that your star san solution has risen above 3.0 (indeed making it useless) you can just add a tiny drop more to get the PH back down. That's what I did/do anyway and seems to work

 

[MattH1973]

one trick I found to sterilize tubing this weekend is to siphon the sterile solution through the tubing when done with it. I used the "tap priming" method covered on the "how sterile is our equipment" thread.

 

[yeastinfection]

Do you check it with Ph strips?

 

[MyQul]

Do you check it with Ph strips?

Who's this directed at?

I do. If fact I'm just bottling a 5L batch. Because of this thread I discovered my star san solution was above 3.0 so I added a wee bit more neat star san and resanitised everthing

 

[Bigcol49]

Hi!
I bought a pH meter, but still haven't got around to setting it up.

 

[Gunge]

When I put wine bottles and demijohns away, I fill them with water and chuck in a little sod.met and citric acid. When it comes to using them again, just tip out the solution and away you go - no rinsing. Never ever ever had an infection. Ever.

 

[Godsdog]

ItMilton is OK and what I use but left to stand for a few days and it goes off and very slimy so no use for a good soaking of equipment,does starsan go off too if left for a day or two?

 

[Razor]

I use starsan and Milton as no rinse. Starsan is quicker it says 1min to sterilise whereas Milton says 15mins although you can get readymade Milton in a spray bottle which is more concentrated and only takes 5mins. Never thought to check the ph of the starsan. @Godsdog Milton solution made from the fluid or the tablets is supposed to changed every 24hrs, starsan seems to last a while longer.


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[Chippy_Tea]

I have used milton tablets for years, i don't rinse.

 

[Vinotinto]

I have half a gallon of starsan made up. I re use this time and again just checking before , with cheap as chips ph strips ( I even cut these into three ) , that the ph is below 3