Sterilizers

[-Bezza-]

Just being doing a bit more reading up on oxygen bleach, aka oxiclean, aka sodium percarbonate and:

1) It's environmentally friendly and breaks down quite easily into non-harmful compounds (water, oxygen and soda ash)
2) It's safe on stainless steels and plastics
3) It's good for cleaning the patio and decking!

 

[soupdragon]

If the stuff on ebay is pure sodium percarbonate what percentage is in the pound shop cleaners?

Cheers. Tom

 

[-Bezza-]

If the stuff on ebay is pure sodium percarbonate what percentage is in the pound shop cleaners?

Cheers. Tom

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sodium_percarbonate#Uses

It's uncited but suggests between 60-80%, with the balance being sodium carbonate, aka soda ash, i.e. one of the compounds that result after use. Sodium carbonate is used as a water softener. Of course, there may also be perfumes in there. Oh, and a huge dose of marketing.

 

[soupdragon]

Magic

Cheers. Tom

 

[Mavroz]

So is it cleaning with pericarbonate and Sterilise / Sanitise with Starsan?

I have just used Pericarbonate for both and all seems ok so far.

Well in truth, the Pericarb was sold as no rinse steriliser from a homebrew shop.... It's ingerdients state 100% Pericarb, no rinse steriliser.

Do you really need both Pericarb and Starsan?

 

[Drunkula]

what percentage is in the pound shop cleaners?

Data sheet says 30 to 40%, so taking it as 30% it would cost about 26 quid to get the same amount as 5kg pure.

Do you really need both Pericarb and Starsan?

I would. And if I had to choose just one it would be the starsan because I can clean with something else, but sanitising is just so easy with it.

 

[Mungri]

I've been using this for the last 30 odd brews. I'ts £8.45 for 1kg. Says cleaner steriliser on the label, but the only listed ingredient is Sodium Percarbonate.
If that's the case the 5kg bag on Ebay is half the price of the stuff i've been buying!!
Never had a spoiled batch or gushers so far. Maybe i've just been lucky.

 

[Clint]

I believe sterilising with sodium percarbonate is ok as long as you use the equipment soon...it also loses its ability to sterilise quickly whereas starsan can last providing the pH is correct.

 

[Mavroz]

View attachment 14719
I've been using this for the last 30 odd brews. I'ts £8.45 for 1kg. Says cleaner steriliser on the label, but the only listed ingredient is Sodium Percarbonate.
If that's the case the 5kg bag on Ebay is half the price of the stuff i've been buying!!
Never had a spoiled batch or gushers so far. Maybe i've just been lucky.

Same stuff as I started using. Have now bought some more but from a different source to this first tub.

 

[Mungri]

I believe sterilising with sodium percarbonate is ok as long as you use the equipment soon...it also loses its ability to sterilise quickly whereas starsan can last providing the pH is correct.

That makes sense. I always use this stuff in the fermenter while the boil is on and in the bottles / kegs just before packaging.
I’ll be getting the 5kg bag from Ebay from now on though.

 

[Clint]

Check out their 25kg sack...if you're in a club or got brewing mates it's even cheaper!

 

[-Bezza-]

Check out their 25kg sack...if you're in a club or got brewing mates it's even cheaper!

I was eyeing up the 1000kg option! Went for 5kg instead.

 

[soupdragon]

Data sheet says 30 to 40%, so taking it as 30% it would cost about 26 quid to get the same amount as 5kg pure.

So to make the ebay stuff worthwhile you'd need to buy at least 5kg or it'd work out almost the same price as the 650g tubs of 30% oxi stuff from poundland?

Cheers. Tom

 

[Chippy_Tea]

Members reading this may find this old thread interesting -

Here is a list of cleaners and sterilsers with dilution rates and brief descriptions of uses to use as a guide for any members looking for alternative cleaners or sterilisers.
https://www.thehomebrewforum.co.uk/...rilisers-dilution-rates-and-uses-guide.53700/
.

 

[Drunkula]

So to make the ebay stuff worthwhile you'd need to buy at least 5kg or it'd work out almost the same price as the 650g tubs of 30% oxi stuff from poundland?

Yeah. It basically works out the same as buying pure for £4.40 per kilogram if you go middle and say it's 35% percarbonate.

The super says it's 60 to 100% percarbonate, then says the other part is 30 to 40% which is daft, it should say 0 to 40%. The annoying thing is that they're both labelled > 30% oxygen based bleaching agents which you get on everything but it would be nice to have > 50% if it does.

They're both 2 ingredient mixes, carbonate and percarbonate. I looked at Vanish oxi and pretty much all had extra gubbins and were too expensive and max 50% percarbonate so I ruled them out straight away and whatever was in Wilko. Wizz Oxi was just 2 ingredients but more expensive though the percarbonate was 30 to 60%. The Poundland stuff was the easy choice.

 

[Dave7]

Got Star san 473ml for £15. £10 cheaper than Amazon. Going to get oxi from eBay. I also got a tub of Astonish oxy active can't small any fragrance hoping it's the right one. Man the scoop tiny must be powerful stuff.

Next step the good stuff yeah

 

[Bigcol49]

Hi!
I use a bleach/vinegar no-rinse sanitiser.
40ml cheap thin bleach added to 5 litres water, shaken up and then 8ml distilled vinegar added.
It's easier to measure ingredients if you use 25ml bleach, 5ml vinegar in 3125ml water.
I make it fresh every time I need it.

 

[Drunkula]

GI also got a tub of Astonish oxy active can't small any fragrance hoping it's the right one.

That's the fella.

I use a bleach/vinegar no-rinse sanitiser.

I also use it. Trouble is sometimes the thin bleach isn't thin bleach. If you shake the bottle or make some up and shake it and there's foam then there's bloody surfactant in it. And it's batch dependent because I used Tesco, Morrison's and Asda thin bleach - all great, then ran out, got the Morrison's (same cheapy 29p thing) and it foamed and I went and got some of the Asda cheap and it was exactly the same. You can tell just from the colour, too.

I didn't notice at first, and it makes it not-no-rinse and I got phenol problems from it. I started doing the baking bottles in the oven after that and it actually cut down on the fannying about time. Yay.

 

[Mavroz]

When using SP for a bottle soak, i have noticed a grainy coating rough feeling coating on the bottles.
Is it due to me living in a very hard water area? when the bottles dry they have a white chalky film.
I think i remember reading something else can be mixed with the SP to stop the buildup of "possible calcium" on them but cannot find or remember what.
I have currently been using lemon juice to rinse after soaking which seems to work but isn't ideal.
Thanks.

 

[Mavroz]

This is only since i have been using the bulk amount i bought from Ebay.... https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Sodium-P...e=STRK:MEBIDX:IT&_trksid=p2057872.m2749.l2649

Now call me paranoid but it doesn't seem to bring labels from bottles as the online brew shop tub did.

Nor does it seem to dissolve properly, it stays granulated in water for quite a long time...

Anyone else bought from this supplier and does your PC stay granulated or takes an age to dissolve?