Cleaning/Sanitizing options?

Northern Brewer General
1

I am new to brewing and I’ve been wondering about alternatives to no-rinse cleansers and bleach. I know that both of these are commonly used in home brewing, but I am hoping to find an effective alternative with less chemicals/toxicity. While I know one of the most important things about home brewing is sanitation, I don’t like the idea of mixing my beer with cleansers. So far I’ve considered two alternatives:

  1. Non-toxic, biodegradable, unscented cleanser that can be washed off equipment (i.e., Seventh Generation dish liquid; ingredients: http://www.seventhgeneration.com/Free-a … /Dish-Soap).

  2. Grain alcohol (190 proof) that can be diluted and used like bleach but not leave behind a toxic residue.

Would either of these alone or a combination of both provide effective sanitation for brewing?

2

Most anything you want to use for cleaning will be fine. Dish soap and a soft rag for plastic pails. For carboys, stick a rag inside and swirl it around. Then pull it back out. Also for carboys, a soak in PBW/Oxyclean or any generic “oxy” cleaner work well for breaking up the residue.

Sanitizing: Alcohol should work. Not sure of the strength needed and the cost may be high.

Have you looked at StarSan or Iodophor? The two commonly used sanitizers. Many on septic system use these products with no issues.