I’ve been using iodophor to sanitize for a long time. It’s supposed to not need rinsing at the correct dosage, but I get a stong iodine smell after my equipment has dried, more so on plastic.
That makes me nervous so I rinse the heck out of the equipment. Is there a trick to not retaining that smell? Is some other product better? If I’m going to have to rinse like mad I may as well go back to using bleach, it’s way cheaper.
I used Iodopher, too! Until I discovered StarSan. Use StarSan. It’s more effective, won’t kill you if you drink some, doesn’t require rinsing, and doesn’t stain or make your equipment smell funny.
Iodopher has to meet the same requirements of StarSan to be labeled a sanitizer.
Iodopher has been used in the dairy industry for decades. It has not killed anyone. If you were to drink a large quantity you could cause damage to your thyroid. But the tiny amount left in the fermenter/bottles/tubing is not enough to cause concern.
Iodopher doesn’t require rinsing if used a the the appropriate dilution rate.
Iodopher DOES stain and will impart an odor.
Would I recommend Iodopher over StarSan, no. StarSan has a better shelf life when mixed. A better product based on that alone.
Rinsing kinda negates the sanitizing. Despite the unappealing aroma, neither it nor and flavor from the iodophor makes it into your beer. Either stop rinsing or switch to StarSan.
Yeah, that, too. When I used Iodopher, it definitely never made a difference in the final product.
I also just feel StarSan is easier to use. I think it’s the foaming. Helps me feel more comfortable that something is happening, I suppose.
StarSan has a shorter contact time than iodophor so you can just spray something and use it 30 seconds later. It also has a longer lifespan when mixed with distilled water.
Thanks Denny, that’s good to know. My mind is eased. :cheers:
When my iodophor is gone I may give Starsan a go anyway.
I also have tasted/smelled iodophor in some friends beer, and I don’t care for it. I have a friend that uses it all the time, but he rinses it with sterile water before it has contact with the wort/beer. He cans jars of water in a pressure cooker to use as a rinse.
Star San is good, but I think your water needs to have a low pH. My tap water is 8 so I am not sure how effective it is.
I still use bleach and rinse with hot water after 20 years. If it is a windy day or something, I may put some Star San in my fermenter after I sanitize it with bleach/hot rinse. Unfortunately, I don’t have a big enough pressure cooker to sterilize my own water.
