Sanitizers

[PaPaSmokes]

TexLaw do you spray down your utensils, cutting boards and gear after washing and rinsing? i have been spraying down my stainless tables, spreading the items i used in whatever i was just using with the idophor and letting it dry.
the StarSan is much cheaper if i can switch to that after. you say if its clear? does this mean it changes appearance in a spray bottle once it is no longer active?

[johnsbrewhouse]

Chlorine Bleach will damage stainless steel by pitting the surface over time, that is why it is not used to clean and sanitize equipment in the food and beverage industries. Pits equal bacteria breeding spots.

[processhead]

PaPaSmokes said in Sanitizers:

TexLaw do you spray down your utensils, cutting boards and gear after washing and rinsing? i have been spraying down my stainless tables, spreading the items i used in whatever i was just using with the idophor and letting it dry.
the StarSan is much cheaper if i can switch to that after. you say if its clear? does this mean it changes appearance in a spray bottle once it is no longer active?

Starsan solution is water-clear. Some users of StarSan say that that diluted solutions can get cloudy when it is held for a long time. It doesn’t change color and still will be colorless, just cloudy. I have kept 5 gallon containers of diluted solution for over a year and have not seen this personally, so I suspect it might depend on characteristics or hardness of your local water.

I think the better sanitizing strategy is to sanitize your clean countertops, cutting boards and utensils just prior to using them. You could also sanitize after washing and then sanitize again just prior to use.
If you only sanitize surfaces after washing them, and they sit unused for any period of time they would accumulate air-born bacteria.

[processhead]

FYI, the way you measure whether starsan is still effective is to measure the dilute solution pH. A pH of less than 3 is considered good.

[PaPaSmokes]

processhead guess i better get some ph testing strips as i move forward to be commercial. i do sanitize after cleaning and again before if things have sat a while. where is the clorine bleach coming from? besides my bleach mixture which i will now stop using forthwith!!! thanks for that info

[TexLaw]

PaPaSmokes You can spray it or you can dip it. It only takes a few minutes’ contact time, tops.

processhead is correct that pH really is a better measure of efficacy than clarity. Clarity can be affected by harder water.

[johnsbrewhouse]

PaPaSmokes You said you were using a tablespoon Clorox bleach in a spray bottle of water is where the chlorine bleach came from. It’s a great sanitizer for everything but food equipment and does leave residual tastes and chemical on what it is used on, even glass if not rinsed off.

[PaPaSmokes]

johnsbrewhouse really great to know. i will stop using it. this is a great community and I’m honored to be a part of it.

[Jonathon]

processhead I sanitize after I am done and before I start, just in case. That way, even if I do forget something I will hopefully still be ok. With additives, I have learned to not throw away bags until the job is totally done. This is an easy way to make sure I didnt forget anything. I don’t have as good of a way to ensure that I always remember to sanitize before I start but at this point it is second nature.

[PaPaSmokes]

Jonathon im a clean freak to and wipe down surfaces before and after, when you spray like your grinder auger, plates etc do you let them air dry or let them sit a few minutes then dry them off, oil and put away?

[calldoctoday]

processhead Wow Paul, I did not realize it would keep that long. We keep some in bottles & gallon demi johns for the next usage, rather than discarding. I have seen some cloud up a bit & was never exactly sure of the cause. After several months or so, I have typically either refurbished it a bit for a run or just made a new batch, especially if it was one of the cloudy ones.