one-step sanitizer

[megaschnauzer]

is it possible to keep a 5 gallon bucket of one-step sanitizer in solution or does the sanitizer break down over time? i want to keep a bucket of cleaner handy when i brew to sanitize various tools and containers but i don't want to waste it.

[DreamWeaver]

Good Question. If you were going to use it in the near future, I would ~guess~ it to be OK. Someone else may be able to answer for certain.
I have been doing 1- 5 gallon batch every week for the last few months and have a few one gallon glass jugs that I bottle in. When they get empty I usually clean them and fill 'em with sanitizing solution for the next time I need it but I add some to that. I brew, bottle & rack 3 days a week now so it gets used.
I was using bleach with a hot water rinse for awhile but these guys convinced me to go the no-rinse stuff. Seems to work great but it adds expense to Homebrewing. This would help cut cost.
I just saw the Myth Busters on Discovery and they did an experiment with toothbrushes in the bathroom to search for airborne fecal matter. :eek: If ya ever wondered about airborne microbes floating inside your home, you'll have to watch. Time to restock the sanitizer! -DRWeaver-

[brewmonkey]

airborne fecal matter.

Obviously this is a problem somewhere if they are doing it on mythbusters?

[fretlessman71]

It's a problem everywhere, actually! Here's the gist of the experiment:

There's a myth that says that you're not supposed to leave your toothbrush near the toilet because every time you flush, the toilet sprays a little bit of what's inside of it into the air, Therefore, fecal coloform bacteria can get onto the bristles of your toothbrush. Not good, right? Welllll... Jaime and Adam set up several brushes all over the bathroom, "used" them once a day, and also left a few toothbrushes outside the bathroom many yards away to see what happened to them. Turns out that ALL of the toothbrushes showed signs of fecal coloform bacteria, proving that 1) fecal coloform is everywhere (Jaime: "There's POO everywhere! What are we gonna do?") and 2) that it's not as big of a deal as previously thought because we're all ingesting a little bit of it all the time, and if you're reading this, you're alive just like me. Crazy, huh?

[barley ben]

So while I'm reading this, I'm breathing in poo? That STINKS!!

[brewmonkey]

Well it would certainly explain some of the cases of "Ass breath" my former roomare had. He used to store his toothbrush in the cabinet by the comode.

[fretlessman71]

Nah... the point is that this stuff is everywhere, and not just near the toilet. And there's really nothing we can do about it. Your roommate probably had ass breath because he never drank any water to go with his Natty Light! (Oh, wait... they're the same thing, aren't they? :p)

[DreamWeaver]

Maybe he drank AB? That would give ya AB! :D Well I would have more humor to spread but I gotta go soak my toothbrush in sanitizing solution. Oh great... I got poo in my contacts now... It's everywhere! Get it off a me!

[barley ben]

And all this time you thought AB was trying to make sh!tty beer. They were just storing it too close to the factory restrooms!

[chris1kanobi]

One-Step "sanitizes" by creating hydrogen peroxide, which dissapates rather quickly, esp in hot water. I would not rely on it esp after sitting for long periods. Star-San is acid based, which stays in solution and creates a film which can keep items sanitized for up to an hour. I keep a bucket of it mixed to the correct Ph and re-use it many, many times. I also brush my teeth with it to eliminate the forementioned "assatosis".:D

[fretlessman71]

Originally posted by chris1kanobi
One-Step "sanitizes" by creating hydrogen peroxide, which dissapates rather quickly, esp in hot water.
Does this mean that I could simply pour some hydrogen peroxide into a bucket or warm water and do the same thing? Why don't I just do that instead of getting this powder stuff?

[chris1kanobi]

The hydrogen peroxide that you get at Walgreens is 3-5%, which is a sanitizer at full strength. In other words you would have to fill the entire carboy with store bought hydrogen peroxide in order to kill 99.9999% of the bacteria and spores within 10 min. Here is some more info for you: http://realbeer.com/jjpalmer/cleaning.html

http://www.fivestarchemicals.com/homebrew/index.html

:D

[megaschnauzer]

it's funny the thread went this direction. one of our engineers at work pointed out that the smell in the restroom is really 'ass molecules' and that to smell them they must go up your nose. this added a whole new dimension to our thinking.

back to the sanitizer, i should only mix as much as i'm going to use that day? what if i keep a lid on the container? i keep some one-step in a spray bottle. is this wrong?

[Stumptown]

Damn. I guess this means no more open fermentations in the claw-foot tub.