Sanitisers/Sterilizers - what's the best, really?

[Guest Close AtronSeige]

As with some others, I use caustic flakes (10g / hot liter) for a cleaning soak. Sometimes you have to start scrubbing, but usually everything is burnt off in about 30 minutes.

Then I rinse and sanitise with Perasan (2ml/liter).

In my cleaning blog I also talk about sanitising. http://www.wortsandall.co.za/entry.p...g-With-Caustic

[Toxxyc Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close Toxxyc]

I just have one thing to say: I LOVE Acidisan. The foam is amazing, and I get this warm and fuzzy feeling knowing I can see where it goes. I made up a small batch (around 3l) and I sanitized everything, and since you can re-use it, I just keep it in a bottle now and sanitize random things I want.

[JIGSAW Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close JIGSAW]

....and if you make the solution from RO water and keep it in the fridge, it will last even longer

[Toxxyc Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close Toxxyc]

....and if you make the solution from RO water and keep it in the fridge, it will last even longer

Yep that's my next plan, once my fermentation fridge is up and running. Didn't get it up this weekend. Cold front means I don't need it. At all.

[Johan Stander Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close Johan Stander]

As with some others, I use caustic flakes (10g / hot liter) for a cleaning soak. Sometimes you have to start scrubbing, but usually everything is burnt off in about 30 minutes.

Then I rinse and sanitise with Perasan (2ml/liter).

In my cleaning blog I also talk about sanitising. http://www.wortsandall.co.za/entry.p...g-With-Caustic

Thanks for this info. I have been looking to start using caustic flakes instead of the Grainfather equipment cleaner that I have been using up to this point. (Let's face it, the stuff's expensive)

I only have one question. The method posted on Richard's website (Keg Solutions) is different from this one. Have you tried both ways and found out that this way is better or does both methods work equally well? I noticed that he dissolves his entire 500g tub in 2L of water and then dilutes this solution depending on what he is cleaning.

Cheers.

Edit: I got 1kg of caustic flakes from my local farmers co-op for R52. That's a hell of a lot cheaper than the R110 that I usually pay for 500g of Grainfather High Performance Cleaner.

[Toxxyc Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close Toxxyc]

I wouldn't pre-mix it, unless you're going to use it all in a short time. Dry it's relatively inactive, you can still kind of touch it without much damage. Once it's dissolved, the magic happens, fumes get released and if you spill it then, or something is introduced to it then - problem.

[Johan Stander Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close Johan Stander]

I wouldn't pre-mix it, unless you're going to use it all in a short time. Dry it's relatively inactive, you can still kind of touch it without much damage. Once it's dissolved, the magic happens, fumes get released and if you spill it then, or something is introduced to it then - problem.

Point taken. Thanks

[Toxxyc Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close Toxxyc]

That's just my take though. If someone else has a different feeling I'll be happy to know I'm wrong

[Langchop Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close Langchop]

I purchase my Sodium Percarbonte from faithfull to nature. (Sodium Percarbonte = soda ash + hydrogen peroxide)
You have the option to have delivered to your closest clicks store for R62. I bought a few kilos.

https://www.faithful-to-nature.co.za...yABEgJ-DPD_BwE

I am quite happy with it and never had any issues, but then I only sanitise my bottles on the day I bottle.
Rinse my bottles 3 times after pouring and store upside down until sanitation.

I thought I understood the chemistry, now I'm not so sure. I bought a kg of this stuff thinking it would last me a good while. But it is definately not the same thing that I have been using since the beginning of time. Either I incorrectly assumed what I had been using was in fact sodium percarbonate or or this faithful to nature is different or has additives.

What I thought was sodium percarbonate, but maybe isnt:
dfgdfrg.PNG

-distinct crystals
-dissolves pretty easily
-if you sniff above the liquid it gives you a slight kick at the back of the nostrils, similar but not as bad as ammonia


What they call oxygen bleach aka sodium percarbonate:
rstyfgh.PNG

-little balls/ granules, almost like it has additives or a coating put on
-doesnt dissolve that well and needs lots of stirring
-Practically no discernible odour.

Can anyone offer some insight on this?

ADD: a bit of image research seems to show sodium percarbonate almost always in a 'granular' coated form. Who knows what coating. But I think it tells me that the 'no rinse sanitiser powder' I have been using all these years is probably not actually not sodium percarbonate ?

[JIGSAW Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close JIGSAW]

I use the stuff as a cleaner

5Kg @ ±R125 ... win-win

[Toxxyc Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close Toxxyc]

I thought I understood the chemistry, now I'm not so sure. I bought a kg of this stuff thinking it would last me a good while. But it is definately not the same thing that I have been using since the beginning of time. Either I incorrectly assumed what I had been using was in fact sodium percarbonate or or this faithful to nature is different or has additives.

What I thought was sodium percarbonate, but maybe isnt:
[ATTACH=CONFIG]2132[/ATTACH]

-distinct crystals
-dissolves pretty easily
-if you sniff above the liquid it gives you a slight kick at the back of the nostrils, similar but not as bad as ammonia


What they call oxygen bleach aka sodium percarbonate:
[ATTACH=CONFIG]2133[/ATTACH]

-little balls/ granules, almost like it has additives or a coating put on
-doesnt dissolve that well and needs lots of stirring
-Practically no discernible odour.

Can anyone offer some insight on this?

ADD: a bit of image research seems to show sodium percarbonate almost always in a 'granular' coated form. Who knows what coating. But I think it tells me that the 'no rinse sanitiser powder' I have been using all these years is probably not actually not sodium percarbonate ?

The Mangrove Jack's No Rinse Sanitiser is a spherical powder. It's little granules that look like little balls and it does NOT dissolve easily. It takes a good 10 to 15 minutes for it to dissolve in the recommended amount of warm water. Cold water can take even longer. I've resorted to using it in hot water near the end because of how difficult it is to dissolve.

Acidisan is A TON easier. Won't ever go back!

[Langchop Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close Langchop]

Well I now have 1 kg of something I think I only want to use as a cleaner. Where and what do you get yours as Jigsaw? Thats a good price.

Im determined to figure out what the hell I have been sanitizing with all these years still tho. Its convenient, easy to handle and works well. I need to do a bit of research.

I may just get some Acidisan as an alternative option in the mean time. A big question mark I do have is that its just very diluted Phosphoric acid? Why not just get phosphoric acid? Possibly even powder which is probably more stable.

[Toxxyc Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close Toxxyc]

Well I now have 1 kg of something I think I only want to use as a cleaner. Where and what do you get yours as Jigsaw? Thats a good price.

Im determined to figure out what the hell I have been sanitizing with all these years still tho. Its convenient, easy to handle and works well. I need to do a bit of research.

I may just get some Acidisan as an alternative option in the mean time. A big question mark I do have is that its just very diluted Phosphoric acid? Why not just get phosphoric acid? Possibly even powder which is probably more stable.

What you have might very well be a no-rinse sanitizer. Doesn't have to look the same to contain the same.

And yeah, Acidisan is pretty much a mixture of phosphoric acid some others, IIRC. I love that it's high-foaming and very re-useable, whereas sodium percarbonate breaks down and stops being effective after a while, if I'm not mistaken. Sodium percabonate also has a soapy flavour and also makes stuff slippery, like soap. Acidisan doesn't do that. It tastes just acidic, not very nice, but I like that it doesn't make my bottles slippery after sanitising so I don't have to be AS careful when handling the wet bottles. I dunno, for the price I just can't beat Acidisan right now.

[hallow Junior Member Find all posts View Profile Close hallow]

You are going to have a hard time killing off mold spores regardless of the sanitiser that you are using. By sanitising the bottles, and leaving them wet you create an environment for the mold spores to break dormancy once the sanitiser dissipates enough. There are a few things that you can do if you need to presanitise bottles including putting the sealed sanitised bottles in the fridge/freezer and using them within a few days, or baking the bottles to sterilize them before you store them.

[JIGSAW Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close JIGSAW]

Well I now have 1 kg of something I think I only want to use as a cleaner. Where and what do you get yours as Jigsaw? Thats a good price.

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@ Langchop

Only see this now ....

I get it from "cleaning products" factory here in Cape Town ...
Screenshot_2.jpg

They in turn buy it in bulk from CJP Chemicals and simply sell it as "sodium percarbonate"

The staff working there calls it "miracle powder" as its an cheap alternative for Power-OČ (Used for cleaning)
Screenshot_3.jpg