Steriliser cheap alternatives

[brewbook]

Hi all

I use the generic brew shop style powdered Steriliser, and I know its not earth shatteringly expensive but I seem to go through it like wildfire and was wondering if anyone can suggest a cheaper alternative that i can use/ buy in larger quantities. Is it ok to just buy some cheapo odourless bleach.. does it leave any nasty aftertastes??

Thanks

[prolix]

I use videne it's about £5 for 500ml and dilutes @ 1.25 ml per litre for, contact, no rinse sanitiser. Use it untill it gets dirty or looses colour (iodine spent). I clean with soda crytals and oxy depending on the job.

[mysterio]

Generic thin bleach from the supermarket, rinse well. check out Chris' page: http://18000feet.mesb.co.uk/cleaning_and_sanitising.htm

[brewbook]

Thanks for the quick replies guys, just reading chris' page now, looks like i'm off to netto tomorrow, our local brew shop only opens 10 - 3 monday, tuesday, wednesday and friday. Not exactly useful when you have a job!!

[jason123]

Generic thin bleach from the supermarket, rinse well. check out Chris' page: http://18000feet.mesb.co.uk/cleaning_and_sanitising.htm

Thats a fantastic write up on the subject.

I've been religiously using sod meti and then well rinsing afterwards the whole time. Never had any bad brews but that looks like just good luck. Not having to rinse after using sod meti is going to save me a fortune on time as well.

[koomber]

I make my own Starsan since I work for a chemical company can't get cheaper than free.

[willike]

I use baby bottle steriliser 80p a go

[Invalid Stout]

I use baby bottle steriliser 80p a go

That's just expensive bleach isn't it?

[BarnsleyBrewer]

I use Morrison's baby steriliser 60p

[Dr.Evil]

I fill the bath, add three dessert spoons of citric acid and wait ten mins for the carbonate in the water to be reduced. I then add a squirt of Fairy liquid and a litre of Tesco value thin bleach. Great for soaking bottles and cleaning brew kit. If you live in a soft-water area you can leave out the citric acid. The water is so hard here that without this I get limescale precipitating on everything if left to soak.

Cheap and effective (rinse well afterwards).

[Brotherton Lad]

I use thin supermarket bleach, 28p for 2 litres. Still on the same bottle bought in January after 30 gallons of brewing. The solution goes from the FV and into the keg for 7 - 10 days till the beer is ready for kegging. Then I use it to sanitise the empty FV. Then I use it in the kitchen or the bathroom or in the washing machine.

[hong]

Sounds good! So how much do you dilute the bleach to the gallon?

[maxashton]

It's worth noting it is possible to acidify bleach. Bleach doesn't actually kill things very effectively at the pH you get diluting it in tap water. What you'd do is dilute 1.5ml of bleach in 1 L of water (The same thin bleach you get from the supermarket, no brand, cheaper the better), and mix. Once you've mixed it, add 1.5ml of distilled white vinegar. That brings the pH down, and evolves hypochlorous acid, which will kill *anything*. At that concentration, you won't need to rinse it either, just let it drain well.

I've used this to good effect when I've needed a quick sanitizer and haven't got any videne or starsan.

[mysterio]

After using Star San for some time now, I reckon it's one of the cheapest sanitisers around, pennies per batch if you're smart with it.