[HoosierBrew]

Personally I like to change sanitizers from time to time. My favorite is StarSan which needs a 2 min contact time, but the foam is contact so it takes very little. Just shake and drain out.

My MO if I thought something was amiss after cleaning was a heavy bleach solution followed by a through hot water rinse followed by some drying time and finally a StarSan foam session of a couple of minutes. I figured it whatever it was could make it through that it wasn't going away anyhow.

That's pretty much my MO, too.

[denny]

Drew and I have a relationship woith the makers of BTF iodophor (disclaimer there) but I'm sure I could get someone from the company to come on and answer questions if people like.

[narcout]

Iodophor poses no risk of off flavors if used at the proper concentration, and it is a very effective sanitizer.

[hopfenundmalz]

Drew and I have a relationship woith the makers of BTF iodophor (disclaimer there) but I'm sure I could get someone from the company to come on and answer questions if people like.

That would be educational. Please see if they are interested.

[denny]

Drew and I have a relationship woith the makers of BTF iodophor (disclaimer there) but I'm sure I could get someone from the company to come on and answer questions if people like.

That would be educational. Please see if they are interested.

I sure will!

[Craft Meister]

Drew and I have a relationship woith the makers of BTF iodophor (disclaimer there) but I'm sure I could get someone from the company to come on and answer questions if people like.

Fire away!  I'd be happy to answer questions regarding BTF Iodophor.  I'll start with a couple of great resources.

Here is a link to Basic Brewing Radio with our Executive VP, Murl Landman, discussing BTF Iodophor and cleaning and sanitizing in general from march 27, 2007:

http://hwcdn.libsyn.com/p/b/1/c/b1cb72896745255c/bbr03-22-07.mp3?c_id=1452158&expiration=1453834261&hwt=0c36a3b9158b3c5bc63e35eb25043870

Someone already linked another great reference from the Bay Area Mashers featuring an interview with Dr. Chuck Landman, but here's the link again:

http://www.franklinbrew.org/wp/?page_id=384

[denny]

Hey, everybody, Jonathan is a great guy and a killer resource for iodophor questions.  Use him! 

[HoosierBrew]

Ok, so 12.5 ppm concentration is used for no rinse. Recommended contact time is one minute ? 

[Craft Meister]

Ok, so 12.5 ppm concentration is used for no rinse. Recommended contact time is one minute ?

Yes, 12.5 PPM is the desired strength for a sanitize solution.  Per the label, we suggest 2 minutes of contact time for sanitizing.  However, "wet time" contributes to contact time - what that means in practical use is you can partially fill your container with solution, swirl around to contact all of the surfaces for 15-30 seconds, then invert to drain.  The time spent draining and drip drying is going to be greater than 2 minutes, thus satisfying the contact time.

Usage rates for 12.5 PPM:

1 tsp in 1.5 gallons of water
1/4 oz (1/2 Tablespoon) in 2.5 gallons of water
1/2 oz (1 Tablespoon) in 5 gallons of water

Hope this helps!

[AmandaK]

Usage rates for 12.5 PPM:

1 tsp in 1.5 gallons of water
1/4 oz (1/2 Tablespoon) in 2.5 gallons of water
1/2 oz (1 Tablespoon) in 5 gallons of water

I'm gonna print that out and tape it to the wall. Much easier than digging out the gallon jug. (I have my Iodophor in a tiny old Star San container so I can measure it.)

[case thrower]

What's the best temp?  I'd never heard it wasn't to be mixed with hot water.  My usual procedure is to wash my bottles and then sanitize with iodophor mixed with hot water the day before I actually bottle.

[Craft Meister]

What's the best temp?  I'd never heard it wasn't to be mixed with hot water.  My usual procedure is to wash my bottles and then sanitize with iodophor mixed with hot water the day before I actually bottle.

BTF Iodophor is designed to be mixed into cool water.  Avoid using hot water when mixing a solution.  Hot water temperatures encourage the Iodine to gas off into the atmosphere at an increased rate, diminishing the strength of your solution very rapidly.

The other reason cool water is great is that it doesn't cause the interior of your bottles or other containers to steam up - the steam makes it harder to dry your surface properly.  The cool solution will just sheet right off and drip out rapidly.

[ynotbrusum]

Does sunlight exposure affect the Iodophor in solution - i.e., does it degrade more quickly in sunlight?  Can it be stored in solution for any length of time and retain effectiveness , if covered in a white food grade bucket with lid or put into a spray bottle?

[hopfenundmalz]

Two minutes, noted, not so long.

[Craft Meister]

Does sunlight exposure affect the Iodophor in solution - i.e., does it degrade more quickly in sunlight?  Can it be stored in solution for any length of time and retain effectiveness , if covered in a white food grade bucket with lid or put into a spray bottle?

Typically storing a solution of Iodophor does not last very long.  In an uncovered container, most of the available Iodine will gas off to the atmosphere in about 24-48 hours and you'll be left with clear water and no more amber Iodine color.  Covered or in a spray bottle, you may get longer than that.  As for UV light exposure, I don't have any timed trials that express how much faster a solution will degrade, but that's something I can look into.

My best advice is to make small amounts of solution every time you have a beer related task - it's very easy to measure and mix a 1.5 gallon batch of solution when racking, kegging, sampling, or bottling.  I understand the convenience of the spray bottle (especially for Star San) for spot cellar related tasks, but the only true way to evaluate the strength of your stored solution of Iodophor is with Iodine test strips.  As long as you have at least 12.5 PPM, you're good to go.