Sanitizing with Iodine, my first time brewing

I am about to do my first boil tonight, and am anxious as to how it will go.
I planned to do the boil on Saturday evening, but got bogged down with cleaning and sanitizing, plus marking five gallons on the 6.5 gallon carboy, and the consumption of a few mass produced beverages.
Anyway, my main question for the moment is in regards to using Iodine as a sanitizer.
I used a bit over 2 teaspoons in the 6.5 carboy, and filled it to the rim with tap water.
However, since i did not boil Saturday evening, it has been sitting full of the sanitzer for three days now, as I did not want to empty it and risk contamination before getting to the first boil.
Does the Iodine loose it's effectiveness as a sanitizer after sitting diluted for an extended period of time?
Should I empty, rinse and re-sanitize?
My plan was to dump the diluted sanitizer in the carboy, into a clean 5 gallon pickle bucket, to soak/sanitize all my utensils and stoppers, funnels, etc.., prior to use.
Also, is it necessary to rinse the iodine sanitzer from the equipment, or just air dry?

hopjedi said:

However, since i did not boil Saturday evening, it has been sitting full of the sanitzer for three days now, as I did not want to empty it and risk contamination before getting to the first boil.
Does the Iodine loose it's effectiveness as a sanitizer after sitting diluted for an extended period of time?
Should I empty, rinse and re-sanitize?

Also, is it necessary to rinse the iodine sanitzer from the equipment, or just air dry?

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I would empty the sanitizer out, re-sanitize the carboy, then proceed as you had planned. Strictly speaking your carboy is probably still sanitized, because nothings going to get in there with the spent solution filling it, but after three days an iodine sanitizer will have lost it's effectiveness, so you shouldn't use it to sanitize anything else.

As for rinsing...NO! There's no need to rinse a no-rinse sanitizer that has been mixed to the proper dilution.

What is the difference between Iodine and Iodaphor?

Kevin K said:

What is the difference between Iodine and Iodaphor?

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Iodaphor is a brand name.

Kevin K said:

What is the difference between Iodine and Iodaphor?

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......................iodophor is just a trade name me thinks

El Pistolero said:

Iodaphor is a brand name.

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damn u beat me to it el pisterolo lol

That's it? So I can buy Iodine and get exactly the same results?

Kevin K said:

That's it? So I can buy Iodine and get exactly the same results?

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As long as it's just iodine, yes. Some iodine sanitizers have other stuff in them, like glycerine in the stuff used in the dairy industry.

got it.
will re-sanitize with fresh stuff.
thanks.
now i have been reading about yeast starters.
Oh what to do?!?

hopjedi said:

Does the Iodine loose it's effectiveness as a sanitizer after sitting diluted for an extended period of time?

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If it was still amber in color, it was still good. I recommend reading this: http://kotmf.com/articles/iodophor.php

I had a carboy filled with an iodine solution for a week in the garage before I brewed. The carboy was capped with tin foil and the solution didn't loose it's tint at all.

Kai

I re-use mine and it usually gets me through one primary/secondary (about 2 weeks). I throw it out when it starts to lose it's color.

Iodine is an element that is required by almost all life forms in very small amounts.
see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Iodine
In high concentrations, Iodine is extremely toxic.
Iodophor is a trade name for a sanitizing solution containing iodine as an active ingredient with clear instructions as to how it should be diluted to achieve a safe (non toxic) solution for sanitizing brewing equipment.
Other products containing iodine as an active ingredient could have a very different iodine concentration than Iodophor, and could produce an extremely toxic solution if mixed according to the Iodophor recommendations.

Iodine is not something to play with. It works great if used as intended, but can cause real problems if mixed in the wrong concentrations.

-a.

Kaiser said:

If it was still amber in color, it was still good. I recommend reading this: http://kotmf.com/articles/iodophor.php

I had a carboy filled with an iodine solution for a week in the garage before I brewed. The carboy was capped with tin foil and the solution didn't loose it's tint at all.

Kai

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Hmmmmmm

Thats good to know. Means I can leave some in my carboys if they are capped and keep them full of iodophor and then use it to clean other stuff

$$

it was still the same amber in color after the three days, and has the iodine odor to it.
to be cautious, i just dumped it and re-sanitized before using as primary.

Yeah--one of the benefits of Iodophor is that it's pretty cheap. Not as cheap as bleach but cheaper than Star San. So, when in doubt, dump it out.

ajf said:

Iodophor is a trade name for a sanitizing solution containing iodine as an active ingredient with clear instructions as to how it should be diluted to achieve a safe (non toxic) solution for sanitizing brewing equipment...Iodine is not something to play with. It works great if used as intended, but can cause real problems if mixed in the wrong concentrations.

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The instructions on my bottle of Iodophor says how to get 12.5 ppm and 25 ppm, but instructs me to call the health department for local regulations on concentrations. The guy at the LHBS said to put 2 to 3 capfulls in 5 gallons. So I put three mostly full capfulls in a five gallon carboy and three more full capfuls in the 7.5 gallon bucket.

Does anyone know what is the optimum ppm that we should shoot for?

- mango

Iodophor is an effective no-rinse sanitizer with 1-2 minutes contact time at 12.5 ppm. That should be your target.

At the usual dilution, that's 1 Tbspn (1/2 oz) per 5 gallons. But check your container to make sure the strength is the same.

It is recommended that a fresh solution should be mixed when the color fades or after 24 hours.

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Interesting recommendation coming from the GM of the company that makes it. State health regulations in Nebraska do not allow for storage in solution over 24 hrs, if being used in food service facilities, unless you have the capability to test the concentration, so what you would need to spend for that equipment would probably buy you a 20 year supply of idophor.

I always looked at Star-san this way.. It costs me about 49cents to make 5 gallons I usually make 5 gallons every other batch and rotate the buckets so no solution is more than 3 weeks old, small price to ensure sanitation it's like insurance, 40 cents to protect against $60+ worth of undrinkable beer..

Kevin K said:

What is the difference between Iodine and Iodaphor?

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when iodine is linked to a carrier molecule that slowly releases free (unbound) iodine its called iodophore.

A tincture of iodine (or what most people refer to simply as 'iodine') is when its mixed with alcohol.

does anybody know if Sanitizer Iodine Germicide, is the same as regular iodine or iodophor?
I believe it is used to sanitize pots and pans and the like at restaurants.
i paid like a buck an ounce for a bottle of iodine at the LHBS, and a friend of mine can order a case of four gallons of the above mentioned SIG, from a restaurant cleaning supply type place, for $87.
if i do my math, and take my shoes and socks off, that is less than 18 cents an ounce.
A gallon is a lot, but if it keeps long enough, or i can break it down into half gallons, or less, to further defray the cost, then it may be worth the investment.

El Pistolero said:

As long as it's just iodine, yes. Some iodine sanitizers have other stuff in them, like glycerine in the stuff used in the dairy industry.

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In the UK Iodophor(e)s are used in Animal/Humans for external use at a higher concentration. I.e. skin areas to lessen bacterial infections to a wound etc. SWMBO has a horse so we spend time shopping in feed stores/farm suppliers etc so about 2 weeks ago i noted the ingredients on a bottle of a standard 'iodine listed first' based product :-
"3% Povidone Iodine in 70% isopropyl alcohol"
I then spent half a day looking up 'iodine no rinse sanitizers' on the net.

Nowhere on the net would list the exact ingredients of a brewing version.

ajf is correct in that there are plenty of iodine based products that are both toxic AND carcinogenic!

The chemical firm that produces a leading US brand didn't include any details of ingredients on their Safety Data Sheets - just the usual 'Highly Toxic, move the crowd away from the spilt tanker and don't let them lick it off the concrete and if they do get them to seek medical advise' instructions.

Only one homebrew internet site in the UK sells a version and they just state 'popular in the US'.

I've been meaning to ask just what is listed on the Bottles of the US Homebrew stuff as ingredients in 'No rinse Iodophor'?
Is it just pure Iodine in an (aqueous/neutral) solution? I'm very curious. After all glycerine is an ingredient used in toothpaste.
I did find another 'non iodine no rinse cleaner' used the same active ingredient as most spermicide creams in my search though!