Quick Tip – Iodophor
Buy this stuff. It’s not expensive, it lasts forever, and it does a great job.
Iodophor is a sanitizer that is used to kill off wild bacteria. After you clean your stuff (fermenter, siphon, hose, carboy, …) you put some of this stuff in there and let it sit for like 2 minutes. Buggies are gone. Don’t rinse, just pour it out. Now go right to work, if you rinse, you introduce bacteria again.
I keep a spray bottle of the stuff handy when I’m making wine. You mix about 7 drops into 16 oz. of water. I like to make it a little stronger, seven drops just doesn’t seem like very much. Now spray everything before use. If I’m going to stir some stuff, I spray the big spoon thoroughly, then use it. Same with the hydrometer, rubber stopper, etc.
Buy a small 2 oz container first. If you ever use it up, buy the quart, refill the little one, put the quart away. I once dropped a quart container, the cap shattered and I had the mess of a lifetime. The stuff is iodine based, it stains everything. Be warned. But it also does a great job sanitizing.
Tyler said,
February 10, 2008 at 2:53 pm
Thanks, this was exactly what I was looking for as far as diluting Iodophor in smaller containers.. I was making 2.5 gals at a time..!!