Ethanol/Rubbing Alcohol??

[HotVortex]

Hey chaps!
Sorry if this has been covered before.
I usually use Milton tablets for sterilisation, as you can buy them in Sainsburys and I've only ever had a couple of demijohns on the go. Now I'm upping the ante to several jars and therefore lots of bottles, I need a quicker way of sterilising.
I've read about vwp, starsan and various others.
Wouldn't rubbing alcohol work just as well and need no rinsing?
Any help would be appreciated.

[maxashton]

Do NOT use rubbing alcohol.

It's either an ethanol / methanol mix, or isopropyl alcohol. Either way, it is toxic. I wouldn't want it even in small quantities in my finished product.

Besides that, denatured alcohols in the UK contain bittering agents, and you certainly don't want any bittering agent but hops in your beer.

[Yeasty Rob]

I'm with Max. There are also enough commercial sanitisers around that ethanol would probably prove to be an expensive way of cleaning your gear.

[HotVortex]

Cheers guys!
I have been told!
Starsan it is then, from what I've read.
My first bottling is due soon, better go get some bottles!

[Gordonmull]

Rubbing alcohol is IPA. It is not toxic:
http://www.abbey-chemicals.co.uk/MSDS/I ... l-MSDS.pdf

Methanol, however, is. So certainly don't slosh methanol around your brewing kit.

Yep bittering agents taste mank. And I mean REALLY mank. I could still taste it fairly strongly on my hands hours and several washes after spilling screenwash on my hands. If you get any IPA without bittering agents then in theory it would make an ok sanitiser I suppose, but like has been said before, what's wrong with VWP or suchlike? Rinsings not exactly that difficult and its anyone's guess what flavours IPA would cause in your brew. The only alcohol I've ever tasted is ethanol, made by my little friends the yeasties.