Vidine

[Chris77]

I'm looking for an easy way to sanatize bottles, and also can a vidine mix be made up and kept in a spray bottle for steralizing trial jar and hydrometer and how long will the vidine mix last for in the spray bottle.

[JammyBStard]

I use steriliser in a mist spray bottle to sterilyse bottles rather than filling and rincing, i spray the insides, leave to stand and then rince. Works fine and takes about half the time of filling the bottles up in a bucket.

[ADDLED]

I'm looking for an easy way to sanatize bottles, and also can a vidine mix be made up and kept in a spray bottle for steralizing trial jar and hydrometer and how long will the vidine mix last for in the spray bottle.

Hi, I use an aqueous iodene based sanitiser, it might be videne or betadine, but i cant remember and its too wet and cold to dash to the garage, so will check later for you
I use 2.5ml per litre and also add a teaspoon (5gms) of citric acid as it increases and prolongs its effectiveness. You can get the acid from your local chemist in crystal form, a bit like table sugar, for about a quid for 100gm pot.
The solution is the colour of cold tea, and you can tell over time as it loses its potency, it loses its colour. A bottle of solution will usually last a week or two.
I tip some solution into a bowl for soaking bottle caps in to sterilise them, and if i leave the solution out for a day it goes clear.

[boingy]

Also, Videne deteriorates in light so keep the bottle and any made-up solution somewhere dark.

[jubby]

I'm looking for an easy way to sanatize bottles, and also can a vidine mix be made up and kept in a spray bottle for steralizing trial jar and hydrometer and how long will the vidine mix last for in the spray bottle.

I asked the manufacturers about storage and dilution. They said 1.25ml/litre is good for our purpose, but the higher the chlorine levels, the less effective it is. If you can use filtered water, it's much better. As for storage, they said they could not comment on how long it would remain effective once diluted. Fair enough i suppose.

[vacant]

... for steralizing trial jar and hydrometer

Why do you need to sanitise your hydrometer? I drink most of the samples I take during fermentation.

[mshergold]

I'm collecting my Videne tomorrow (I ordered the antiseptic one rather than the alcohol or other one - please tell me that's right) and am going to use it as a no-rinse sanitiser an have some questions. Firstly, some general questions

Am I correct in thinking that I should be mixing 1.25ml of Videne in 1 litre of water?

Some people say that adding citric acid will make Videne work better if you have hard water. Ours is hard thames water. How much citirc acid should I use per litre and are there any safety procautions I should take (ie you should add water to bleach, not bleach to water) when using citirc acid and Videne?

What are minimum and maximum contact times?

Bottles:

Using one of those plant sprayers, how can I be sure that the inside of the bottle will be completely covered? I would have thought that you'd only hit the sides from about half way down and the base. Immediately after spraying, should I turn the bottle upside down so it drips to cover anything that's been missed, or should I mix a solution, half-fill the bottles, shake, empty and drain upside down? Do I have to mix half a pint for each bottle or can I use the same half pint for 40 bottles, pouring it from one to another and can I then re-use that for my syphon tubing etc?

How long should I keep my bottles upside down for?

Other:

Also, how can I clean the inside of syphon tubing with it? Should I do what I do with Youngs/Ritchies sanitiser and syphon it through, then turn the tape off and leave? Should I then flush it through with water as being flexible it won't drain on its own?

[vacant]

Contact time is 30 seconds minimum.

1) put some hot water in each PET bottle and stand them in the bath.
2) shake each one and place upside down in my 10g plastic boiler to drain.
3) make up a litre water 1.25ml videne in a jug
4) tip the jug into 2x2 litre bottles or 4x1 litre bottles
5) thumb over the end, each gets a damn good shake, solution emptied back to jug, neck of bottle dipped in jug
6) bottles left upside down in boiler to drain
7) repeat with the next batch of bottles

I end up with a very clean thumb.

I make up a fresh litre of videne solution from which I sanitize the bottler, FV tap and where I keep the PET bottle caps.

[mshergold]

Thanks Vacant

[floydmeddler]

Or you could be lazy like me and bung them into the oven!