For a Swamp Cooler, what alternatives are there to Bleach, Vodka, and Star San?

Question

For a Swamp Cooler, what alternatives are there to Bleach, Vodka, and Star San?

Matthew Moisen

2013年6月20日 02:21

I use a swamp cooler to keep my fermentation cool: a bucket full of water where my carboy or bucket goes in, and a t-shirt draped over the carboy/bucket with a fan pointed at it.

One room has two carboys in it and no sunlight hits them, so I use a white t-shirt over those and use bleach in the water of the swamp cooler.

However I recently just set up two carboys in another room where light now hits them, so I use a black t-shirt over those. At the time I set them up 4 and 5 days ago, I used some star san solution left over in the swamp cooler. But now that it has been over 3 days, the star san isn't sanitizing.

I can't use bleach in the swamp coolers with the black t-shirts as it will bleach them white and allow sunlight penetration.

Liquor is too expensive. Star San likewise.

What is an alternative that fits my needs?

Thank you!

Topic swamp-cooler liquor sanitizer starsan sanitation homebrew

Category Mac

Blue Murphy · Accepted Answer · 2013年6月20日 02:21

1

Blue Murphy answered at 2013年6月20日 02:21

I tried using a swamp cooler, but found picnic ice packs to be much more effective. After the initial investment, they are free. I just change them out a couple of times a day for the first three to four days.

ajfabbri · Accepted Answer · 2013年6月19日 04:48

I'd personally use bleach for this--get some white fabric instead. One teaspoon per gallon is a good minimal concentration. Maybe try 2 tsp. Whatever you use, it will end up concentrating, as evaporation (like distillation) will leave behind everything but the water. Wash your fabric occasionally to remove this concentration (phosphates and organic salts in the star san case, iodine in the iodophor case).

I agree you shouldn't need to sanitize this per se, as your fermenter should be sealed w/ air lock. However, a little chlorine is a cheap way to avoid mold build up on things you won't be consuming.

Graham · Accepted Answer · 2013年6月17日 12:39

I would suggest the iodine-based sanitizer knows as "Iodophor" if you really feel the need to sanitize the water:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Iodophor

This stuff is an iodine-based sanitizer, fairly common in homebrewing (but probably not as common as Star San). I started out my homebrewing career with it, and still have some left. A big bottle goes a long way.

In proper dilutions, the treated water is barely colored with a very, very pale amber tint. There's no chance you'd see such a tint on any dark shirts that you are using to wick up the water, although you MIGHT see pure white t-shirts get a bit "dingy" if you used them.

Like Star San, this stuff does not maintain sanitization for multiple days, but sinec a 32oz bottle cost around $15 and you'd be using a cap full a day at most, we're talking pennies per day probably. Be sure to pick up some test strips as well, since they will tell you the exact strength of the sanitizing solution:

http://www.instawares.com/sanitizer-test-strips-iodine.day-203030111.0.7.htm?s_cseid=GSHP&gclid=CK3ggLGN67cCFWhp7AodpGwAXg

Actually, most of the time when you order Iodaphor, the home brew shops will throw in some test strips for free, so you might not even have to purchase those.

Final unrelated note: you really, really need to get that carboy out of direct sunlight. Don't rely on a t-shirt to block the UV rays.

jsled · Accepted Answer · 2013年6月14日 21:34

1

jsled answered at 2013年6月14日 21:34

Just use water. The evaporating liquid does not need to be a sanitizer, per se.

For a Swamp Cooler, what alternatives are there to Bleach, Vodka, and Star San?

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