Please click on an FAQ link below to view information regarding that question.   Question: What are the differences between the various cleaners?   Answer: Each cleaner is a proprietary blend of various components including emulsifiers, surfactants and other agents designed to make your water wetter (better to break down oils and soils) and lift them off of and unable to resettle on equipment surfaces. Brewers tend to develop an affection for one cleaner over time and it usually is a matter of personal preference. PBW – PBW stands for Powdered Brewery Wash. This product is widely used in commercial breweries, Brew Pubs and Micro Breweries across the country. Use 1–2 ounces per gallon for cleaning boil kettles, 3/4 of an ounce per gallon for fermenters, kegs and other brewing equipment. Soaking overnight will easily remove stubborn, caked on organic deposits without scrubbing. PBW is environmentally friendly, biodegradeable, and will not harm septic systems and was one of the earliest products originally developed for a large Rocky Mountain brewer who wanted an alkali cleaner which would outperform an acid while not dissolving the copper from their kettles. STRAIGHT-A – Cleans with oxygen & does not contain any chlorine, bisulphites, organic compounds or phosphates. Superior wetting power helps water penetrate & lift soils off surfaces. Removes labels with minimum soak time. Higher alkalinity dissolves & neutralizes acidic soils. Environmentally sound & biodegradable. Use 1 tablespoon per gallon of water. Straight-A solution will retain quite a bit of its effectiveness over a long period of time (although a fresh solution will also perform the best). B-BRITE – This product is excellent for removing stubborn fermentation residues and organic deposits. Also great for removing labels from beer bottles. Use 1 tablespoon per gallon of water. SANICLEAN - Saniclean is a final rinse, happens to be acid-based and is non-foaming. As microorganisms cannot thrive in an acid environment, this cleaner is a very popular final rinse in commercial breweries who do not like the foam from such products as Star San. The dosage is 2 oz. for 5 gallons and a contact time of 2 to 3 minutes is required. ONE-STEP – This environmentally friendly product contains no chlorine, which can leave a film on glassware and corrode stainless steel. Not having Chlorine is especially appealing to Vinters. Requires two minutes of contact time, and no rinsing is necessary. Use 1 tablespoon per gallon of water. One time use when used as a final rinse. Works well on plastic and metals. In a closed, clean container in a refrigerator, the solution is good for over a month (but let it warm up before you use it).   Question: What are the differences between the various sanitizers?   Answer: Practicing good sanitation is the next step to insure infection free wine and beer. Sanitizing means to reduce the amounts of bacteria and microorganisms to levels such that yeast can dominate the fermentation. SANITIZERS STAR SAN – This is an acid based no-rinse sanitizer. Use only one ounce per 5 gallons of water. Star San is odorless, flavorless, and requires only one to two minutes of contact time. This product does tend to foam, which has advantages and disadvantages. Foaming action helps to sanitize cracks and crevices, but you need to allow extra time for draining. You can minimize the foaming effect by adding Star San to the vessel after the water has been added, and by siphoning as opposed to pouring the solution between vessels. Since Star San is acid based, contact with soft metals, plastic and rubber should be kept to a minimum. Kept in a sealed container, a Star San solution will stay effective for as long as three to four weeks. Star San carries an EPA certification as a Sanitizer and is labeled as such. IO STAR – Iodine is a classic sanitizer with a long history. A very economical sanitization choice, one oz. of this iodine based sanitizer is enough to make 5 gallons of solution. Requires only a minute or so of contact time. This product does slightly stain siphon tubing and other plastic parts over time, but this has no effect on your equipment, nor your beer or wine. Does not corrode steel or copper.   Question: How long is the One Step solution good for?   Answer: Many factors come into play in answering that question. One Step works by producing hydrogen peroxide in solution, so the most important thing is to keep that peroxide. Peroxides are degraded by organic soils, light, and heat, so if you keep your solution away from those things, it will stay better, longer. In a closed, dark, and clean container, the solution will last up to 1 week. In a closed, clean container in a refrigerator, the solution is good for over a month (but let it warm up before you use it).   Question: The One Step packaging says it's a "cleanser" and not a "sanitizer". What does that mean?   Answer: In the U.S.A., "sanitizer" is a legal term defined by the Environmental Protection Agency. In order for a product to be called a sanitizer in promotional literature or on its packaging, that product must be approved by the EPA, assigned a registration number, and have an open file maintained with the EPA. Unless a company would like to invest an enormous amount of capitol in this process (or use another company's product through a process called "sub-registration"), they may not call their product a sanitizer. If you purchase a bottle of bleach from the grocery store, unless it shows an EPA registration number on the front of the label, it is not a sanitizer. However, it will certainly be a good cleanser (although somewhat hazardous, not environmentally sound, and it will require rinsing).   Question: What is the difference between Straight-A and One Step?   Answer: Straight-A is a more heavy duty product for removing tough soils and leaving equipment sparkling clean. You should always rinse after using Straight-A because it is an alkaline product and it might throw off the acid balance of your beer or wine. One Step requires no rinsing and is intended as the only treatment for reasonably clean equipment before it comes into contact with your beer or wine.   Question: How important is cleaning and sanitizing for my brew, really?   Answer: Home brewers can attribute the bulk of their failed batches to dirty equipment and botched sanitization. Clean equipment will last longer, function properly and keep off flavors from contaminating subsequent batches of beer. Maintaining a good brewing and fermenting environment means doing a good job of both cleaning and sanitizing. Proper cleaning will remove dirt and stains that can protect microorganisms and bacteria so you can better sanitize your equipment. Midwest does not recommend using detergents or dishsoaps as they can leave behind scents and flavors that can be picked up by your beer or wine. We offer several products to help you sufficiently clean and sanitize your equipment. Considering the time and money you will invest in your brew, dumping the brew is a sad event when a little effort to clean and sanitize would have done the trick.   Question: Are Cleaning and Sanitizing different things?   Answer: Great question! Yes, they are! Cleaning is the process of removing soils and oils and minerals from your equipment. You use alkali cleaners to remove soils and oils and acid cleaners to remove minerals. Generally, in home brew, you rarely need to use acids, but they are available. There are two methods of cleaning brewing equipment: Manual Cleaning and Soak Cleaning. Manual Cleaning involves scrubbing the open, easily accessible surfaces of your equipment. Soak Cleaning is used to clean bottles, hoses and other difficult or enclosed containers. Remember, you can’t sanitize anything until it is thoroughly cleaned, first! Practicing good sanitization is the next step to insure infection free wine and beer. Sanitizing means to reduce the amounts of bacteria and micro-organisms to levels such that yeast can dominate the fermentation. You should always sanitize as a final step and NEVER RINSE after sanitizing. Rinsing after sanitizing is one of the most common reasons newer home brewers screw their batch by doing what they think is necessary to protect the integrity of their beer while actually introducing microorganizims to equipment they just got clean and sanitized. No-Rinse sanitizers are specifically made to not adversely affect the taste, aroma or quality of your batch in any way.   Question: What makes PBW different from other powdered cleaners?   Answer: PBW was designed to blend the best of four factors of Surfactants, Wetting Agents, Oxygen & Chelation to attack the oils, soils & minerals specific to brewing. While other cleansers have strengths in one area or another, PBW is renowned for having achieved the superior synergy all four. Used at proper temperature, strength and exposure times, PBW will actually outperform a caustic cleanser while being safe and environmentally friendly.