I use Five Star's iodophor sanitizer. The instructions say to let equipment fully dry before using. This seems almost impossible for plastic tubing. Even after a couple of hours there is still noticeable liquid inside the tubing.
Will this small amount of iodophor liquid affect taste? Should I rinse with hot water before using?
Will this small amount of iodophor liquid affect taste?
Not if it was properly diluted
Should I rinse with hot water before using?
Arguably, your materials will be less sanitized if you do. If you really want to rinse, use pre-boiled water. The best option is to properly dilute your sanitizer and don't rinse.
With Iodophor
Its major advantage over other sanitizers is that when used in proper proportions, it does not require rinsing. However, it can leave unattractive orange-brown stains on plastic parts and equipment if left in contact with them.
You should not use sanitizer after cleaning and before storage. It's a waste of sanitizer as you will need to do so again before use. The exception is sealing a cleaned and sanitized keg under pressure with CO2. With plastics, the sanitizer may break down the material over time (as well as stain it with Iodophor), so best to store clean, and sanitize before use.
I always just rinse it out after i clean it... no problems
Assuming you followed the part of the instructions about diluting it first, you're fine.
If you didn't dilute it first you're still fine if you don't want to rinse, but in that case I would rinse with the diluted solution to avoid the chance of off flavors.
The answer really is quite simple, if the water dries and leaves salts behind, does it really affect anything to wait until dry?
The short answer is no, usually not. The salts are there whether it's dried or not in the same quantity.
The longer answer is maybe, but letting it dry the sanitizer concentrates thus killing anything residual that might survive the diluted formula.
For me? I have sanitize and used right away. In fact sometimes it's so long between uses that I feel I need to sanitize BEFORE I use, not after.
If you hang the hose vertically, it will help it to dry a lot better.
I never have any problems with this regimen: clean after use, sanitize before use.
Cleaning means removing all visible contents from the tubing. Usually running some water through suffices, sometimes I need B-Brite or something. Whatever happens, getting dried gunk out of tubes is a bitch.
Sanitizing means actually murdering all the little abominations, whether on surfaces or in tubes, that want to jump into my beer. For this I have used Star San and bleach to great effect. I'm sure iodophor is fine too. I always run water through after sanitizing too, but with most sanitizers I don't suppose you have to.
Frankly, I feel like sanitizing after use is a waste of time since I feel that anything coming in contact with beer should be sanitized before use immediately before use. A sanitary surface eventually becomes an ideal surface for our local microflora or microfauna. I wouldn't feel comfortable depending on the results of a sanitation I did weeks or months before.
I do 2 things to dry the tubes: first, the cowboy: get outside, hold one end of the tube, and swing it around like a lasso so that the liquid gets out. Since that doesn't get every last drop out, here's the second: Push the tube into an indoor A/C ceiling vent, so that it hangs and the air from A/C or heating blows through it. Let it hang over night.
I've actually read in forums that it's safe to drink. The foam is nothing to be afraid of. no need to rinse.
