Frequently Asked Questions

• One Step - Frequently Asked Questions
• Straight-A Frequently Asked Questions

What makes One Step different from other powdered cleansers?

One Step is the only environmentally sound no-rinse cleanser on the market. Other powdered cleansers either require rinsing due to their alkaline nature or use materials that can be harmful to the ecosystem. One Step is also the only no-rinse cleanser that uses active oxygen to do its work.

How do you use One Step?

Simply add 1 tablespoon One Step per gallon of cold or warm water and dissolve. Rinse or soak equipment and bottles with the One Step solution and use. For best results, insure that you have a 30 second contact time with the One Step solution.

How long is the One Step solution good for?

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).

Will One Step harm metal surfaces?

No.

How is One Step environmentally sound?

One Step is a unique substance which consists of oxygen entrained with a mineral crystal. When added to water, this crystal dissolves and releases the oxygen in such a way to form hydrogen peroxide. The hydrogen peroxide does its work and degrades into oxygen and water, leaving only the minerals behind. Those minerals are naturally occuring compounds in the environment and are quite stable-- in fact, you probably have appreciable amounts of them in the tap water you drink.

How can a no-rinse cleanser like One Step not affect beer flavor?

There is a very low level of solid material in a One Step solution (1 Tbsp. per gallon is not much!). Once bottles or equipment have been rinsed, the solution easily drains off, leaving very little solution behind-- which has very little solids. Even those solids that may be left are the same types of minerals which you would be leaving behind if you were to go ahead and rinse with tap water. (Not to mention the fact that a lot of the mineral content of the One Step solution is the same as that responsible for the excellent water of Burton-on-Trent brews!)

What is the difference between a sanitizer and a cleanser?

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).

Is One Step a sanitizer?

Read the above question and draw your own conclusions. One Step has been used with excellent results since 1992.

My homebrew supply shop doesn't stock One Step. Where can I get some?

Ask your shopkeeper if he or she would be willing to bring some in from either LD Carlson or FH Steinbart (brew supply wholesalers). Failing that, most prominent mail-order homebrew suppliers carry Straight-A and One Step. For a more complete list, contact us.

What makes Straight-A different from other powdered cleansers?

Straight-A was developed due to a homebrewer's frustration with available cleansers (it just so happened that this homebrewer was also a research chemist). The problem was that available cleansers were either not environmentally friendly, or they just didn't work that well. Straight-A was developed to provide excellent results in cleaning, protect soft metal surfaces, and be environmentally sound. Straight-A meets all of these requirements and is still the best cleanser on the market today.

How do you use Straight-A?

One tablespoon Straight-A dissolved in one gallon of warm water easily cleans residue and buildup on kegs, fermenters, bottles, and everything else. Two tablespoons of Straight-A in the same amount of water will easily de-label beer and wine bottles so that you can affix your own unique seal.

What is the difference between Straight-A and One Step?

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.

How long is the Straight-A solution good for?

Part of the effectiveness of Straight-A comes from the fact that it incorporates active oxygen, and so for best results store the solution in a cool dark place. And due to the other compounds, the 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).

Will Straight-A harm metal surfaces?

No, in fact some of the builders in the blend are often used in industry to protect metal.

How is Straight-A environmentally sound?

Straight-A has a number of components, all of which will biodegrade over a short period of time or simply revert to naturally occuring minerals. The result of this is to have zero impact on the environment.

My homebrew supply shop doesn't stock Straight-A. Where can I get some?

Ask your shopkeeper if he or she would be willing to bring some in from either LD Carlson or FH Steinbart (brew supply wholesalers). Failing that, most prominent mail-order homebrew suppliers carry Straight-A and One Step. For a more complete list, contact us.

Why Straight A? - Why One Step? - Straight A and One Step Anecdotes
Homebrewer Samples - Frequently Asked Questions