sanitizer smell in primary bucket - safe to use?

**LouT** · 03-04-2007, 10:53 PM

Well, I left some b-brite or idodophor mix, not sure, in my primary bucket for about 5 weeks. Now I've washed and rinsed the bucket, and let it air out all day, and it smells very strongly of sanitizer. Am I safe to use this bucket for my hefe to primary ferment in? If it were a heavy and hoppy beer I wouldn't be too worried, but right now I'm trying not to tie up my 6.5 gal carboy, SWMBO wants me to make a batch of wine ASAP..., and I don't think the hefe will mask this taste if it does release from the plastic.

I searched for threads about this and came up with nothing, if anyone has some experience or advice I could use it, want to get this batch into primary tonight.

Torchiest · 03-04-2007, 11:48 PM

Yes, I'd go with oxyclean, because that strong smell/flavor WILL transfer to the beer. I also use glass for fermentation for the same reason: to avoid the risk of flavor transfer. The plastic may have absorbed some chemicals; five weeks is a long time to leave the sanitizer in there.

**LouT** · 03-04-2007, 11:55 PM

Is b-brite the same as oxy clean but without the fragrance?
I just may use the glass carboy so as not to risk it - hefe will primary quick and go straight into keg.
Meanwhile, I might "waste" a Sierra Nevada Bigfoot into the plastic fermenter bucket and dilute the rest of the way with water, just to get some of the chemical-ness out of it and put some beer-ness back into it. Any thoughts on that idea?

Tony · 03-05-2007, 12:35 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by LouT

Is b-brite the same as oxy clean but without the fragrance?

B-Brite is a straight percarbonate cleaner, and I would bet that wasnt what was in the bucket. Was the bucket stained as well?

Oxyclean is a percarbonate as well. Percarbonate cleaners are made from sodium carbonate, and they add a bleaching agent that releases hydrogen peroxide when you add it to water.

This is why I switched to glass. No odors and no stains.

**LouT** · 03-05-2007, 01:08 AM

No stains, and if I remember right I was using everything for the 1st time in a long long time (14+ years) last time I brewed, so I mixed the b-brite super strong and then rinsed everything in boiled water. I let a lot of things soak in the bucket w/b-brite that day, but only didn't dump it out at the end of brewing session.
Thanks for the help, going to use the glass 6.5 carboy on this one, w/1 inch blowoff tube, and probably going to buy a couple more carboys -- any recommendations on 5 gal vs. 6 gal vs 6.5? I like the 6.5 because I have some room to add extra dme and make a bit bigger batch to compensate for the bottom of the bucket so to speak. Also think the big one is necessary if doing wine kits...

**Schlenkerla** · 03-05-2007, 01:12 AM

Use the glass for now and let this air out.

Stick some balled up new paper inside the fermentor. The paper will take the smell out after awhile.

Don't use insert ads, use normal newprint, the ads are made of different paper.

I left idophor in a pail for about 3 weeks, everything inside was slimey and smelled weird. I ruined a batch because I left my syphon hoses in the inside.

I did this with this pail, it doesn't smell anymore but its just a sanitizing bucket.

Good luck!!

**LouT** · 03-05-2007, 01:00 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Schlenkerla

Use the glass for now and let this air out.

Stick some balled up new paper inside the fermentor. The paper will take the smell out after awhile.

Don't use insert ads, use normal newprint, the ads are made of different paper.

I left idophor in a pail for about 3 weeks, everything inside was slimey and smelled weird. I ruined a batch because I left my syphon hoses in the inside.

I did this with this pail, it doesn't smell anymore but its just a sanitizing bucket.

Good luck!!

Thanks, I will try this if the beer/water mix sitting in there now doesn't take the chemical scent away. I ended up putting last nights batch into the glass carboy, thanks for the pointers, everyone!