My fermenter drank the bleach solution???!!!

So it's been almost 2 weeks since i put this brew to ferment and i had used a homemade airlock (A tube that goes into a cup of bleach solution).

Now, it was fine for 2 weeks, but now suddenly overnight the cup is empty!!!??

What should i do now? I mean, it's unlikely that it got spilled etc, as my brewing cupboard is dry.

I probably wouldn't use bleach for that prurpose. In fact, I don't use it for anything brew related - just don't want it around my beer. I use Starsan in my blowoff vessel and vodka in my airlocks.

However, back to your problem, I think it's unlikely that your fermenter drank the bleach. There should still be a level of co2 in there that keeps anything from entering the tube. I could be wrong. Do you have a dog who may have drank it?

That's what i thought at first. I had a little sip of it just now to taste and i didn't note anything weird. I don't have pets either. I am scared however, as there could've been some sort of vaccuum left in the fermenter which chocked the water in? Dunno :s

Complete bummer, if this has to go down the john.

That happens when the fermenter cools, if there is a temperature change, or when fermentation ends sometimes there is a drop in temperature inside the fermenter. Even a change in barometric pressure can do it. When it cools, it forms a vacuum and sucks back the airlock liquid and/or the blow off liquid. Most of us use vodka in our airlocks just for this reason. If a little vodka in the airlock gets sucked back in, it's no big deal.

If your beer tastes ok, then don't worry about it. That's not much bleach, and it won't hurt you.

Next time, after the main part of fermentation is over, switch from a blow off tube (what you had) to an airlock with a little vodka just in case.

Thanks guys. I am feeling a bit dizzy from that sip though, who knows, placebo?

I figured what i would've been left with in the cup would be hydrogen peroxide and sodium carbonate (Probably 2-3 teaspoons of sodium percarbonate went in that cup).

Could this be bad?

laz said:

...
I figured what i would've been left with in the cup would be hydrogen peroxide and sodium carbonate (Probably 2-3 teaspoons of sodium percarbonate went in that cup).

Could this be bad?

Click to expand...

Which was it, bleach or oxiclean?

Probably the latter. Didn't find bleach in the store here (I'm serious).
I got some bag of white granules and it says in the back that it's predominantly sodium percarbonate.

According to the msds oxiclean is harmful if ingested however I suspect that is if you ingested the powder before it completely breaks down in water.

Just so you know, oxiclean is not a sanitizer, it is a cleanser. Using it in your airlock is not really any better than using plain water.

Laz-

next time:
Keep bleach (liquid, sodium hypochlorite) away from brewing. Use OxyClean (sodium percarbonate) for cleaning, not for airlocks. Use StarSan, Iodophor or other no-rinse sanitizer after cleaning, and use water/vodka for airlocks.


Don't dump the beer - proceed normally, bottle/keg, carbonate, etc. then after 4 weeks in the bottle, make your determination. If it tastes bad, or makes you puke, dump it. If not, lesson learned, next batch!!!

Maybe it was so bored it was drinkin bleach?

I'm so bored I'm drinkin' bleach, I'm so bored I'm drinkin' bleach.
/Dead Milkmen

Understood

Thanks for the prompt helpful replies!

star san for a blow-off, vodka for an airlock...you'll have no worries.

laz said:

Thanks guys. I am feeling a bit dizzy from that sip though, who knows, placebo?

I figured what i would've been left with in the cup would be hydrogen peroxide and sodium carbonate (Probably 2-3 teaspoons of sodium percarbonate went in that cup).

Could this be bad?

Click to expand...

There's nothing wrong with ingesting a small quantity of bleach. I wouldn't worry too much about it.

snailsongs said:

star san for a blow-off, vodka for an airlock...you'll have no worries.

Click to expand...

FYI - Blanco Tequila works in a pinch

GreenwoodRover said:

Maybe it was so bored it was drinkin bleach?

I'm so bored I'm drinkin' bleach, I'm so bored I'm drinkin' bleach.
/Dead Milkmen

Click to expand...

Drink it with a chaser is the first thing that I learned!

MeatyPortion said:

There's nothing wrong with ingesting a small quantity of bleach. I wouldn't worry too much about it.

Click to expand...

His subsequent posts seem to indicate it was not bleach but rather a sodium percarbonate cleanser.

camiller said:

His subsequent posts seem to indicate it was not bleach but rather a sodium percarbonate cleanser.

Click to expand...

And this is why I need to finish reading the thread before posting.

:cross: