peroxyacetic (Peracetic) acid

Is there anywhere you can get this without being a big brewery?
Brewery I work for uses this for sanitizer and I've had access to it for a while, but I'm about to move out of town and lose my connection. Can't find any resources to buy peroxyacetic online...

Actually this is pretty neat stuff but very, very toxic:

"Peracetic acid is an ideal antimicrobial agent due to its high oxidizing potential. It is broadly effective against microorganisms and is not deactivated by catalase and peroxidase, the enzymes that break down hydrogen peroxide. It also breaks down in food to safe and environmentally friendly residues (acetic acid and hydrogen peroxide), and therefore can be used in non-rinse applications. It can be used over a wide temperature range (0-40 °C), wide pH range (3.0-7.5), in clean-in-place (CIP) processes, in hard water conditions, and is not affected by protein residues."

I don't recommend you do this at home but you can make a weak form of Peracetic Acid using Vinegar and Hydogen Peroxide.

"You work with two clean spray bottles. In one, you put a solution of 3 % hydrogen peroxide, the same strength as you get from an ordinary drugstore for disinfecting wounds. In the other spray bottle, you put white vinegar (or apple cider vinegar.) It is recommended that you do not mix the two mixtures together in one bottle because a weak form of peracetic acid is formed. Peracetic Acid ( aka peroxyacetic acid) is a mixture of acetic acid and hydrogen peroxide. Peracetic Acid is primarily used for deactivation of a large variety of pathogenic micro-organisms in the industrial food industry, medical supplies and to prevent biofilm formation in paper pulp industries. It is usually produced in concentrations of 5 - 15%. This industrial formulation is toxic by inhalation, ingestion or if absorbed through skin; caustic and corrosive at concentrations 10%; irritant at concentrations below 2%. Retail vinegar is a mixture of acetic acid and water composed of 4 to 8% acetic acid. Hydrogen peroxide at 3 % and retail versions of vinegar are an extremely diluted form of peracetic acid. Mixing the diluted form of acetic acid (known as vinegar) with 3% hydrogen peroxide forms a weak form of peracetic acid that may cause some reaction to those who are sensitive - therefore applying the two solutions separately is recommended."

I know the vapors can be nasty, but I've spilled undiluted peroxyacetic on my skin before with nothing more than a little skin peeling after.

why not just switch to star-san? sounds like the same sort of acid sanitizer, but far more 'friendly' to use.

Sawdustguy said:

Actually this is pretty neat stuff but very, very toxic:

Click to expand...

PAA is used in nearly every brewery across the world as a no-rinse sanitizer. In it's concentrated form (70%), it must be handled with the proper PPE - preferably a full face shield, rubber gloves and splash-proof clothing. When PAA is dissolved in water, it undergoes an equilibrium reaction where PAA forms Acetic Acid and Hydrogen Peroxide and vice versa. Longer term, because it is unstable, it breaks down into acetic acid (vinegar), water and mono-atomic Oxygen (which won't oxidize beer). Don't smell it in it's concentrated form - it will burn your nostrils! Even diluted properly it smells of strong vinegar. PAA is actually more aggressive than Phosphoric Acid or Bleach. It kills not only bacteria and viruses, but also bacteriophages, mold and mold spores.

Because PAA has serious handling implications when concentrated, it hasn't seen widespread use in the homebrewing community. I occasionally get 4-5 ounces from a pro brewer I know and use it at home, but only with safety glasses and gloves. I also have experience handling more dangerous acids and bases (e.g. hydrochloric acid and sodium hydroxide).

So, while not "toxic" it does have some serious safety implications for handling. But it's one hell of a sanitizer.

Cheers.

PAA is capable of chemical *sterilization* (though I assume it requires higher than no-rinse concentrations to do so, I've never looked), which Star San is not.

I love PAA. But yeah, when concentrated it's NASTY stuff. Can turn your skin ghost white fast.

At the concentrations seen with the simple "two spray bottles, one with store bought hydrogen peroxide and the other with vinegar", do you get good efficacy, just at the expense of making all plastic smell like vinegar?

balrog said:

At the concentrations seen with the simple "two spray bottles, one with store bought hydrogen peroxide and the other with vinegar", do you get good efficacy, just at the expense of making all plastic smell like vinegar?

Click to expand...

Hard to say what the actual concentration of PAA is from 6% white vinegar and 3% Hydrogen Peroxide. I'm not a chemist but know the reaction to make PAA requires an acid catalyst using sulfuric acid to make it in higher concentrations.

Without knowing the actual efficacy, it's probably better to just stick with Phosphoric Acid.

Here's a link to someone who knows how to make the calculation but it's all in molar masses and I don't care to do the math to convert to units I understand...

https://www.reddit.com/r/chemistry/comments/5fxf4f/peracetic_acid/