Bleach bombing

Well I got an infection a few weeks ago..... it actually still turned out ok and ill probably drink it anyways but I still want to use the fermentation bucket the ale was in. I used one cup of bleach per five gallons in the bucket. Do you think it will kill whatever bugger infected my beer or is that bucket trash? Any experience from you all?

I'd add a cup of vinegar to that mixture to help it out.

When I was worried about a repeat infection, I filled my bucket to the top with water and heated it with a heat stick until it was boiling then I just left it to cool overnight.

Adding more chlorine will not be any more effective at killing bugs than mixing at the proper ratios.

That said, buckets are cheap. Rather than mess around with it and potentially killing another $20-30 batch of beer, I'd replace the bucket with a new one.

bleach + vinegar = chlorine gas (a nerve gas) if you arent careful. in small amounts it may not be too dangerous, but if you pour strait vinegar into strait bleach you can easily kill yourself.

When I was worried about a repeat infection, I filled my bucket to the top with water and heated it with a heat stick until it was boiling then I just left it to cool overnight.

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that is a pretty good idea. just be careful as plastic + heat leads to weakening. dont try to pick up or move around a full bucket of boiling water.

Mixing bleach and vinegar = chlorine gas. Mixing bleach well with water and then adding vinegar is perfectly safe. The owner of 5 star chemicals recommends this for making bleach a more effective sanitizer.

audger said:

that is a pretty good idea. just be careful as plastic + heat leads to weakening. dont try to pick up or move around a full bucket of boiling water.

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I wouldn't dare move it. It was still plenty strong to contain the boiling water, but I definitely wouldn't trust it if I lifted the bucket. It definitely got noticeably softer. It stayed in the same spot until the following day. It also melted my autosiphon...they don't like boiling water!

audger said:

bleach + vinegar = chlorine gas (a nerve gas) if you arent careful. in small amounts it may not be too dangerous, but if you pour strait vinegar into strait bleach you can easily kill yourself.

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Chlorine gas is not a nerve gas. It's a respiratory irritant, still quite deadly though.

The first step should naturally be to clean the heck out of it, a good oxy clean soak does good things, as does a sponge with soap.
I often use an acidic agent with bleach when I really want things dead. This should be done in a place with good ventilation... like the outside. I often use san star, but have also used vinegar and sulfuric acid. Just mix the bleach with the water, then add the acid (diluting it first would be smart, but I don't) wile holding your breath. A quick stir and walk away.

I was hesitant to mention this....but, I used one of my large and rather expensive brewing buckets to brine a Turkey once. I wrote TURKEY on it really big in permanent marker so I wouldn't use it again for brewing.

Then of course I was running short on fermenter space and needed it. I really didn't want to have to buy a new bucket so I filled it with 180 deg. water and some PBW, let it sit for a number of hours, rinsed really well with hot water, filled it with water and bleach for a few hours, drained and rinsed like crazy, and then let it soak in iodophor or starsan solution, I can't remember. I don't know that it was ever infected with anything but I've done several beers in my "Turkey" bucket with no problems.

When dealing with infections, I am a big beleiver in boiling water in addition to sanitizers. Mind you, I usually just use 1-2 Litres and pour that over the surface of the bucket before sanitizing. Changing methods keeps chronic problems from developing.