Vinegar to clean?

[Seeyakid]

i have a friend that just started brewing a week ago and he says he used white vinegar to sanitize his equipmet, this struck me at odd bc i thought maybe it would give the equipment a weird smell ad even change the taste. can someone one clarify this for me im a noob and confused.

 

[Hang Glider]

vinegar has acetic acid, so perhaps he thinks the acid will help with sanitation.
However, yes, I suspect it would impart a flavor that I would not want around my beer.

StarSan is a commercial acid used for sanitizing after brewing - it is a NO RINSE sanitizer, used in a very dilute concentration (the bottle is some strong stuff, will stain counters!).

It is a wet-contact sanitizer, meaning you don't let it dry, you sanitize, then use what you've sanitized immediately thereafter. (bottles, buckets, tubing, etc.)

A spray bottle is very handy (and economical), to avoid making large batches.
Sanitizing takes place after cleaning. Star San will not clean efficiently.

Other sanitizers include iodophor (no rinse) and household bleach (extensive rinsing required).

 

[Ramitt]

I love my starsan

 

[OlatheSurferDude]

Thread title says "clean" but the topic changed to "sanitize". Two different things.

I did a boil off test the other night in my BK and had mineral deposits that stained the bottom. I used vinegar to remove those deposits in no time at all but made sure I rinsed very well before using for the next boil.

I use Star San for all my sanitizing needs.

 

[HopSong]

Vinegar would be a great rinse after using a cleaner such as Oxyclean. Vinegar is a great glass CLEANER. It is not used for sanitizing. There are other products.. such as mentioned above.. Star San.. that are EXcellent

 

[Seeyakid]

hey guys thanks for all the feedback, all of the post help i think im going to use vinegar bc honestly im scared of using oxyclean or bleach bc its a chemical, and someone could get very sick if by some slight chance of it not getting cleaned out so ill clean with very little amount of vinegar about a cap full ad then ill use water to rinse it out then san star to sanitize

 

[HopSong]

Hmm, most public water sources have chlorine as a sanitizer. You can use it effectively to remove stubborn gunk from bottles. Ya just have to rinse very well.. also, the vinegar will neutralize the chlorine. You just have to rinse it well. Same with oxyclean.. soak the bottles to remove labels and all but the most stubborn gunk. Rinse well and you are good to go. Then on bottling day.. use the star san.

If it was a problem, most of us would be sick. Just my 2cents

 

[DogTail]

Vinegar would actually work well as a cleaner if allowed to sit but a sanitizer such as starsan would still be needed afterwards. That being said vinegar is more expensive than something like OneStep or other Alkaline cleaners. IMO get a cleaner and then starsan immediately prior to use

 

[squirrelly]

For a cleaner I always turn to PBW. I just bought a 4 pound tub of it for about 20.00. Nothing better in my opinion, and guess what, it was designed for brewing!

 

[Jlopez888]

White vinegar is absolutely OK to sanitize the brew equipment. I use it all the time. And I can buy it for less than a dollar a gallon. Just swish and spray every thing and completely drain it. If you really want, swish it again with some distilled water. There is no starsan where I live. Once the brew bucket is filled with the must there is absolutely no smell no taste difference nothing to notice. Any acid that imparts no smell will be absolutely OK for sanitizing. Vinegar is used to clean kitchen. It kills everything. And after it dries there is not much smell leftover. So just drain it and let it dry.

Now let's look at Starsan. What is it? I believe it's a mild acid with a foaming agent. So vinegar or lime juice or any acid that is safe for human consumption will perfectly fine. How much is a bottle of starsan anyway?

 

[Jlopez888]

Just looked at Starsan. It's 50% phosphoric acid and another 15% some other acid plus a foaming agent. Food grade 85% phosphoric acid is very cheap to buy. Just add an ounce to a gallon and you are good to go. Sanitation problem fixed.

 

[balrog]

Although thorough research surrounding vinegar as a disinfectant is scarce, one study in 2000 by the University of North Carolina found that 6% vinegar was less effective than commercial household disinfectants in killing the bacteria Staphylococcus aureus and E. coli (and needed at least 30 minutes of exposure to work). That said, another study in 2010 found that 10% malt vinegar could be useful in killing influenza viruses.

While the National Sanitation Foundation (NSF) does not comment on its ability to effectively kill viruses, the organization explains vinegar can surely hold its own as an everyday household cleaner — but if you want to disinfect, you'll want to reach for something stronger. "If you want to disinfect — that is, effectively kill most bacteria — you may wish to use a disinfectant spray or cleanser that has directions for killing germs, or a bleach and water solution (one tablespoon of bleach in one gallon of water)," explains the NSF on its website.

 

[PharmGirl]

White vinegar is absolutely OK to sanitize the brew equipment. I use it all the time. And I can buy it for less than a dollar a gallon. Just swish and spray every thing and completely drain it. If you really want, swish it again with some distilled water. There is no starsan where I live. Once the brew bucket is filled with the must there is absolutely no smell no taste difference nothing to notice. Any acid that imparts no smell will be absolutely OK for sanitizing. Vinegar is used to clean kitchen. It kills everything. And after it dries there is not much smell leftover. So just drain it and let it dry.

Now let's look at Starsan. What is it? I believe it's a mild acid with a foaming agent. So vinegar or lime juice or any acid that is safe for human consumption will perfectly fine. How much is a bottle of starsan anyway?

I worked in a compounding pharmacy for 10 years. We used white vinegar as a sanitizer for our sterile lab and equipment all the time

 

[SanPancho]

for the record- you can in fact use bleach. and it can be a no-rinse sanitizer. its all about the preparation. 1gal water, with 1tsp bleach. then add 1 tsp white vinegar. contact time is 30 seconds.

not enough time to make it "smell like bleach" so not an issue unless you're soaking something.

the only drawback- bleach is a no-no on stainless steel. but glass, plastic, rubber, etc. no problem.

 

[pvtpublic]

I only use a mix of salt and vinegar to sanitize everything, including my hands while handling. I use preboiled water or bud light to rinse it out. I've never had an issue with sanitation. It's been about 6 years since I switched from StarSan, and I'm not going back.

Unsolicited tip: Whatever sanitizer you use, put some in a spray bottle.