Accidentally used PBW instead Starsan. PBW in beer/keg. Any thoughts?

[Panderson1]

I made a mistake while stressing out during a keg transfer. Weird story. Too hard to explain.

Anyways as I was testing and sanitizing my auto siphon out of a bucket. Thought it was my starsan bucket but later realized it was PBW mix. It wasn't a high concentration. I was actually filling up the bucket in the sink to add a little more water so I could get the siphon to work (wasn't enough water in the bucket). Whatever was left inside the siphon and tubing went into the beer/keg as I siphoned in the 5 gallons.

I don't imagine it's a huge deal i just hope it doesn't affect the taste (or get me sick lol). If I had to guess maybe 1/8 a cup of diluted PBW mix? Maybe less...Hopefully not more

Any thoughts?

 

[Hoppy2bmerry]

PBW should be rinsed away/not intended for consumption. If you do decide to risk serving it don’t offer it to company.

 

[kevin58]

withdrawn

 

[Panderson1]

^ to both. It was an accident. Yes I understand what the difference is. I'll edit the thread title.

I was trying to sanitize my siphon before using it. I mistaken used PBW.

 

[Spartan1979]

I once intended to put Polyclar in a beer but instead added a cleanser. I dumped that batch.

 

[shoreman]

I’d personally dump it, not worth taking the health risk for $25 worth of material and some time.

just brew another batch.

 

[BrewZer]

Link to the MSDS... bottom line, I'd dump it to be safe.

 

[IslandLizard]

Whatever was left inside the siphon and tubing went into the beer/keg as I siphoned in the 5 gallons.

Do you mean whatever liquid (PBW) was clinging to the siphon and tubing? Or were they filled with PBW?

In the former case (just clinging), RDWHAHB!

In the latter case... (if the hose and siphon were full) you added 2-3 oz of a fairly well diluted mixture of washing soda/sodium metasilicate (something like 1 tablespoon in 5 gallons of water) to 5 gallons of beer? RDWHAHB!

 

[Panderson1]

Do you mean whatever liquid (PBW) was clinging to the siphon and tubing? Or were they filled with PBW?

In the former case (just clinging), RDWHAHB!

In the latter case... (if the hose and siphon were full) you added 2-3 oz of a fairly well diluted mixture of washing soda/sodium metasilicate (something like 1 tablespoon in 5 gallons of water) to 5 gallons of beer? RDWHAHB!

Thanks. Yeah it was just the drops/liquid in the hose. I emptied the hose and siphon. So not much liquid i would imagine....

I read an old thread here about a similar situation. The guy called the company and asked (see screen shot).

I think I'll taste it. If it's not soapy, screw it. If the brew sucks maybe ill dump it lol

 

[NSMikeD]

From the product sheet on their website. See the last FAQ that is specific the OP case

https://fivestarchemicals.com/pbw-cleaner-1bs

 

[Panderson1]

^ thanks. I wonder, since they mentioned "bottling without rinsing off" if that is referring to soapy bottles? I would imagine those would taste soapy.

Lol I'm trying to be hopeful that a full 5 gallons and only a few drops of diluted PBW water will be OK. I guess we'll find out. I'll definitely update this for future references/ idiot homebrewers like me.

I read another thread and he updated drinking his homebrew and said it tasted great.

Hopefully I don't die

 

[BrewZer]

Hopefully I don't die

Be sure to update this thread if you do.

 

[Panderson1]

Update: Beer tasted OK. Not great. Has an slight odd bitterness that hangs around back of the tongue - maybe it's soap! Can't really tell. My partner had 2.5 pints out the keg.

Very upset with the beer. It's my 1st brew back after 2.5 year break. Higher IBU IPA. Absolutely no aroma. Dry hopped with 2 oz centennial. Nothing. Maybe the PBW kills aroma? There is a slight oxidation off flavor. I'm thinking it's that. gotta figure out what happened. But that's irrelevant here..

Anyways happy 2021. Brewed again last night and went great.

 

[madscientist451]

This is a job for a professional (drinker); your best option is to send the keg to me for proper disposal so no one is harmed.

Or you could just drink it yourself, you'll be fine.

 

[Dland]

OK beer that one has is better than really good beer somewhere else.

Yeah, one does not want PBW in their beer, or anything over residual amonts of starsan, I'll add.

If beer tastes OK, it likely is.

Mishaps like this have happened to most of us in one form or the other, you'll likely not make that mistake again. If you stay at it, I predict your beer will get better and better.

 

[IslandLizard]

Absolutely no aroma. Dry hopped with 2 oz centennial. Nothing. Maybe the PBW kills aroma? There is a slight oxidation off flavor. I'm thinking it's that. gotta figure out what happened.

Oxygen kills hop flavor and aroma rather quickly. Especially with hoppier beers use techniques to eliminate or largely reduce O2 exposure. Secondaries are out. Look into closed or semi-closed transfers into a 100% liquid pre-purged keg. Key is, the lid remains ON until you clean the keg next time. Fill keg, through the liquid out post/QD, directly from the fermenter (rack from above the trub line).

You could add more dry hops (2-3 oz) to the keg using a roomy, fine-mesh bag, with a few glass marbles in it to make it sink.

 

[shoreman]

If you are looking for more hop profile - do just late additions at 180 degrees while chilling and stuff one of these with 3-10oz of hops in your keg and serve:

https://www.ritebrew.com/product-p/842386.htm
It’s made the biggest impact on my hoppy beers - simple, don’t mess with O2 pickup, I just leave it in til it drains, no issues.

 

[Panderson1]

If you are looking for more hop profile - do just late additions at 180 degrees while chilling and stuff one of these with 3-10oz of hops in your keg and serve:

https://www.ritebrew.com/product-p/842386.htm
It’s made the biggest impact on my hoppy beers - simple, don’t mess with O2 pickup, I just leave it in til it drains, no issues.

Yeah I whirlpooled at 180 with 2oz (about10 mins) then dry hopped another 2. 2oz at one minute as well. No aroma lol.

 

[IslandLizard]

Yeah I whirlpooled at 180 with 2oz (about10 mins) then dry hopped another 2. 2oz at one minute as well. No aroma lol.

How old were those hops? How were they stored? How did they smell?

 

[IslandLizard]

stuff one of these with 3-10oz of hops in your keg and serve:

https://www.ritebrew.com/product-p/842386.htmIt’s made the biggest impact on my hoppy beers - simple, don’t mess with O2 pickup, I just leave it in til it drains, no issues.

That tube is waaay too small for 10 oz of hops. Anything over 2-3 oz will likely plug it up, hop pulp swells up like crazy! Ever seen what 3-4 oz of wet hop pulp looks like?
The beer needs to be able to swim through the tube and hop pulp, freely, to extract and transfer the hop oils to the surrounding beer.

 

[Panderson1]

How old were those hops? How were they stored? How did they smell?

They smell amazing. not sure about storage but i received the order the day before. I order from Austin HB currently.

 

[shoreman]

That tube is waaay too small for 10 oz of hops. Anything over 2-3 oz will likely plug it up, hop pulp swells up like crazy! Ever seen what 3-4 oz of wet hop pulp looks like?
The beer needs to be able to swim through the tube and hop pulp, freely, to extract and transfer the hop oils to the surrounding beer.

that was an estimation, I use a smaller version of that screen in 2.5 gallon kegs and would have to check but I’ve put a good amount of hops in it with great success. At least 4-5 ozs and my neipas have a ton of aroma.

free(hop)ballin in the keg would be a better utilization for sure but also more work to deal with setting up a system and cleaning.

Try it out.

 

[Panderson1]

that was an estimation, I use a smaller version of that screen in 2.5 gallon kegs and would have to check but I’ve put a good amount of hops in it with great success. At least 4-5 ozs and my neipas have a ton of aroma.

free(hop)ballin in the keg would be a better utilization for sure but also more work to deal with setting up a system and cleaning.

Try it out.

Funny. I must have skipped/missed that part of your post (the link). I actually ordered one of those tubes about an hour before you posted the link. I saw a YouTube and a guy was using it. Ordered from morebeer should be here Wed. Thanks.

I threw some in the keg.. I went ahead and threw in 2 oz of centennial I had left over from Thurs brewday. I put them in a paint strain bag but forgot to put a weight. They seemed to sink when I dropped them. I purged the crap out of the keg before and after.

Should I lean the keg on it's side to mix the hops around?

 

[shoreman]

I used to use spice bags in the keg and they floated - I’d still get better hop aroma than in primary/secondary - you probably have to experiment. I wouldn’t put the keg on its side you may have some trub