bleach sanitation and use in airlocks

[tk121620]

hey fellow brewers,

I've been brewin for almost a year now and ive consistently used bleach thus far as a sanitizing agent. I also add about 2-3 drops to the airlock before topping to the line with water. When i racked today, i noticed the pressure of lifting and moving the airlock forced some air out and some of the sanitized bleach water from the airlock into the fermentor. i was just wondering if anyone ever had this happen and if it can cause a potential adverse taste to a beer.

 

[buzzkill]

put vodka in the air lock...not bleach!!!! it can suck back.

 

[Parker36]

Yes, suck back can occur due to pressure changes (either from weather, from pushing on the lid, or temperature changes). Do not use bleach in you airlock for this reason.

I also started off using bleach for sanitizing, but you have to be really careful to rinse it all out. I highly recommend picking up a thing of starsan. It may seem more expensive at first, but it is reusable and there is no worry about it ruining your beer if you don't rinse it all out or if it gets sucked back through your airlock.

The bleach can give your beer a nasty flavor and potentially make you sick depends on how much got in there.

 

[Edcculus]

The reason most home brewers stay away from bleach is that yeast can react with the chlorine to produce chlorophenols, or astrigent plastic or bandaid flavors. It probably won't cause any problems this late in the game. At the correct dilution, it SHOULDNT cause off flavors.

 

[The Pol]

Holey moley... dont put bleach in an airlock, they can suck back into your beer so easy!

I would recommend getting some StarSan, no rinse. Bleach is just asking for trouble.

 

[Falcor]

suck back isn't uncommon. lots of things can cause it, from pushing on the lid to changes in the atmospheric pressure. lots of people recommend cheap vodka cause it will just increase ABV slightly, i just use star san solution though cause i don't keep vodka around and hear that star san is a bit of a nutrient for yeast. i expect bleach in the beer would be pretty nasty.

edit: damn my internet went out and you guys beat me to the punch...

 

[conpewter]

I use Star-San sanitizer in the airlock. If you get suckback like you mention (it happens to me, especially when I cool down the fermenter) then Star-san won't affect the flavor like bleach will.

 

[david_42]

if it can cause a potential adverse taste to a beer.

Yes, chlorophenols, aka band-aidy, have very low taste thresholds.

 

[Jkane101]

StarSan FTW

 

[COLObrewer]

Vodka .., is MY/YER frend, HIC

 

[Whiskey]

Star san is a great choice for the airlock, and all general brewery sanitation for that matter. However, the cheapest bottle of vodka you can find will work also.

 

[Pappers_]

Howdy new brew-friend from Montana and welcome. There is a great thread you should look at - it's a sticky thread in the equipment/sanitation forum. It's called something like "cleaning and sanitizing products" - lots of good infon there. I'm on my mobile device so can't post the link for you, but do take a look at it.

Personally, I use idophor, to sanitize, in my airlock and blowoff jar.