Bleach Solution Slipped Into Wort!!

[Hucko]

Hello All...

This is my first post on the forum and I hope it's not too silly, but I had some of my bleach solution slip out of my airlock and into my wort. I use 2 tablespoons of plain Clorox bleach per gallon of water as a sanitizing solution which I also use in my airlock.

What I did is install the airlock cap and then sprayed the solution into the top of the airlock until it was half full. One day after I touched the top of the airlock and found it didn't want to easily move, and assumed there was some sort of pressure differential keeping it from operating properly. I wiggled it a little bit, and then the cap shot up abruptly, releasing the pressure, and allowing a tablespoon or two of the solution to rise to the top of the airlock tube and then BLOOP! Down into the wort...

Is this a big problem? If it continues to ferment properly is it safe to drink?

Also, after cooling the hot wort, I dumped the entire contents of the brew kettle into the fermenter not realizing I should have tried to leave as much of the trub as possible behind. Now I have about an inch or so of hops, etc. on the bottom of the 5 gallons of wort. What are the concerns here?

Thanks in advance for any help given to this new home brewer!

Hucko

 

[Professor Frink]

That little bit of bleach solution shouldn't make much of a difference. It's possible there may be a slight bit of off flavor, but it will be safe to drink.

 

[PeteOz77]

Funny thing about Bleach. The Chlorine dissipates in a relatively short time if exposed to air. 48 hours after mixing up your disinfectant, the chlorine has most likely evaporated out, and the solution won't kill germs anymore.

Most people here use cheap vodka instead, as it kills germs until it totally evaporates, and if it does backwash into your beer, it won't do anything except raise the alcohol level of your beer!

The Bleach solution is fine for sanitising and killing whatever is on your stuff before brewing, but I would definitely not use it in your air lock.

 

[Hucko]

OOOOH! I never thought of using alcohol in the air lock, although now it seems like such an obvious choice. What about Everclear? It seems to me that would be even cheaper per unit volume of alcohol and be even more pure than cheap vodka.

Regarding the bleach solution slipping into the wort, thanks to PeteOz77 and Professor Frink, I think I'll worry about that nomore.

What about the wort sitting on top of the trub throughout the fermentation? Next time that won't happen, but do I need to get it off the trub for this batch, or just see how it turns out?

Thanks for your help, guys...

Hucko

 

[BigKahuna]

Careful using Everclear...You will melt your air lock. Alcohol that pure plays havoc on the cheap plastic in air locks. It also evaporates pretty quickly.
I like to use RUM...Specifically Appleton estates. It's $11 for a bottle, and it's not good for a lot else, but better than Bacardi if you just gotta have a rum & Coke.

 

[ohlookaneagle]

concerning the trub, I doubt it will make much difference, especially if you rack to a secondary after the ferment is done. Other brewers with more experience may offer more extensive advise, though.

 

[BuffaloSabresBrewer]

You know your a HBer when your out of vodka and you havent had a drop of it to drink.

 

[Seabee John]

You know your a HBer when your out of vodka and you havent had a drop of it to drink.

wasn't there a thread somewhere????