Do you have to rinse after using PBW

[vapicker]

Hey all, a buddy of mine called me up this morning after brewing his first beer last night. In his start up kit from the LHBS he was given a small bag of One Step and a small bag of PBW. They told him to use the One Step to sanitize everything including his Primary and the PBW to sanitize his PET Carboy he is using for Secondary. He realized after he had pitched yeast and put the lid on that he had used PBW to sanitize his Primary. He didn't rinse after using the PBW and is now worried his batch is going to be ruined. The instructions on the bag he has say you have to rinse after using PBW. I use Star San so I wasn't sure what to tell him. Does he have anything to worry about?

 

[llazy_llama]

PBW leaves a soapy film, and needs to be rinsed after use. I don't imagine that beer is going to taste like anything but soap, but who knows? Time will tell.

Also note that PBW is a cleaner, not a sanitizer. Actually, One Step is no longer recognized by the FDA as a sanitizer either.

My advice would be to wait and see how the beer turns out. It might just surprise you both. But tell your friend in the mean time to go pick up a no-rinse sanitizer like Iodophor or Star San.

 

[ArcaneXor]

Just to second llama's comments, PBW is a cleaner that must be rinsed off the equipment, to be followed by thorough sanitization.

Depending on how much PBW was left when the beer was added, it may be unhealthy to consume the beer even if it turns out okay. I'd contact Charley Talley at Five Star Chemicals and ask him for advice on whether or not there are any health concerns.

 

[butta247]

Thanks for the info guys. I called Five Star and spoke with a tech at 5 Star (Charles Talley retired 2 years ago). 5 Star said that PBW is not FDA approved as a no rinse solution however it is non toxic, biodegradeable, etc. He said for this reason from a company standpoint he would have to say to dump the batch and start over. He said in his personal opinion he would taste the beer before bottling and if it didnt taste bad he would drink the whole thing.

I appreciate everyone's feedback on this issue. Im not sure what Im going to do. My first thought is that the entire time I am trying to enjoy my first brew I will be thinking about cleaning chemicals in the back of my mind.

Thanks for giving a newbie some advice.

 

[Pangea]

The beer is not ruined. The PBW may make it taste...different, but it will still be beer and could still be ok. No sense in worrying about. If it tastes great, awesome, you will have a secret technique to use in future. If it tastes like soapy crap, your "buddy" will probably never, ever forget to rinse PBW again.

My money is on that it will taste just fine. RDWHAHB.

 

[Revvy]

You will probably have no head retention on the beer, since pbw is soap, and soap kills most head proteins.

 

[malkore]

for the record, One Step can sanitize, but it takes 5 minutes of wet contact time. its not an FDA approved sanitizer anymore because they didn't want to pay the hefty fees for that level of approval.

I've used one step to sanitize back in the day, never had a problem. Star san is soooo much easier/faster to use. and cheaper.

 

[therev71]

I made a batch yesterday and flushed my mash tun with pbw with my recirculating pump. I drained everything then flushed is again with hot water and rinsed everything. My question is, will there be PBW in the nooks and crannies of my pump or will the water flush rinse that away?

 

[Jag75]

I made a batch yesterday and flushed my mash tun with pbw with my recirculating pump. I drained everything then flushed is again with hot water and rinsed everything. My question is, will there be PBW in the nooks and crannies of my pump or will the water flush rinse that away?

Old thread but you're doing it right. As long as your using hot water during the rinse flush. I do this with my Grainfather as well as the MT at the brewery.

 

[therev71]

Old thread but you're doing it right. As long as your using hot water during the rinse flush. I do this with my Grainfather as well as the MT at the brewery.

Thanks. Wasnt sure if a little pbw was still in the pump and if it would effect the beer.