Hydrogen Peroxide?

[brelic]

I'm just about to bottle my first batch of wine, and I have a sanitation question. From reading the posts on this board, I see that quite a few people use bleach to sanitize the wine bottles (and the assist in removing the labels). I will certainly need to use something strong like that because they've been sitting in the garage for a while.

I recently bought some bleach made of hydrogen peroxide (apparently, it is safe for septic systems). Is this strong enough to sanitize? It says *non-toxic* on the bottle... can that be right? I was thinking of letting the bottles soak overnight in the tub filled with this type of bleach.

Any thoughts?

Thanks!

 

[Donasay]

First off, get some star san, it is the best sanitizer out there.

Secondly, the peroxide will work for cleaning, it is probably very similar to oxyclean that everyone uses to clean their bottles and carboys. As for sanitization, you want to make sure that it won't leave any residual cleaner/sanitizer in the bottle. I don't know if this is the case with the type of product you are using. Do you have any additional details on the product brand etc?

 

[Yooper]

Cleaning and sanitizing and not the same thing. You can use several things for cleaning bottles, but I like oxyclean. Once the bottles are cleaned (and rinsed super, super well), then you can sanitize. I would never sanitize with bleach or worse, peroxide. I'd recommend a no-rinse sanitizer such as star-san, one-step (debates on the sanitizing aspect continue on this, but it DOES work as a sanitizer), or iodophor. You dilute them to the proper concentration with water, and then soak (or I use something called a "vinator" to squirt the sanitizer up into the bottle) and place on a bottle tree. There is no need to rinse or dry any of those sanitizers. Some people claim they can properly sanitize in the dishwasher, but my dishwasher doesn't have a high temperature "sanitize" setting, so I never tried it.

 

[brelic]

Yes, my bad... I meant cleaning, not sanitizing.

Donasay, the product is Seventh Generation bleach.

Yooper, my biggest concern was whether or not this particular bleach (hydrogen peroxide) was strong enough to kill bacteria/gunk in the bottom of bottles that have been sitting in the garage for months. Yes, I could buy nice, shiny, clean ones, but then again, I would rather spend my money on ingredients

 

[wihophead]

I believe hydrogen Peroxide is an approved sanitizer and has also been approved by the FDA for sterilizing equipment.


Edit: the MSDS sheet states that it contains 3.5%-4.5% Hydrogen Peroxide

 

[menschmaschine]

I know you're using it for cleaning and I've never used it for beer-related cleaning, so I can't comment on that, but I can add that H2O2 does not kill all bacteria like other sanitizers/disinfectants. I remember doing an experiment in microbiology where we exposed bacteria cultures to H2O2 and some species could survive it, as opposed to 70% alcohol, which killed them all equally.

 

[wihophead]

I remember doing an experiment in microbiology where we exposed bacteria cultures to H2O2 and some species could survive it

What was the concentration?

 

[neuron555]

I can't comment on what percentage of bugs peroxide kills, but it should be safe. When is breaks down, it turns into water and oxygen. The solution that I use for my contacts is hydrogen peroxide. As long as it finishes converting, I can put the lens right in my eye.

 

[Schlenkerla]

If you want a good cheap cleaner I have heard repeatedly people using Oxy-Clean. I normally use ammonia & water. 1 cup/5 gal. This removes amost every label and all gunk in bottles, but smells aweful. Its cheaper than anything else and I have a gallon of it most of the time. I usually fill a cooler with bottles and this solution and let it sit for a few days.

I would first wash them w/ a jet-bottle washer using the hottest tap water possible. If you still have a lot of gunk inside the bottles that won't come out you can mix a 2oz bleach w/ 5 gal of water. Then fill the bottles, and let them sit overnight. This solution will break up sediment and stains. Then rinse really well until you can no longer smell bleach.

I would buy, one-step, Starsan or Iodophor for sanitizing. Like previously stated all seem to work well as rinse-free sanitizers.

If you want to do the cleaning cheap follow my above suggestions but for sanitizing go with one of the these three name brands.

Edit: Try your bleach alternative but rinse thoroughly.

 

[menschmaschine]

What was the concentration?

Sorry, I don't recall. I believe it was the standard store-bought concentration.

 

[ApolloSpeed]

hmmm.... I actually have some food grade hydrogen peroxide, could I use it to sanitize my bottles??

Would I have to rinse them before bottling?

Or is it not worth it? Just get StarSan?

 

[lapaglia]

Unless you know for sure what the concentration you have and what concentration you need and how long it needs to stay wet I would just stick with Star San.

 

[brewjunky]

First off, get some star san, it is the best sanitizer out there.

Secondly, the peroxide will work for cleaning, it is probably very similar to oxyclean that everyone uses to clean their bottles and carboys. As for sanitization, you want to make sure that it won't leave any residual cleaner/sanitizer in the bottle. I don't know if this is the case with the type of product you are using. Do you have any additional details on the product brand etc?

There are a lot of good sanitizers out there idophur works just as good as star san.