Just made vinegar

[KSch]

My last batch of beer turned into vinegar in a big mouth bubbler. Is it now junk or can it be cleaned so it will not happen again. Thanks

 

[bruteforce]

You can clean the fermenter and it should be just fine. How long was it sitting in the bubbler?

 

[KSch]

About a month

 

[dmtaylor]

I've had problems with plastics getting permanently contaminated. Nothing I tried would sanitize it, and I tried everything. Your mileage may vary, and you can accept whatever risks as you wish. However, know that it *could* happen to you, and don't be surprised if it does. Ask yourself if you would rather rely on luck, or would rather absolutely prevent recurrence.

No one might agree with me. However I maintain that my experience is valid and there is definitely a risk of recurrence. The best way to prevent is to buy new equipment. If you want to try a couple batches and see if sanitization is successful, go ahead, maybe you'll get lucky. I was not lucky. This happened to me not just once but several times with different plastic fermenters. Therefore now I ferment almost exclusively in glass. I only ferment in plastic if/when I am willing to accept the risk of maybe having to dump a batch to possible contamination.

 

[MaryB]

To many horror stories of broken glass and bad injuries...

Sanitize with a strong bleach solution. Let it soak for awhile then rinse well. As long as it is smooth inside and not scratched you will be fine. If it has a plastic spigot I would swap it for a new one...

 

[KSch]

thanks