sanitizing bottles with bleach

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jamest22

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could sanitizing bottles by soaking 30mins in a bleach solution
(2 tbs per 5 gal) lead to failed priming or a lack of carbonation in bottle conditioned beers?
 
Although using bleach is not the best sanitization method (especially since you have to rinse it out, and there are much better no-rinse sanitizers out there) usually when someone posts about a lack of carbonation, it is because they haven't waited a minimum of three weeks if the bottles are stored a 70 degrees.

Read this for more info...http://blogs.homebrewtalk.com/Revvy/Of_Patience_and_Bottle_Conditioning/
 
Although using bleach is not the best sanitization method (especially since you have to rinse it out, and there are much better no-rinse sanitizers out there) usually when someone posts about a lack of carbonation, it is because they haven't waited a minimum of three weeks if the bottles are stored a 70 degrees.

Read this for more info...http://blogs.homebrewtalk.com/Revvy/Of_Patience_and_Bottle_Conditioning/

+1 ^^ Just to be clear - two aspects here, 1) time and 2) temperature.

If you rinsed the bottles well, I wouldn't think it would be the bleach.
 
I only sanitize with bleach based soap and then rinse with my magical bacteria free well water.

So far i haven't died from drinking my infection free batches in over two years, im sticking to this method till i die.
 
How long has it been in the bottle, and at what temp are you storing them at? And What kind of beer is it?

I actually just bottled it yesterday, I am storing it in a closet at room temperature (68F-70F). It is an all grain Pale Ale. This is my first attempt at home beer brewing and so far all has gone well.

I was only posing this chlorine related question out of curiosity. Because it seems to me that since bleach is a strong disinfectant it could effectively 'dissinfect' the yeast in my bottles.
 
If there was enough bleach in it to kill yeast carbonation is the least of your worries, the beer was already ruined. Yeast are hardy creatures. If the bleach killed them I would not be drinking any.

I've used both bleach (one tbs to a gallon) and starsan to sanitize bottles but the dish washer is my favorite. The bottles come out shinny clean and dry. I never noticed contamination with any of them. Starsan is much harsher on my hands than bleach and I hate the foam because it makes it difficult to see when the bottles are really full. Iodophor would be my next choice (I can even get Iodine at the supermarkets here.)
 
If there was enough bleach in it to kill yeast carbonation is the least of your worries, the beer was already ruined. Yeast are hardy creatures. If the bleach killed them I would not be drinking any.

IIRC, you either still do, or used to use bleach, right? 2 tbs/5 gallons, is an acceptable dillution ratio, right?
 
No I've been using starsan of late.

Bleach works fine at one tbs per gallon with twenty minutes of contact time. My watter doesn't seem to need any vinegar added and I feel save using watter from my tap directly in my beer, even to hydrate my dry yeast.
 
Conroe

What do all of your Mormon neighbors think about your home brewing escapades? Have they called the cops on you yet?
 
Just for the record, one drop is the recommended amount of bleach to render 16 ounces of contaminated water safe to drink. That is enough to kill bacteria, viruses and yes, yeast. With that in mind I have to at least consider that that an un-rinsed bottle may contain enough bleach residue to kill or at least maim some of the yeast in a 12 ounce bottle of beer.

I keep a spray bottle of Star San on hand so I don't need to worry about whether I've rinsed my bottles enough. Each bottle gets a hot water rinse, a squirt or two of Star San and gets hung on a bottle tree to dry.

Tom
 
I doubt the residue will hurt the yeast, but you may get a certain flavor from the bleach. I recommend starsan. Just squirt and let it drip. You can bottle right over it, even if wet.
 
Let me revive this thread. 2 tbsp/5 gal = 7.8 mL/L is a perfectly acceptable concentration of bleach to do the killing, provided you also add the same volume of white vinegar to bring the pH down so that you produce hypochlorous acid which is the sanitizing agent (don't add it directly to the bleach unless you want to die young). At least, that's what Charlie Talley, maker of Star San, says. He also notes that the required contact time for sanitizing at this concentration is only 30 seconds. He says this is no-rinse and that it's impossible to taste at this level.

He says the reason for adding the vinegar is because a lot of bleach makers make it from table salt, which results in lye being introduced into the chlorine at some point which pushes the pH up. He says buying the cheapest store-brand bleach, making sure it is a very clear yellow-green color and smells like chlorine is your best bet.

Hear this podcast from basic brewing radio to hear the interview.
 
Let me revive this thread. 2 tbsp/5 gal = 7.8 mL/L is a perfectly acceptable concentration of bleach to do the killing, provided you also add the same volume of white vinegar to bring the pH down so that you produce hypochlorous acid which is the sanitizing agent (don't add it directly to the bleach unless you want to die young). At least, that's what Charlie Talley, maker of Star San, says. He also notes that the required contact time for sanitizing at this concentration is only 30 seconds. He says this is no-rinse and that it's impossible to taste at this level.

He says the reason for adding the vinegar is because a lot of bleach makers make it from table salt, which results in lye being introduced into the chlorine at some point which pushes the pH up. He says buying the cheapest store-brand bleach, making sure it is a very clear yellow-green color and smells like chlorine is your best bet.

Hear this podcast from basic brewing radio to hear the interview.

Dude THANK YOU for that post. I have a big brew day comin up and I had no way of getting sanitizer.
 
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