Not again!
Bleach (aka sodium hypochlorite) is the
number one Potable Water steriliser in places where they cannot or do not want chlorine gas!
I quote:
"Chlorination is the process of adding chlorine to drinking water to disinfect it and kill germs. Different processes can be used to achieve safe levels of chlorine in drinking water. Chlorine is available as compressed elemental gas, sodium hypochlorite solution (NaOCl) or solid calcium hypochlorite (Ca(OCl)2 1. While the chemicals could be harmful in high doses, when they are added to water, they all mix in and spread out, resulting in low levels that kill germs but are still safe to drink."
Anyone who has lived, worked
or been a passenger on a ship, ferry, drilling rig, offshore platform etc has drunk and bathed in sodium hypochlorite treated water. In these cases, the sodium hypochlorite is mainly generated by electrolysis from seawater using the formula
NaCl (salt) + H2O (water) >> electrolysis >>
NaOCl (sodium hypochlorite) + H2 (hydrogen)
I quote:
"Chlorine levels up to 4 milligrams per liter (mg/L or 4 parts per million (ppm) are considered safe in drinking water. At this level, no harmful health effects are likely to occur."
The Tesco Thin Beach has a maximum percentage of 4% NaOCl so a 50:50 mixture is well OTT for the purpose of sterilising drinking water!
But as I don't intend to drink any of it and the volume of my Blow-Off Tube precludes the possibility of it ever being sucked back into the FV, it makes a great sanitised water seal that doesn't foam and will stay active for the two weeks that I allow for fermentation.
PS
I also use Tesco Thin Bleach as a sanitiser where something has been stained. e.g. when I use my 10 litre beer kegs to bring red wine back from France. It is NOT scented but I rinse them out with clean water to dissipate any smell.
For the people who are told in Brew Shops that bleach shouldn't be used in brewing I would like to point out that many of the "no-rinse" sanitising products cost many ££££'s whereas a 2 litre bottle of Tesco Thin Bleach costs +/-35p! To paraphrase Mandy Rice Davis "Well they would say that wouldn't they!"
Reference:
Centres for Disease Control & Prevention - US Government
https://www.cdc.gov/healthywater/drinking/public/chlorine-disinfection.html