Sanitisation and water...

[Bigcol49]

. . . add the vineger AFTER diluting the bleach!

Hi!
That's why I wrote, ". . . a solution of 40ml household bleach in 5 litres water with 8ml white vinegar added." :smile:

 

[DaddyCool]

Curious to know what would happen if you mixed the bleach and vinegar without diluting the bleach first??

 

[MattH1973]

I wouldn't risk a batch to that. The sterilising action is done through the release of small amounts of chlorine that is harmless to people (hence no rinse). Chlorine can react with yeast to form medicinal, TCP tasting chlorophenols that do not go away with age. I would guess that the small amount of chlorine in Milton gasses off quite quickly to leave salt and water behind. It all depends on how much is left at the point the yeast goes to work.

Starsan, by contrast, is an acid-based sanitizer that breaks down into yeast nutrient! (phosphates).

great post. if in practice Milton needs rinsing I am minded to switch to starsan......

 

[Bigcol49]

Curious to know what would happen if you mixed the bleach and vinegar without diluting the bleach first??

Hi!
You'd get a funeral (most probably)!
It releases chlorine gas in copious amounts.

 

[Bigcol49]

great post. if in practice Milton needs rinsing I am minded to switch to starsan......

Hi!
There are plenty of homebrewers use Milton as a no-rinse sanitiser and they wouldn't do so if it resulted in poor-tasting beer.
Rinsing off a sanitiser with tap water negates the sanitising.

 

[Chippy_Tea]

Hi!
There are plenty of homebrewers use Milton as a no-rinse sanitiser and they wouldn't do so if it resulted in poor-tasting beer.
.

Spot on, i have been using Milton for 3 plus years and have not had a problem once, i believe beer brewing and chlorine do not go well together but having said that i know many beer brewers here use Milton and i cannot remember ever reading that Milton had definitely spoiled their brew because they didn't rinse after using it.

.

 

[MattH1973]

Spot on, i have been using Milton for 3 plus years and have not had a problem once, i believe beer brewing and chlorine do not go well together but having said that i know many beer brewers here use Milton and i cannot remember ever reading that Milton had definitely spoiled their brew because they didn't rinse after using it.

.

chippy - for avoidance of doubt to you use vessels with droplets of Milton solution left in, or do you rinse them ?

that said, I sampled my recent cider batch this weekend, having used Milton and rinsed, all fine...

 

[Chippy_Tea]

I pour the Milton fluid out of the DJ, FV or bottles and use them straight away no rinse is required, some beer brewers do rise some don't.

 

[tipsynurse]

If you are looking for a low water version I just use medical sanitising wipes (for me Clinell Universal wipes), not very expensive and I figure effective if they are used in hospitals. Never had any issues with contamination.

I do use wide necked FVs so you can wipe them out easily though. On the bottles I use Starsan, it is just a bit more work.

 

[LED_ZEP]

Hi!
I use a solution of 40ml household bleach in 5 litres water with 8ml white vinegar added - it's a no-rinse sanitiser.
I get no chlorine taint following application and there's no medicinal TCP taste to my brews.
This no-rinse sanitiser was suggested by Charlie Talley, the developer of StarSan.

I've always used this method and could be wrong but I'm sure the proportion should be around 40ml - 50ml in a 25l bin. I don't even need to use the vinegar as the PH with the water here is just below PH8 with this mix (you're adding the vinegar to get the PH between 7 & 8).