Bleach and vinegar sanatising

[oddball]

After much reading and listening to a podcast by Charlie Talley ( inventor of Starsan )I'm going to use the bleach/vinegar route for sanitising for now and was wondering can the mixture of 20ltr water 20ml white vinegar and 20ml thin bleach be scaled down by simple division of quantities (linear)?
Thanks,

 

[Hops_and_Dreams]

Is it a good idea to mix bleach and vinegar?

Edit - sorry, didn't read the quantities properly!

 

[duncans]

Bleach contains an alkaline and vinegar an acid. They will react with each other.

All you will get is sodium acetate and some chlorine and chlorinated byproducts maybe.

At those dilutions reaction shouldn't be much. Just don't do it inches away from your eyes.

Got a link to something that explains the thinking behind it?

 

[oddball]

Is it a good idea to mix bleach and vinegar?

Edit - sorry, didn't read the quantities properly!

You have to make sure the bleach is diluted with water first before adding the vinegar.

 

[MyQul]

I haven't listened to that pod cast but what does the vinegar bring to the party? Plenty of people use diluted bleach on it's own to sanitise with (especially in the form of milton which is just a weak bleach solution). I use thin bleach diluted (but a strong solution) if I need a nuclear option

 

[oddball]

I have no Idea what the vinegar brings but this solution is a no rinse way of sanitising.

edit

vinegar acidifies the solution

 

[oddball]

working on the figures given in podcast 1oz of vinegar and bleach in 5 gallons of water it actually is closer to 25ml of each for 20 ltr of water.

 

[oddball]

Science behind Bleach and vinegar
http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2006-02/asfm-vik021306.php

 

[mirsultankhan]

Science behind Bleach and vinegar
http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2006-02/asfm-vik021306.php

An amazing article.

Miner recommends first diluting one cup of household bleach in one gallon of water and then adding one cup of white vinegar.

Please correct me if I have the maths incorrect

One gallon water US = 4 litres (3.78)
One cup bleach US = 236ml
One cup vinegar US - 236 ml

So basically I would fill a glass demijohn (UK 4.5 litres) to about three quarters and top it up with a mug of bleach and then a mug of vinegar.

Hmmm I must admit that I prefer to use boiling water to sanitise, it has worked for me so far and I have never had an infected batch. I steam clean things like tubes, taps, airlocks etc

 

[oddball]

Thats not homebrew specific sanitising.For NO RINSE sanitising then see my figures above.

 

[HebridesRob]

After much reading and listening to a podcast by Charlie Talley ( inventor of Starsan )I'm going to use the bleach/vinegar route for sanitising for now and was wondering can the mixture of 20ltr water 20ml white vinegar and 20ml thin bleach be scaled down by simple division of quantities (linear)?
Thanks,

No-one answered your direct question. The answer would be a simple "yes".

Not sure I'd want vinegar near anything I was going to make beer in though.

 

[oddball]

No-one answered your direct question. The answer would be a simple "yes".

Not sure I'd want vinegar near anything I was going to make beer in though.

Thanks HB at last an answer to my question.I've scoured the "net" and quite a few people use this method without any problems.I too would have been sceptical if hadn't have come from Charley Talley's own lips.

 

[duncans]

Science behind Bleach and vinegar
http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2006-02/asfm-vik021306.php

Makes sense. Any acid would do the trick. Just have to make sure you are below ph6.8 and rinse well when finished.

 

[HebridesRob]

Makes sense. Any acid would do the trick. Just have to make sure you are below ph6.8 and rinse well when finished.

But the point appears to be this is no rinse. If I was trying this I'd prefer to use citric, phosphoric or lactic acid rather than vinegar but that would need different quantities. I'm doubtful about letting chlorine compounds into my beer too.

 

[duncans]

I did miss that it was no rinse.

I don't think a trace of acetic acid would be a problem necessarily, I think any acetobacter would be nuked, maybe, but chlorine would be a risk.

Ok as a replacement for bleach but you wouldnt use bleach as a no rinse sanitiser.

 

[oddball]

Been talked about before
http://www.homebrewtalk.com/showthread.php?t=487205

 

[oddball]

Done 2x 23 ltr batches of turbo cider and although they're still young I have had no adverse reaction to using this no rinse solution.