Newbrewer2
Active Member
Hi i just sanitised my fv with vwp and have rinsed it out a lot with cold tap water but when I smell inside it gives off a chlorine smell is this ok will it effect anything or give it a taste.
Sterilised with vwp chlorine smell
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IainM
Landlord.
Rinse it some more - with some hot water.
Newbrewer2
Active Member
Do I need to rinse my bottles with hot water too or is 4 times with cold water ok
Hi!
There's a thread about VWP from 2012 here: http://www.thehomebrewforum.co.uk/showthread.php?t=22966
I've been brewing for over a year now and right from day one I was advised not to trust tap water to be sanitary. I've always used a no-rinse sanitiser and had no trouble with infected brews. Star San is very effective and seems expensive to buy but lasts for ages if you can bear the initial cost.
I have moved on to a solution of 40ml of cheap supermarket bleach dissolved in 5 litres of water followed by 8ml of distilled vinegar. (Never mix bleach and vinegar directly as it gives off chlorine gas - very nasty). This sanitiser is effective, does not need rinsing and is cheap enough to use once and discard.
There's a thread about VWP from 2012 here: http://www.thehomebrewforum.co.uk/showthread.php?t=22966
I've been brewing for over a year now and right from day one I was advised not to trust tap water to be sanitary. I've always used a no-rinse sanitiser and had no trouble with infected brews. Star San is very effective and seems expensive to buy but lasts for ages if you can bear the initial cost.
I have moved on to a solution of 40ml of cheap supermarket bleach dissolved in 5 litres of water followed by 8ml of distilled vinegar. (Never mix bleach and vinegar directly as it gives off chlorine gas - very nasty). This sanitiser is effective, does not need rinsing and is cheap enough to use once and discard.
Wabby
Regular.
I used to use VWP.
Stopped after 2 consecutive infections.
Now use Starsan exclusively. It *looks* expensive, but the ã11 bottle I bought in SEPTEMBER is still 1/8th full and I brew every week ... and also have OCD with sanitation.
You can actually keep the solution made up. If you have PH strips you just need to ensure its between a certain level and your good to go for next use.
Stopped after 2 consecutive infections.
Now use Starsan exclusively. It *looks* expensive, but the ã11 bottle I bought in SEPTEMBER is still 1/8th full and I brew every week ... and also have OCD with sanitation.
You can actually keep the solution made up. If you have PH strips you just need to ensure its between a certain level and your good to go for next use.
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VWP or another brand Bruclean is a very effective chlorine based cleaner not just a sanitiser it will sanitise as well but will require thorough rinsing, Starsan is a really good sanitiser but it will not clean.
It is worth remembering that your brew stuff needs to be clean before you can sanitise.
It is worth remembering that your brew stuff needs to be clean before you can sanitise.
Hi!
Charlie Talley, the creator of Star San, has stated on a weblog that thorough cleaning is all that is needed to prepare equipment for home brewing - if it's clean, it's ready.
The problem arises when rinsing after cleaning as tap water is not sanitary, so application of a no-rinse sanitiser is essential as a final step.
i agree generally, but I do think there is a certain amount of Commercial licence in that statement, you would never put water on your lips in certain parts of Africa for example without boiling.
Before Starsan was invented I rinsed after sanertising all the time, my water contains Chlorine & Chloramine which is sterile enough & in the quantities remaining produce neglagable flavour.
But I do agree Starsan is fail safe.
As far as I am concerned water that come out of the mains tap and NOT the hot water system is certainly good enough to wash things down, in addition to starsan and VWP treatment, and if it tastes and smells OK and you drink it without a second thought its good enough to brew with. My tap water is fine and so I use it for both washing down and brewing.
Drinking 'mains' water in third world countries is a different proposition.
If you have a thorough but not necessarily OTT cleanliness regime you should not get the dreaded infections that people seem to fear, unless you are unlucky.
Drinking 'mains' water in third world countries is a different proposition.
If you have a thorough but not necessarily OTT cleanliness regime you should not get the dreaded infections that people seem to fear, unless you are unlucky.
Newbrewer2
Active Member
rinsed it out with hot water from the kettle a few times and the chlorine smell has gone thanks
Hoppyland
Senior Member
I pretty much agree with all of this. I do reckon that the hot system can also be fine - provided that the water is heated directly by the boiler "on demand", and not stored in a separate hot water cylinder as per the older gravity-fed systems.
Pfeffer
Regular.
I'm afraid unchlorinated tap water is loaded with microorganisms. And no, that does mean it will make you sick, but it can infect a brew. For example eye infections in western countries are commonly caused by pseudomonas from tap water. It's just one of the many microorganisms in there.
Star San is just an acid. You kill of germs and whatever is put in next balances out the pH again. If you want to do cheaper, just buy generic phosporic acid.
Back on topic; if you can't get the chlorine smell out with hot water (let it sit for a while), rinse with an acidic solution. Preferably an odourless one. Else you will need chlorine to get the vinegar smell out
Star San is just an acid. You kill of germs and whatever is put in next balances out the pH again. If you want to do cheaper, just buy generic phosporic acid.
Back on topic; if you can't get the chlorine smell out with hot water (let it sit for a while), rinse with an acidic solution. Preferably an odourless one. Else you will need chlorine to get the vinegar smell out
People are too obsessed with the potential for spoilage. If you're dirty or unlucky you'll get hit!!!
Beer was made before VWP and Star San, even in my lifetime. I've had a few items in my FV: a watch, a paperback I found in a phone box, my spit, a bit of a cheese sandwich, a fly or seven, hair, my arm, etc.. I had one infected batch in 40 years when I used some grain with slight mould and IR was still drinkable.
A cold water soak will cleanse HDPE and LDPE. Just make the beer!
Beer was made before VWP and Star San, even in my lifetime. I've had a few items in my FV: a watch, a paperback I found in a phone box, my spit, a bit of a cheese sandwich, a fly or seven, hair, my arm, etc.. I had one infected batch in 40 years when I used some grain with slight mould and IR was still drinkable.
A cold water soak will cleanse HDPE and LDPE. Just make the beer!
I agree that we worry too much about sanitisation but given how cheap and easy it is I don't think it's worthwhile taking an unnessessary risk by not doing it.
Pfeffer
Regular.
It's not about spoilage. It's about being in control. 99.9% of brew infections are harmless, but they will alter the flavor and might cause fuselöl to form. It might give you a headache though.
Infections (like wild yeast) can even come out great, but you'll not be in control. That means replicating your new favorite might not be possible.
From my background I must admit I became a bit of a clean freak when dealing with food stuff. I've seen petridishes in all the colours (and odours) of the rainbow.
And what Mick said; it's just to easy to risk it. Sanitizing is not sterilizing (far from it).
Infections (like wild yeast) can even come out great, but you'll not be in control. That means replicating your new favorite might not be possible.
From my background I must admit I became a bit of a clean freak when dealing with food stuff. I've seen petridishes in all the colours (and odours) of the rainbow.
And what Mick said; it's just to easy to risk it. Sanitizing is not sterilizing (far from it).
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