How many times should one rinse bleach out?

[Patton191]

I used two tablespoons of bleach onto about 6 gallons of water in my primary and am hoping I rinses it out well enough. I gave it two rinses up to the brim with cold water and swooshed it around as much as I could, but I was thinking about it and in truth how much bleach could stick around if I only used two tablespoons.
I wasn't really sure how much to use so I used a small amount to be safe. What is the norm for cleaning with bleach? I have heard many different amounts.

Also two good rinses would be sufficient with the concentration I used I hope right?

Thanks alot

Patton

 

[Nanobru]

Bleach additions are the one thing I never measure. But I believe 2 tablespoons for 6 gallons is not enough. I use about a cup per gallon. If you look on the bleach bottle, they recommend something along the lines of 3/4 cup to a gallon for disinfecting. I add bleach untill I can smell it when mixed with my water. Do make sure to rinse very well, because it can attribute to off flavors. I rinse at least two times with fresh water, and take a quick sniff to ensure I do not smell any bleach on my equipment before I use it.

 

[The Pol]

Sorry, thought this thread was pertaining to facial hair issues Carry on!

 

[BigKahuna]

B take a quick sniff to ensure I do not smell any bleach on my equipment before I use it.

My Rule for sure. Rinse till you can't smell it.

 

[Saccharomyces]

I don't use bleach. I have tasted many a homebrew which is ruined because of chlorophenols from cleaning with bleach.

 

[mattmcl]

1/4 cup per gallon was my old rule- never had a problem in 20 years of brewing. Rinse thoroughly at least three times or until you can't smell the bleach anymore.

But I converted to Star San this weekend and will never look back.

 

[Got Trub?]

The proper concentration of bleach for sanitizing (cleaning is a different process) is 1 tablespoon per US gallon (around 200ppm available Cl). If you allow it to dry the chlorine will evaporate off. Rinsing, unless you use boiled water, will only contaminate your equipment again. I used bleach for 25+ years and never had problems with it. I now use Star San - it is much easier to use.

GT

 

[antsp1]

Just listened to a BasicBrewing podcast where they had Charlie Talley from Five Star Chemicals say that you need to add 1 oz of bleach AND 1 oz of vinegar to 5 galls of water in order for the bleach to be really effective. He also mentioned (IIRC) that this was a no rinse ratio.

Ant

 

[Brewsmith]

Real brewers don't use bleach...

Classic HBT thread from way back. This thread has been sanitized. With bleach, dishwasher, iodophor, or starsan, I don't know.

Is there an unedited version anywhere?

 

[brown_dog_us]

It helps to use warm or hot water to rinse bleach off. I don't know how many times I rinse, but it's a bunch. If you decide to use bleach, then you need to be willing to rinse alot.

 

[wilserbrewer]

But I converted to Star San this weekend and will never look back.

+1, for under ten bucks you can buy a bottle of starsan that will last a loooong time, I just mix about a half gallon and shake it about in the fermenter or keg. No rinse no hassle and effective! I figure about 10 cents to mix a mini 2 qt. batch of star san...that's economical!

 

[davesrose]

Before I got into AG (and before I was using so much metal equipment), bleach was my main sanitizer. As long as you're using it to sanitize plastic and glass, I think it's good. I agree that the best way to tell if the bleach residues are gone is to smell it. I never had a prescribed number of times to rinse.

 

[Got Trub?]

Just listened to a BasicBrewing podcast where they had Charlie Talley from Five Star Chemicals say that you need to add 1 oz of bleach AND 1 oz of vinegar to 5 galls of water in order for the bleach to be really effective. He also mentioned (IIRC) that this was a no rinse ratio.

Ant

If you use fresh, high quality, unscented bleach it should be a greenish tinge in colour. It does not need to have the pH lowered. The problem with adding acid to a bleach solution is that if you overshoot lowering the pH you will release chlorine gas. This is very toxic and was one form of poisoned gas used during WWI. I have cared for many patients exposed to this from mixing chemicals into a bleach solution and do not recommend you do this at home unless you really know what you are doing and do it in a well ventilated space...

GT

 

[larrybrewer]

After my primary or secondary fermentors are emptied and washed out I usually fill them with water and add a few table spoons of bleach. I let that sit over night to get any remaining beer odors out. I don't like the idea of carrying a flavor forward into the next batch. When I pour them out I blast them with the hose nossel real good, then let them drain upside down. Usually there is a tinge of bleach smell left behind. Then I will rinse and repeat until the bleach is gone and use star san. Letting them dry overnight also helps get rid of the bleach smell.

 

[Maveric777]

I used bleach for my first two batches, but finally moved to no rinse out of fear of the hospital taste in my brew. One thing I did do was rinse like crazy. I kept going with the smell test and seemed I always smelt it. I later found that bleach will soak into the pours on your hand and will stick around for a while. Drove me nuts.....lol

I have a friend that has been using bleach since 98 with no issues, so I am definitely not knocking it.... I just changed over simply due to the fact I was spending way to much time rinsing.... Plus no rinse is a cheep alternative.

 

[Patton191]

I think you guys missed me mentioning that I used it for cleaning not sanitizing. I have decided I will have to give oxyclean a shot, and I understand the chlorine flavor risk of bleach, but I know oxyclean must also be rinsed, but what would happen if one didn't rinse it? I know its the cleaning power of oxygen bla bla billy mays, but what are the downsides to it?

 

[BierMuncher]

I've used bleach and water for near 100 batches with no ill-effects.

I usually rinse my kegs, carboys, buckets and bottles upside down with a good couple blasts of 135 tap water.

I even use it in my beautiful keggle.

 

[Homebrewtruth]

The owner of Star San recommends using 1 floz of bleach and 1 floz of vinegar in 5 US gallons of water for a NO RINSE sanitiser. Now that's cheap.