• Welcome to the new forum! We upgraded our forum software with a host of new boards, capabilities and features. It is also more secure.
    Jump in and join the conversation! You can learn more about the upgrade and new features here.

No starsan or cleaner, bleach?

killerbeer

Apprentice
Joined
Mar 6, 2019
Messages
4
Reaction score
0
I have a stout thats been fermenting for over a month that i want to keg this week. However, i have no cleaner or sanitizer. Just wanted to know what my best option is for cleaning my keg and lines.  I heard mixed reviews on using bleach.  P.S. my keg has been sitting in the fridge for about 3 weks since i finished my last batch.  Thanks
 
Here is a brief but thorough description of the use of bleach as a sanitizer:  http://www.howtobrew.com/book/section-1/brewing-preperations/sanitation/sanitizing-your-equipment

 
thanks,  have you ever heard of bleach eating away the metal or is that not an issue if its been diluted?
 
In diluted state and for short periods of time, such as what John Palmer recommends, it should not be an issue.  I would be more concerned with the affect the bleach would have on the O-rings, but again I think the diluted state would work fine.  It will get you through kegging this batch.  I would highly recommend getting a sanitizer such as Star-san or Iodophor for longer term use.
 
Brad has also posted a blog and had a few really good podcasts on cleaning and sanitizing.  Links below.

http://beersmith.com/blog/2009/06/21/cleaning-and-sanitation-for-beer-brewing/

http://beersmith.com/blog/2013/08/02/beer-cleaning-and-sanitation-with-jon-herskovits-beersmith-podcast-62/

http://beersmith.com/blog/2019/02/17/cleaning-and-sanitation-with-rick-theiner-beersmith-podcast-187/

 
I used to use bleach when I first started brewing back in the dark ages. Today, if I was out of sanitizer and bleach was all I had... I'd wait until I could get some sanitizer.
 
AGREED.

I've used bleach once for something in the last few years and that was to thoroughly sanitize an HDPE tank i had that smelled like it may have had some acetobacter/lacto funk in it. It got washed with PBW, then Star San, then a rinse with bleach, rinse with pbw, two hot water rinses, then two rinses with clean starsan, then back into service.

I've also found that mixing my Starsan with RODI water (tds0) lends to a pretty long shelf life, so i keep a corny of it full at all times.
 
Been using bleach for years (1/4c per 5 gallons) But the boys in the club keep hittin' me over the head and telling me to use Star san. Star san is easier to use, but you can't teach an old horse...
 
Back
Top