Expensive sanitizers like BTF Iodophor, Starsan, Oxyclean and PBW can be bit of an extra investment for someone who's just started indulging in homebrewing.
The good news is you can make a simple but most effective sanitizer using just household stuff - Bleach. Yes, most effective! Bleach is the standard against which every other sanitizer is judged for their potency.
Sanitizing bottles takes heaps of Sanitizer and can add up to unnecessary costs
Contact time: 30 Seconds for non plastic. 90 seconds for plastics.
Cost: Clorox Liquid Bleach Regular, 4 Liter is listed at Rs.500 on Amazon as we speak. White vinegar costs Rs.30 per liter. Water is free, usually.
Ingredients:
1 Liter Cool Drinking Water
4 ml Household Bleach
4 ml Distilled/White Vinegar. Never use organic, flavoured or any other vinegars. Those are in fact expensive and have bacteria in them.
Process: Add bleach to the water first and mix it well. Then add vinegar and mix it gently. This sanitizer is potent for up to 8 hours after preparation. Mechanism of action is quite simple. It slowly releases free Chlorine gas which kills any microbes that come in contact with it. Household bleach is easy to acquire from any local grocery store. Only make sure its not flavoured. There is no need to rinse off the sanitizer with water post application. At this dilution ratio, chlorine from the thin residue film over equipment will precipitate in a matter of minutes.
As with any other sanitizer application, make sure anything you sanitize is prewashed with soap and is visibly clean.
Important Note: NEVER EVER mix bleach and vinegar directly. It will instantly release a lot of Chlorine and sniffing on that can make you sick or even make you faint in a matter of seconds.
Happy homebrewing!
@Kaushika. Definitely! I understand your concern. However at the ratios mentioned above there is hardly any left over free Chlorine. Chlorine from Sodium Hypochlorite dissipates rapidly when pH is decreased with vinegar. The surfaces of equipment have only a thin film of sanitizer which promotes even quicker dissipation.
Homebrewing legends like Charlie Papazian and John Palmer have used bleach extensively in their respective brewing careers and still do. National Chemical VP and CEO Murl Landman explains how bleach is superior to other sanitizers and even his own product BTF Iodophor in a podcast interview with Basic Brewing's James Spencer. He swears by it's safety and efficiency when used in correct proportions.
The original podcast can be accessed here:
https://basicbrewing.libsyn.com/bbr03_22_07_mp3
In…
The no rinse sanitizer should not affect the beer at any point, hence other chemicals like per acetic acid etc. were used as a replacement for chlorine. Chlorine usually leaves a medicinal taste note in the beer.
Have you tested whether this off flavor never develops in the beer with this home made sanitizer? Could you give a confirmation on that?
Thank you Nandan sir! :)
Very useful.
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