[theoman]

I've also been using Oxyclean or generic equivalents for cleaning my equipment for years. That with a Star San soak and I've never had an infection. I'd avoid using it on copper chillers, though.

[davidgzach]

IMO, the rinsing defeats the purpose.

Although I use StarSan, I don't agree about the rinsing.  I've always considered this an overblown worry unless you are using your own well water.  I like the no-rinse stuff because I don't need to do the extra step of rinsing, and that it takes more effort to use bleach effectively.  Charley Talley (Five Star Chemicals, who used to be in the bleach manufacturing business before Five Star) has some really good info on how to use bleach correctly in one of the interviews he did with Basic Brewing Radio or Brew Strong (I don't remember which).  Two of the big things I recall are that you want to acidify your water with the bleach, and that large brand bleach loses its microbe killing potency over time because they add sodium hydroxide and the cheap brands don't.  Also, if you do the acidified bleach treatment in the right amounts, you don't need to rinse it anyway.  Obviously if you want to go this route, make sure you read up on how to do it so that you don't end up mixing your acid and bleach first before adding it to the water.

That's interesting.  I don't know why rinsing would defeat the purpose, especially with treated water not well water as you said.  Never had an infection or an off-flavor in over 200 brews now. 

For me, I can get a 3 pack of bleach at BJ's for like $5 or something and it cleans and sanitizes my buckets in one shot.  I have a gallon jug of StarSan around at all times for the spray bottle, Better Bottle and kegs.  OxiClean for mash tun and initial keg cleaning.

[bunderbunder]

Isnt PBW just really Souped up Oxyclean?  Essentially an alkaline cleaner?

Yup.  Both are based on sodium percarbonate, but PBW also has some detergents and sodium silicate and whatnot in there.  Wild guess, OxyClean doesn't include those extras because it's designed to be used in combination with laundry detergent which probably already has them.

[denny]

BLEACH  Bleach leaves a residue and need to be rinsed.  IMO, the rinsing defeats the purpose.    Spend the $ for Iodiphor or Star San, no-rinse sanitizers.

We're talking cleaning, not sanitizing.

[punatic]

We're talking cleaning, not sanitizing.

Now we're splitting hairs...     Mayhap you mean cleaning, not disinfecting?


FWIW I rinsed with untreated well water for years with nary a single bad batch to show for it.

[Joe Sr.]

Ok, two quick questions.  What is AL and why no hot water for carboys?  I'm using plastic carboys so would that make a difference?  That's three questions, but who's counting?

AL= aluminum.  Some people use Al kettles

Hot water should never be used on glass carboys.  There's too much risk of shattering.  Yeah, I know some people do it, but I'd rather be safe than sorry.  No problem with plastic.

I wouldn't use really hot water with plastic carboys.  There's some what has had them shrivel.

I've not had that happen, but I try to keep the water at a reasonable temperature.

[denny]

FWIW I rinsed with untreated well water for years with nary a single bad batch to show for it.

Although I generally don't any more, I've done the same with no negative consequences.  The this day, when I rack I sanitize the racking cane and tubing, then fill them with tap water from my well to get the siphon going.  Nothing I'd recommend to anyone, but also never a problems doing that hundreds of times.

[davidgzach]

FWIW I rinsed with untreated well water for years with nary a single bad batch to show for it.

Although I generally don't any more, I've done the same with no negative consequences.  The this day, when I rack I sanitize the racking cane and tubing, then fill them with tap water from my well to get the siphon going.  Nothing I'd recommend to anyone, but also never a problems doing that hundreds of times.

I would think you would need some pretty poor water quality for it to make a difference, no? 

[punatic]

We're talking cleaning, not sanitizing.

Now we're splitting hairs...     Mayhap you mean cleaning, not disinfecting?

Jeeze, I share some of my best stuff with yous guys - and you ignore it. 

Sanitize:
(săn'ĭ-tīz') pronunciation
tr.v., -tized, -tiz·ing, -tiz·es. 1. To make sanitary, as by cleaning or disinfecting.

[HoosierBrew]

FWIW I rinsed with untreated well water for years with nary a single bad batch to show for it.

Although I generally don't any more, I've done the same with no negative consequences.  The this day, when I rack I sanitize the racking cane and tubing, then fill them with tap water from my well to get the siphon going.  Nothing I'd recommend to anyone, but also never a problems doing that hundreds of times.

+1.  I brewed for years (back in the day) rinsing with hot city tap water and never had a problem.  I use Starsan now, but I think the risks of rinsing were a bit overstated.

[bunderbunder]

Considering the number of partial boil extract brews I've done where at least half of what goes into the fermenter is water straight from the tap. . .

[euge]

FWIW I rinsed with untreated well water for years with nary a single bad batch to show for it.

Although I generally don't any more, I've done the same with no negative consequences.  The this day, when I rack I sanitize the racking cane and tubing, then fill them with tap water from my well to get the siphon going.  Nothing I'd recommend to anyone, but also never a problems doing that hundreds of times.

I would think you would need some pretty poor water quality for it to make a difference, no?

Really poor water indeed. If it made a difference to your beer the water would be non-potable anyway.

However, I'd question anything heavily chlorinated or smelling of chlorine. That could mess the beer up bad. And at certain times of the year I smell chlorine in our water. Added by the city of course.

[beersk]

FWIW I rinsed with untreated well water for years with nary a single bad batch to show for it.

Although I generally don't any more, I've done the same with no negative consequences.  The this day, when I rack I sanitize the racking cane and tubing, then fill them with tap water from my well to get the siphon going.  Nothing I'd recommend to anyone, but also never a problems doing that hundreds of times.

You run the tap water filled in the tubes into the keg? I'll usually run it out till the tube is filled with beer, then cap with my thumb, then run that into the keg.

As far as cleaning goes, using anything other than water on your kettles and mashtuns is overkill. I just rinse those buggers out make sure they look clean. Fermenters, however, they get the sh*t cleaned out of them. I make my own PBW with 70% Oxyclean and 30% TSP90.

[morticaixavier]

FWIW I rinsed with untreated well water for years with nary a single bad batch to show for it.

Although I generally don't any more, I've done the same with no negative consequences.  The this day, when I rack I sanitize the racking cane and tubing, then fill them with tap water from my well to get the siphon going.  Nothing I'd recommend to anyone, but also never a problems doing that hundreds of times.

You run the tap water filled in the tubes into the keg? I'll usually run it out till the tube is filled with beer, then cap with my thumb, then run that into the keg.

As far as cleaning goes, using anything other than water on your kettles and mashtuns is overkill. I just rinse those buggers out make sure they look clean. Fermenters, however, they get the sh*t cleaned out of them. I make my own PBW with 70% Oxyclean and 30% TSP90.

I'm thinking the tap water is probably cleaner than your thumb though, even if you 'sanitize' your thumb with vodka.

[Joe Sr.]

I'm thinking the tap water is probably cleaner than your thumb though, even if you 'sanitize' your thumb with vodka.

With the places my thumb has been you can take that to the bank.

I have one of those little plastic clamp things on my lines to shut off the flow.  Keeps the concern of thumb sanitation out of the equation.