[reverseapachemaster]

I've always been under the impression that you needed to acidify the bleach as well for it to be effective. When i make my no-rinse bleach solution for sanitizing on brew days, I add vinegar and check the pH before proceeding.

Obviously if you have been using it to clean mixed culture equipment, etc. then I believe you but I always thought acidification was part of the deal for it to be a "stone cold killer"

It's easier to go longer on contact time than have to deal with adjusting the pH of the sanitizing solution but if you were really concerned about sanitation or wanted to sanitize faster then acidifying the bleach solution would be a better practice.

Here in California, where water is precious, filling a carboy full of sanitizer or chlorine and then dumping it is frowned upon as a waste of water. For StarSan I just use a cup or so in a 7-gallon carboy, swish it around all over the insides for a few minutes, then drain. Can I do the same with bleach? My inclination would be to swish a cup to coat the surface, let it sit for some time (10-15 mins), swish it all over again and repeat this a half dozen times over the course of a day. Would this be effective? I stopped using glass carboys because I was afraid I would drop one while doing the swishing. With a PET carboy it is easy, and not a problem even if I drop it.

As Robert points out, bleach doesn't have the surfactant to make this work.

You could sanitize your equipment with less water by partially filling it and rotating the carboy on its sides and bottom letting it rest for 20 minutes on every part to ensure sufficient contact time. Acidifying a smaller bleach solution and swirling it around to make sufficient contact for long enough time might also work.

I appreciate not wanting to waste water with this process. I don't live in an area where water is as scarce but I try to wait to do this process until I have enough equipment that I can sanitize as much as possible with as little water as possible. Unfortunately dechlorinating the equipment isn't easily done with less water. In your situation it might be better to use iodophor.

[BrewArk]

Bleach is your best solution 200ppm soak will do the job.  You can neutralize the hypochlorite to chloride with peroxide (oxygen gas is released).

That still leaves table salt in the remaining water, so I wouldn't use it to water plants, but any use that can handle salt in the water will be safe.  I usually put it down the drain, so I haven't done the stoichiometry for 5 gallons of 200 ppm.

[James K]

Here in California, where water is precious, filling a carboy full of sanitizer or chlorine and then dumping it is frowned upon as a waste of water. For StarSan I just use a cup or so in a 7-gallon carboy, swish it around all over the insides for a few minutes, then drain. Can I do the same with bleach? My inclination would be to swish a cup to coat the surface, let it sit for some time (10-15 mins), swish it all over again and repeat this a half dozen times over the course of a day. Would this be effective? I stopped using glass carboys because I was afraid I would drop one while doing the swishing. With a PET carboy it is easy, and not a problem even if I drop it.

Yea. I am in Arizona and try not to use a lot of water. Mainly to fill my hlc. Crash after boiling. And rinse/sanitize.
I’m going to start putting bottles in the over though. I don’t think I’m risking contamination in bottles as much as in carboys because I tend to wait and clean everything on brew day so I don’t use water just to clean one thing. Maybe bad practice not to immediately clean after a xfer or when a keg empties.
Bleach sounds good. Sometimes I use isopropyl and then light it on fire. The kid in me.