This is my report on my experimentation over several batches with a bleach and vinegar sanitizing solution; for those unfamiliar with what I'm speaking about, I believe there is at least one old thread about the subject on this group and in a few other forums as well; here is a tinyurl link to one of them:
The concept is based on a podcast on 'Basic Brewing Radio' which hosted Charlie Talley from Five-Star Chemicals, which you can listen to here:
CAUTION: Do NOT mix bleach and vinegar directly; it is dangerous! However, I'm convinced it is safe to do it by following his directions.
Prior to this experiment, I had been using Iodophor with great success, but decided to give this a try. Following the directions that Charlie provided, I mixed a solution of five (5) gallons of water with _eactly_
1 tablespoon of bleach, stirred it well, and then added _exactly_ 1 tablespoon of _white_ vinegar, as suggested. I then used it as a "no rinse" sanitizer for everything during bottling. I am happy to report that I have not detected any off-flavors from doing so. I'm going to guess that, as cheap as bleach and vinegar are, that this is probably less expensive than Iodophor, but my main reason for trying this is that I can get them at the local grocery store in a pinch whereas the Iodophor is a little harder to get in a little town like where I live.Cheers.
Bill Velek - PERSONAL sites =