I got some sanitiser in brew now I am not sure if its fermenting

I was cooling down my wort in the sink and couple of drops of sanitiser dripped from my hand into the cooling liquid.

I was using VWP and the solution was as per the instructions 1 teaspoon per 4 litres. I would say less than 5ml got into 5 litres of brew.

I pitched my yeast but feel like I am seeing very little action from the bucket. So my questions are

  1. Is it safe for consumption?
  2. Will that amount of steriliser kill off my yeast?

Thanks :)

Topic sanitizer homebrew

Category Mac

1
answered at

Drink it. At least do not discard a brew before completion and without subsequent taste testing.

A few drops of made up VPW solution in a 25 ltr batch "is nothing to really worry about". I doubt it would affect the yeast activity if sufficient active yeast is pitched. The active chlorinating agent in VPW has been used to sterilise water containing pathogens - it is then drunk. And that is in concentrations you can taste. So that aspect of VPW is pretty risk free. The surfactant aspect is another matter but at this concentration they are equivalent to something like the residue left on a hand washed dining plate or pan.

I can't imagine the taste being affected but give it a try after it has fermented. If it tastes OK then IMHO one should drink it. One might find that the surfactant had been "bio-transformed" and the chlorinating agent had been chemically reduced rendering it inactive. In this state is it is biologically almost inert.

IMHO there is too much paranoia about minute amounts of common chemicals being present in water/liquor or on brewing utensils . I accept that if one knocked a pot of VPW into the brew it should be discarded. But a few drops of made up solution - are we joking?

1
answered at

If found this interesting FAQ in the link EZ provided:

I forgot to rinse out the equipment. Will my beer/wine be OK?
All equipment should be rinsed before use. Anything left in a fermenting vessel will affect the taste. Any active bacteria feft may kill the yeast.

So, they don't mention that is poisonous, but the taste and yeast may be affected. Two or three drops might not have such a big impact. I would continue the process and taste it before bottling.

According to this link, you will probably be fine: http://www.thehomebrewforum.co.uk/showthread.php?t=25587

1
answered at

Wow! This is some pretty serious stuff. While I agree with Evil that the batch should be dumped, I would take another step... look for a no rinse solution. Here in the US, many homebrewers use a product called StarSan. It leaves a foam on the surface (which, as I understand it, is a yeast nutrient). In reality, there is no way I would let anything non-consumable (not that you want to drink StarSan concentrated) near my brewing equipment. As it turns out, you can buy it in the UK: http://www.the-home-brew-shop.co.uk/acatalog/Five_Star_Star_San_16oz_454g.html

1
answered at

VWP appears to be a sterilizer that requires a sanitary rinse after use.

http://www.vwpcleanersteriliser.co.uk/faq.htm

If 5ml of concentrated VWP powder went into 5 liters of wort, I would say it's not safe to consume and the yeast will be severly effected if not dead.

The manufacturer doesn't specify what it's active ingredients are. So... I would dump the batch.

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