Shower rinse

[dwhyte]

Hi all,

I have been using Chempro (RIP) and now VWP for years with hot water from the bath tap and rinsing with the shower hose.
Never really had any problems.

Just been thinking though about water sanitising. How safe am I using the bathroom water to rinse, especially the shower cold water?
I don't have a big kitchen so can't really rinse well there with the mains cold tap.

Looking at no rinse sanitisers and got a bottle of Videne but there seems to be some recent debate about it's effectiveness.
May go to thin bleach as a cheaper alternative, my water in Edinburgh should be the right PH (I think) for both though?

Also, I have always filled 25 litre fermenting bins and barrels full with VWP solution which is quite expensive but reassuring! Do we need to fill the vessels full or would the chlorine gas do the biz with say 5 litres and a swirl around every 5 or ten mins?

Cheers

[Brotherton Lad]

Shower heads often have all sorts of gunge growing in them, so I'd be tempted to clean and sanitise the shower head first.

[mattmacleod]

I use StarSan for sanitising. It lasts ages because you dilute it down and more importantly you can re-use it. I make a five gallon batch up and store it in one of my plastic buckets. I keep an eye on the pH and make fresh when required. I also have a spray bottle that I use for sanitising bits and pieces. You don't need to rinse it so no problems with showerheads or anything else.

[pas8280]

I have been using the cheap supermarket thin bleach for some time now having swapped from own brand baby sterilising fluid and touch wood it has all gone well for many brews. To do the bottles i soak them over night in a fermentation bucket filled with thin bleach solution then rinse before bottling,the same for my FV's at 28p for two litres its a good cheap alternative that works for me

[cosmondo]

I have been using the cheap supermarket thin bleach for some time now having swapped from own brand baby sterilising fluid and touch wood it has all gone well for many brews. To do the bottles i soak them over night in a fermentation bucket filled with thin bleach solution then rinse before bottling,the same for my FV's at 28p for two litres its a good cheap alternative that works for me

This is my preferred option - mainly due to ease of acquiring bleach as opposed to starsan etc...& of course price.

Thing is...

I'm not on main water, my water comes directly off the Scottish hills - completely untreated.

Would this cause a problem with rinsing?

I think it should help with the "brewing liqour", as it's from the same source as Highland Spring pretty much, which is bottled up the road from me...but again I'm not certain, as I've never tried brewing - but it's nice in a wee malt.

I suppose I'll just go ahead & try it out, when my kit comes together next week, but if anyone is able to offer a bit of advice then all the better.

[Wolfy]

I have been using Chempro (RIP) and now VWP for years with hot water from the bath tap and rinsing with the shower hose.
Never really had any problems.

If you've not had any problems for years, then you have really answered your own question in a way.

However, using a sanitizer that I have to rinse is not my preferred option, a specialty product like StarSan is very cost effective (when you work out the per use cost) and it's quick and easy to use.
The water delivered to your house should not be much of an issue in regard to sanitation, however what happens between there and your fermenter may be.
In my shower for example I often have to clean mold and the like from the tiles, walls and roof, so if I can see it (and be bothered cleaning it) there must be spores and other things floating around in the air, so it's not somewhere that I'd use to rinse my freshly sanitized fermenter - even if the water is 'fine' which is also somewhat debatable.