Caustic/keg & Line Cleaner

[gibbocore]

Does anyone know if there is a commercial supermarket brand of Sodium Hydroxide? I need to gove the taps and a couple of kegs a clean and have run out. LHBS tried to gove me pink stain cleaner.

 

[Sammus]

draino, or any of the drain cleaners. I picked up some 99.9% NaOH powder from that section, i cant remember the brand name of it.

 

[gibbocore]

cheers dude,. probably could have googled a bit harder for that one. LOL.

Does PBW do kegs and lines/taps?

 

[Pennywise]

I spoke to Andrew from CB about a week ago and he confimed pbw is good on kegs, then lines and taps I'm not sure

 

[Bubba Q]

Try Whats Brewing @ Kogarah

 

[alowen474]

I have used Draino from the supermarket.Works well hot, but can turn you to soap if you are not careful!!Sodium Hydroxide
Napisan is also supposed to work well.Sodium percarbonate? I have used it, seems to go OK
Have just bought PBW, not so caustic so less dangerous. The MSDS and spec sheet on the website say how to use it.

Cheers

 

[TidalPete]

cheers dude,. probably could have googled a bit harder for that one. LOL.

Does PBW do kegs and lines/taps?

I do my brewery lines with PBW but still have to use it in my kegs.
In a quick Google for drano NOT "Draino" I found a couple of dead websites which was not surprising after reading this one ---- Link
I think I'll stick to PBW! h34r:

TP

 

[PostModern]

The supermarket also stocks pure Caustic Soda which is about 1/3 of the active ingredient in Draino. Draino has aluminium shards and all kinds of other stuff that could possibly wreck stainless.

 

[katzke]

Does anyone know if there is a commercial supermarket brand of Sodium Hydroxide? I need to gove the taps and a couple of kegs a clean and have run out. LHBS tried to gove me pink stain cleaner.

PBW should do the trick unless you have a reason to use Caustic. I am not sure how well it does on beer stone anyway. What I was told to use was Caustic with a Nitric Acid rinse but that was just for kegs. Caustic can cause problems with fittings if they have any Copper or Brass.

PBW will not eat holes in you either like Caustic will.

 

[Greg Lawrence]

Ive been using pink stain remover (PSR).
Should I not be using this on kegs & lines?
Will it damage the kegs, lines or valves?

 

[Blackfish]

Ive been using pink stain remover (PSR).
Should I not be using this on kegs & lines?
Will it damage the kegs, lines or valves?

Don't think so Gregor.

IIRC PBW has a bleach component that will corrode your stainless gear. Check it out.

I have been looking for a food grade source of Lye/Caustic Soda/ Sodium Hydroxide for a pretzel recipie
Anyone know?
apparently you dip them in it before baking...
Maybe thats a whole 'nother thread...

 

[LLoyd]

Commercial dishwasher powder/liquid has had the best results so far... Sodium hydroxide, potassium hydroxide plus surficants.. You need to use an acid ( Phosphoric is good) to deal with any scale that builds up as a result..

 

[Sammus]

Don't think so Gregor.

IIRC PBW has a bleach component that will corrode your stainless gear. Check it out.

I have been looking for a food grade source of Lye/Caustic Soda/ Sodium Hydroxide for a pretzel recipie
Anyone know?
apparently you dip them in it before baking...
Maybe thats a whole 'nother thread...

pretty certain the "bleach" in PBW is oxygen bleach not chlorine. ie sodium percarbonate. I leave my kegs soaking in it for months at a time with zero pitting issues.

 

[ausdb]

Don't think so Gregor.

IIRC PBW has a bleach component that will corrode your stainless gear. Check it out.

I have been looking for a food grade source of Lye/Caustic Soda/ Sodium Hydroxide for a pretzel recipie
Anyone know?
apparently you dip them in it before baking...
Maybe thats a whole 'nother thread...

Getting a bit OT but if you can't find food grade Lye (I couldn't find a small amount in Perth) then bicarb soda does a pretty good job as well to get the gloss on pretzels

 

[Sully]

Does anyone know if there is a commercial supermarket brand of Sodium Hydroxide? I need to gove the taps and a couple of kegs a clean and have run out. LHBS tried to gove me pink stain cleaner.

98% Sodium Hydroxide from Woolies: LINKY

Commercial Keg and Line Cleaner is 350g/L Sodium Hydroxide which is further diluted down 1:100

I have been looking for a food grade source of Lye/Caustic Soda/ Sodium Hydroxide for a pretzel recipie
Anyone know?
apparently you dip them in it before baking...
Maybe thats a whole 'nother thread...

Remind me not to eat any of your pretzels... who are you trying to snuff out??? h34r: "These pretzels are making me thirsty"

Cheers

Sully

 

[goomboogo]

Blackfish, the tech sheet from 5 Star Chemicals claims PBW is fine to use on stainless steel.