Cleaning Carboys

[BungalowBill]

Hi all, I have decided to get back into home brewing after nearly a melennium and dust off my gear,I would just like to know what is the best way to clean my carboys, do I use a bottle washing powder "detergent" and then sanitizer (sodium percarbonate) or just the sanitizer?

any help will be greatful

 

[quadbox]

Sodium percarbonate's a cleaner, not a sanitiser. Use it to soak them, and then use a no-rinse sanitiser like brewshield, iodophor, starsan, ...

 

[PostModern]

If it's really been a while, give them a few different washes. Something oxygenating (percarbonate), something chlorinated (bleach) and something iodine (iodophor) would work well. In any event, lots of washes and rinsing in between. New seals, new taps and all that, of course.

 

[Barramundi]

caustic soak for 3-4 days , about 30 gms of powdered caustic in the bottom and then fill to the brim with water , put on lid and forget for a few days will come up like new , rinse well and sanitise...

 

[kabooby]

Hey Barra

What do you do with your caustic after you have used it? Do you store it for reuse, neutralise it or just tip it down the drain

Kabooby

 

[matti]

Caustic is efficient at 1% at very hot temps of 85 degrees.

I use caustic and boiling water and swish it a round.
About 5 litre @ 1%.
Leave it for an hour. Swish occasionally around.
Rinse with hot water too.
Then your favorite sanitiser.

I tip all my water into the garden. The lawn is a caustic dump.
Not really, at those concentration it won't harm lawn IMHO

 

[Barley Belly]

I always use a tablespoon of Sodium Percarbonate (Napisan but unscented) and warm water fill to the brim, let soak for a hour or so and most of the crud just disappears and what's left just wipes away.

Then use around 1/2 cup Unscented Bleach / White Vinegar (50/50) and top up to the brim and leave overnight.

I don't rinse if not using straight away, if using it I rinse with boiling water.

You are gunna get a million answers to this question and this is what works for me.

 

[Barramundi]

Hey Barra

What do you do with your caustic after you have used it? Do you store it for reuse, neutralise it or just tip it down the drain

Kabooby

i usually tip it into another fermenter or cube and clean a few with the mix then tip it away down the driveway to wash out the oils stains etc etc

 

[drtomc]

+1 for multiple cleanings/sanitizing

The cleaners I generally use are Napisan and dishwasher detergent (caustic), not together of course!
Followed by a good soak for a couple of days with chlorine bleach, good rinse, then iodophor just prior to use.

I don't do that everytime, but on any equipment that hasn't been used for a while, or if I spot mold or anything, then I go all out.

T.

 

[Fents]

good presuure wash with a karcher in between all those soaks too if you can get your hands on one.

 

[BungalowBill]

Thanks guys, I had it soaking in the laundry tub for over a week, now I can get into business, didnt want to stuff up the first batch
BB