Cleaning Plastic Fermenters

[butisitart]

When the batteries go flat...do you offer to "help her out" !!!

nah, i'm not good mechanically

 

[butisitart]

PBW = Powdered Brewery Wash

https://lazydayzbrewingsupplies.com.au/product/powdered-brewery-wash-pbw-1kg/

i'm in the market for some pbw, i thought it was a registered name, so there's stellarclean??
my lhbs doesn't carry either, unless there are more names for it. they've got stellar-soda (caustic soda), but not stellar-clean.

 

[kadmium]

Keg king to an ABC cleaner made in Australia. Magic stuff but not sure what postage would cost

 

[butisitart]

Keg king to an ABC cleaner made in Australia. Magic stuff but not sure what postage would cost

you can get it in brissie, but from where i live, it's either $10 tolls or a 2 day odyssey to get there (eg craftbrewer - wrong side of the river).
so just need to look around a bit more or pay either the toll or the courier.

 

[kadmium]

Oh. Look at Mr. I CAN DRIVE MORE THAN 5KMS FROM MY HOUSE over here. Ooooh big deal *sob sob sob*

 

[Paleman]

PBW = Powdered Brewery Wash

https://lazydayzbrewingsupplies.com.au/product/powdered-brewery-wash-pbw-1kg/

Ah yeah, thats what i use.

 

[butisitart]

Oh. Look at Mr. I CAN DRIVE MORE THAN 5KMS FROM MY HOUSE over here. Ooooh big deal *sob sob sob*

sooo soorrrryy. you'll keep.

 

[Nullnvoid]

You mean there are people out there that can travel more than 5km!! Wow, it's a new world

 

[peterlonz]

I found PBW on EBay after drawing a blank elsewhere. It was not cheap when postage was considered.
Used to see it widely recommended. not so often these days.
I now do not use it, found alternatives that work but the product is sound.

 

[Milhouse]

i'm in the market for some pbw, i thought it was a registered name, so there's stellarclean??
my lhbs doesn't carry either, unless there are more names for it. they've got stellar-soda (caustic soda), but not stellar-clean.

Brewcraft in North Lakes stock it. Depending on where you live you could also try either country brewer in Stafford or the brew shed in Strathpine. Hoppy days is Virginia only stock pure sodium percarbonate.

 

[Milhouse]

you can get it in brissie, but from where i live, it's either $10 tolls or a 2 day odyssey to get there (eg craftbrewer - wrong side of the river).
so just need to look around a bit more or pay either the toll or the courier.

Also I replied to the wrong reply earlier, meant to reply to this one

 

[butisitart]

Brewcraft in North Lakes stock it. Depending on where you live you could also try either country brewer in Stafford or the brew shed in Strathpine. Hoppy days is Virginia only stock pure sodium percarbonate.

lhbs is hoppy days, live in wooloowin, so stafford is good. cheers

 

[grandadrob]

I use (UK) Chemipro for bottles but only hot water and elbow grease for my stainless steel fermenters..

 

[Grmblz]

A mate proudly showed me his new plastic taps, solid black.
I shake my head and show him my tap cleaning jar, holding a white tap up to the light you can clearly see the gunge inside it, which leads you to remove it from the fermenter, whereupon you discover the gunge in the threads of both tap and fermenter.
My process: remove tap, brush out the threads on the fermenter and copiously spray with starsan, put the tap in boiling water to soften, using towel/gloves and superhuman effort pull tap apart, brush out any crud and store the two parts in a jar full of starsan.
When needed, reassemble the tap using food grade silicon lube, if you omit the lube the tap WILL! drip.
Not saying the black taps are bad, just if we can't see it the assumption is that it's clean.
Sorry if this has been covered elsewhere, just worth stressing imho.
btw, after 2 hrs of trying to pull a tap apart (please don't use the you tube method of using a screwdriver and banging it on a bench)
Please send $200.00 to "Grmblz @ I will take your money" for a free video on how to do it. Spoiler alert, it uses vice grips.

 

[Nullnvoid]

A mate proudly showed me his new plastic taps, solid black.
I shake my head and show him my tap cleaning jar, holding a white tap up to the light you can clearly see the gunge inside it, which leads you to remove it from the fermenter, whereupon you discover the gunge in the threads of both tap and fermenter.
My process: remove tap, brush out the threads on the fermenter and copiously spray with starsan, put the tap in boiling water to soften, using towel/gloves and superhuman effort pull tap apart, brush out any crud and store the two parts in a jar full of starsan.
When needed, reassemble the tap using food grade silicon lube, if you omit the lube the tap WILL! drip.
Not saying the black taps are bad, just if we can't see it the assumption is that it's clean.
Sorry if this has been covered elsewhere, just worth stressing imho.
btw, after 2 hrs of trying to pull a tap apart (please don't use the you tube method of using a screwdriver and banging it on a bench)
Please send $200.00 to "Grmblz @ I will take your money" for a free video on how to do it. Spoiler alert, it uses vice grips.

Why not bang the tap apart with another tool. I don't use a screw driver but a wooden spoon fits perfectly.

Or do I need to pay you the $200 to find out

 

[philrob]

I use a piece of wooden dowel as my "tap dissembling tool". Just insert the dowel, hang on to the tap body, bang the dowel against a brick wall, and bingo, the tap comes apart. Easy peasy.

 

[Grmblz]

Yep a wooden dowel/spoon would be fine I think, the vid I saw used a philips screwdriver, can only imagine the scratches it creates.
I have a pair of vice grips and grip the handle with them, then pull the things apart, not too hard after a quick soak in boiling water and no danger of any internal damage. Although the dowel/spoon method sounds a lot easier. Damn, gotta give refunds now.

 

[butisitart]

Although the dowel/spoon method sounds a lot easier. Damn, gotta give refunds now.

i was thinking about you and wooden spoons, and i was thinking of sending you the 200 hard earneds.
so i think you should think about refunding my cheque what i was honestly sending..,

 

[Grmblz]

Maaate, I put the cheque in the post last week, honest I did.
As for wooden spoons I still shudder just thinking about them, my mom has a lot to answer for.