Age old equipment cleaning questions!

[mutznutz]

Just about to order Starsan for sterilising but was wondering whether to buy Brupaks Bottle and Barrel cleaner with it, I've not got any stubborn dirt on my equipment but thought this could be a belt and braces thing to make sure everything is spotless before another failed brew!

Or are there any other suggestions?... cos I feel hot soapy (fairy liquid) water, could be where I've been going wrong!

 

[Clint]

Get some oxi/sodium percarbonate with hot water for shifting the crud...then starsan.

Cheers

Clint

 

[airymary]

Some years ago, I was given a Boots PB. It had been stored for years with cider dregs in it, and it stank. After several hot soaks with soda crystals, it became useable. So I'm a great believer in common or garden soda crystals to clean/deodorise plastics.

Cheers,
Chris

 

[JapanBrew]

Clint is right. I've been using oxi now since I moved to kegs. Oxi not only is a detergent but also sanitizer. However, it leaves a slimmy residue so you have to rinse well. That's where you'll introduce new little critters to you pots.
I just got my StarSan 8 oz bottle today and here in Japan, it was a pretty penny at about 30 pounds. Until now, I was just using Milton. But I'm sure it was leaving a slight chlorine taste on the light beers. StarSan is no rinse and adds zero flavor.

 

[airymary]

I use oxi for my kegs, but the OP refers to bottle/barrel cleaners. As above, I found soda crystals more effective for plastics. Sorry if that flies in the face of conventional wisdom that it has to be some preparation specifically marketed for brewing or home brewing, like Starsan - I've always considered it overpriced, and never used it.

I wouldn't rely on soda crystals or oxi for sterilising, tho'. Videne is my choice there - if it's good enough for operating theatres, it's good enough for me!

Cheers,
Chris

 

[Personal91]

Clint is right. I've been using oxi now since I moved to kegs. Oxi not only is a detergent but also sanitizer. However, it leaves a slimmy residue so you have to rinse well. That's where you'll introduce new little critters to you pots.
I just got my StarSan 8 oz bottle today and here in Japan, it was a pretty penny at about 30 pounds. Until now, I was just using Milton. But I'm sure it was leaving a slight chlorine taste on the light beers. StarSan is no rinse and adds zero flavor.

why not just use thin bleach - dilute with water and then add distilled (white/clear) vinegar ? iv had great success with my fermenting vessels with it !

 

[JapanBrew]

Again I would but you guys can walk into any store and get anything you need. Here, nope. But they do sell Oxiclean so I got lucky there.

 

[Hoppyland]

I use "thin" bleach (no surfacants or ****, just hypochlorite). Kills anything. I don't dilute it (why dilute? it just reduces the potency).
I'd never add acid to it - this will release chlorine gas. Nasty stuff.
Yep, you need to rinse. Several (4 or 5) times with only a little water each time achieves a serial dilution and there won't be discernible hypochlorite left. Don't worry too much about the smell - after rinsing it's all in the gas & will be displaced when you fill the vessel. Far too little to affect the subsequent flavour.

 

[Personal91]

I use "thin" bleach (no surfacants or ****, just hypochlorite). Kills anything. I don't dilute it (why dilute? it just reduces the potency).
I'd never add acid to it - this will release chlorine gas. Nasty stuff.
Yep, you need to rinse. Several (4 or 5) times with only a little water each time achieves a serial dilution and there won't be discernible hypochlorite left. Don't worry too much about the smell - after rinsing it's all in the gas & will be displaced when you fill the vessel. Far too little to affect the subsequent flavour.

I dilute it so that it covers the whole of the fermenting vessel internally and add the vinegar so that it makes the solution the same as a no rinse solution ( I then leave it in the vessel for a fair amount of time and then re-rinse after emptying it )

to remove physical muck I will make an oxy mix and leave it in the fermenter for some time ( I left it overnight the last time I brewed ) and then make sure to scrub with the soft side of a scrubber to remove it all. I would then after rinsing start with the thin bleach etc

 

[hoptoit]

I dilute it so that it covers the whole of the fermenting vessel internally and add the vinegar so that it makes the solution the same as a no rinse solution ( I then leave it in the vessel for a fair amount of time and then re-rinse after emptying it )

to remove physical muck I will make an oxy mix and leave it in the fermenter for some time ( I left it overnight the last time I brewed ) and then make sure to scrub with the soft side of a scrubber to remove it all. I would then after rinsing start with the thin bleach etc

Have a read of this.
http://chemistry.about.com/od/toxicchemicals/a/Mixing-Bleach-And-Vinegar.htm

 

[ravey]

Anyone tried hydrogen peroxide and vinegar? Seems it's very effective and super safe.

 

[Bigcol49]

The guy who developed StarSan recommends 1oz cheap bleach in 5 gallons of water followed by 1oz white vinegar. It's cheap enough to use and throw away.

 

[Cwrw666]

After years and years of using bottles a good many of them had built up a good thick layer of baked on c**p on the insides that no amount of scrubbing with the bottle brush would take off. So I mixed up a concentrated solution of washing soda crystals (calcium carbonate I think) and after drinking each bottle of beer I rinsed it out then left it standing overnight filled with the solution. Next day I rinsed them out and they were sparkly clean. A pint of the solution would do for about 20 bottles and it didn't take long before I managed to work through all my stock of bottles.