dallasdb

Recipes 

OP, why did you use the cleaner in the kettle? The heat from brewing kills all the nasties. I scrub my kettle with the kitchen sponge and a little soap, never had any issues.

Fyi, don't use oxyclean on aluminum.

HotDog

Recipes 

In regards to homemade 70/30, Oxi/TSP....

How much needs to be diluted to make 5 gal?

And does TSP need to added to mix? If not, what is that ratio to water?

Shooter

Recipes 

For a five gallon batch of cleaner, I'd probably put in at least half of a scoop from the Oxiclean tub. I normally make my mix by dividing one of the three pound tubs in half and adding a one pound bag of the Red Devil TSP to each half. I then pour the mixture back into a pair of Oxy tubs and just use the provided measuring cups to scoop it out.

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Aunt_Ester

Recipes 

I've always used PBW, but I'm sick of how much it costs. We're talking about OxiClean the powered laundry detergent right?

I'm confused because the detergent doesn't even imply that it may be used for surfaces that we eat off of.

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jbay76

Recipes 

That's becuase OxiClean hasn't been tested for food uses. But, oxiclean and PBW work of redox reactions, so chemically it should be the same. I've been using the stuff to clean all my brew equipment for 5 years. I triple rinse everything in hot water as I would in a lab setting, and everything is fine.
Disclaimer: I am now kegging beer, so not sure how that will go

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mvanwie

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I use Up & Up (Target's house brand) Oxygen Cleaner. It is basically repackaged Sun Oxygenated Cleaner (confirmed via an MSDS request). According the MSDS, Sun OC is 50-70% Na Carbonate & 30-40% Na Percarbonate. I prefer the Sun to Oxiclean because the Sun doesn't have the blue "flavor" crystals.

Since my understanding is that PBW is 30% Na Metasilicate and the rest percarbonates, a 30-70 mix of TSP/90 (Red Devil) and Sun Oxygen is as close as you're going to get to PBW at the chemical level.

I use 4 oz./5 gal with outstanding results that mirror PBW with one exception - slight foam. The foaming is a bit bothersome, but can be controlled by adding some unscented dishwasher detergent (or other food-safe defoamer).

During my cleaning cycle, the solution comes into contact with my aluminum BK, but I've never had any issues with that... I have a great oxide layer built up, which I assume helps.

Wynne-R

Recipes 

PRODUCT NAME: PBW
COMPOSITION: SILICATES, PHOSPHATES, AND SURFACTANTS
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http://www.fivestarchemicals.com/wp-content/uploads/PBWMSDS2.pdf

Generates 4 - 5% Oxygen . . .
To help in hard water areas P.B.W. has been formulated with enough chelators to tolerate hard water over 17 grains.

http://www.fivestarchemicals.com/wp-content/uploads/PBWTech2.pdf


I don’t know exactly what’s in PBW, but it doesn’t have nearly as much oxygen as OxiClean. It seems to have a fair amount of detergent in it. Here’s my guess.

30% Sodium metasilicate
20% Linear alkylbenzene sulfonate
10% Sodium percarbonate
10% Phosphate
30% sodium carbonate
1% EDTA

I know that over 100%, so sue me. Consider the amounts approximate, it’s only a guess.

ResumeMan

Recipes 

No, it is NOT the laundry detergent! The detergent is advertised as being "with" Oxiclean.

Oxiclean itself is a stand-alone product. Would be in the cleaner section I assume, not the laundry section.

No idea what would happen if you washed your beer stuff with laundry detergent but I don't suggest finding out...

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jbay76

Recipes 

I've used Oxiclean, the detergent, to clean all my brew products. 1 tbsp to 1.5 gallons hot water, and caked yeast on a carboy fermenter rarely lasts for more than an hr before everything is gone, and the solution turns brown. Drain, and triple rinse with hot water and I'm done. Sometimes I do a 4th rinse. That goes for bottles, tubing, etc.

I am now going to start kegging and will see how that goes. The cleaning method is very similar to a standard lab method, and in the end its all chemistry...i.e. re-dox reactions. It works, and I have a wall full of regional and national awards to prove it doesn't affect beer flavor or anything else.

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mvanwie

Recipes 

Unless there's some sort of ultra-pure Oxiclean being sold in a different part of the store that I don't know about, you're splitting hairs by pointing out that Oxiclean is not laundry detergent.

The only place I ever see Oxiclean sold is in the laundry aisle. No, Oxiclean is not "laundry detergent" per se (much like Miracle Whip is not mayonnaise), but the powdered version is used almost exclusively for laundry these days - at least here in the Midwest - and I do know of some folks who use Oxiclean as both an additive to and substitute for laundry detergent.