captianoats

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We all know that funky smell that gets in the plastic fermenting buckets over time. No matter how much you scrub you end up with that smell. Does anyone know of a way to get that smell out of there? I am considering dumping some bleach in it and letting it sit for a day or two and see what happens, but I didn't know if someone else had found a way that works.

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BrewMeister49

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oxyfree oxyclean.

Nurmey

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I clean with Oxyclean, rinse, and leave the lid off or loose so it dries and airs out completely. I think the main thing is to not seal it up after cleaning.

Bleach is not a terrible idea if the smell bothers you. The smell could be coming from scratches in your bucket holding on to bacteria.

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Smitty025

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I've used vinegar in the past and it worked nicely.

Brewin_CRAZY

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One simple answer, Oxyclean. That stuff is amazing, just put it in there let it sit for a night or two and clean your fermentation chamber out. Thats all I clean with, I have never once scrubbed a carboy or ferm chamber...

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Picobrew

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Scrubbing plastic is bad news! Scratch city. I also oxyclean. Never need to scrub. However, after like 20 batches in the same fermenter, there is still a "beer" smell that oxy doesn't solve. Maybe I should try vinegar.

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lowlife

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my thoughts are/
who cares if it smells. it wont affect anything... just my personal opinion.

ifishsum

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+1. My plastic ferm buckets have smelled since the first batch. As long as they are clean and sanitary, there should be nothing to worry about.

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SmugMug

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I usually do an oxyclean soak for a couple of hours and then a 10% bleach soak overnight. It tends to knock the smell down some, or at least keep it from getting new funk. I do use the soft side of a sponge to wipe down the inside just for my own sanity.

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json2001

Recipes 

Another vote for Oxyclean. It really is outstanding...it just works. Cleans my boil kettle back to it's original shine as well.