Better Bottle Cleaning Issues

I used a six gallon Better Bottle as the primary for my Flat Tire. I kegged it last week. The ale sat in the primary for almost five weeks. I was reasonably successful cleaning it with the exception of a thin line of crusted krausen. The bottle has been soaking for a week in the sun as well as being agitated daily. I don't ant to use a brush to clean it but I'm getting ready to brew a Double IPA and would like the six gallon for head room. What's the trick?

Someone post a picture of how they cleaned their BB. I believe it involved oxyclean, some hot water, and a wash cloth. They shook the BB and used that wash cloth to "scrub" the sides where the krausen was. You don't want to use a brush or anything than can scratch it.

Not that we want to spend more money on a brush, but the sites I've seen that sell BB's also sell a red carboy brush, saying the red ones are softer and safe to use on the BB's.

No experience, just saying what they said.

Use Oxyclean and fill the BB all the way to the top with hot water. You will get a ton of foam but in one day your bottle with be totally clean. Anything that comes into contact with the water will be gone.

That would work with oxy clean. When I got my glass carboys out of storage for 3 years one of them I apparently hadn't cleaned after last using it. Crusted krausen at the top and all over inside. I filled to the top with water with 3 tablespoons of 1 step cleaner in it and it was all clean in less than an hour.

Might not work as well or fast on a BB, but I suspect it will still work.

I put a washcloth in mine with some hot water, not too much, put a stopper in and swirled it upside-down. The cloth wiped away the krausen ring within a couple of minutes. I wouldn't put a brush in there for fear of scratches.

I use the washcloth trick. Works great.

oxyclean is your new best friend. I used it on my 5 gal BB and it worked like a charm. Soak in hot water over night.

Ditto to the oxy. Haven't scrubbed anything from mashtun to kettle to keg in like the last 10 batches. Just soak it! If that doesn't work, try again (it will work). Barring that, the washcloth trick sounds cool!

Great tip on the wash cloth. I just did Oxy clean several time but still had a smell so used a soft brush on top and another wash.. that did it but I am going with the wash cloth next time.

Another trick that works well with the BB. Add just a gallon or so of hot water and your favored cleaner, Oxyclean or other. Insert the closure in the bottle and invert it. Now the cleaning solution and attendant bubbling will be concentrated in the area of the dreaded krauesen ring. Works great.

The trick with the wash cloth is to use just enough liquid to get the wash cloth wet. To much liquid and the wash cloth doesn't make good contact with the grime.

It does work well for cleaning that last little film off.

Linc

1GR8DA said:

The bottle has been soaking for a week in the sun as well as being agitated daily.

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Anyone else a little concern with the OP leaving a plastic bottle in the sun for a week? HDPE degrades under exposure to UV. It is not a quick process, but if your bottle begins to discolor or cloud, be careful. HDPE exposed to extended sunlight will become brittle.

I have had mine not come clean with just oxyclean so I have put a couple socks on my carboy brush and scrub the inside with that. The socks keep it from scratching and it gets everything off.

Is Oxyclean different from Oxiclean? I picked up some oxiclean from my localstore. It has warnings about swallowing on the packaging. Is this safe to use? I got the "free" version, which contains no perfume or chlorine.

same stuff

+1 on oxyclean and a washcloth.....

And like was mentioned you want just enough water for the washcloth scrub to work... to much and it just floats.... maybe a cup or two is plenty then swirl the hell outta the carboy and it gets really nice and clean

All I do is put about 2 gallons of hot water and Oxyclean. I then invert the bottle in a small bucket with some water it works just like a water cooler. The Oxyclean is in direct contact with the crud and its gone overnight . No shaking, leaking or slightest chance of a scratch

I just used a bit of detergent (yes, I know) and the wash cloth and the film that was left on my carboy was gone in no time. Long hot rinse after that. I was actually surprised that it worked so easily.

This thread answered most of my Oxiclean questions. The only thing I'm unclear on is the ratio of water to cleaner.

I fill mine up with oxi clean and leave it over night. By the morning everything is clean. I put about half a scoop of powder in for a full better bottle of warm water.

springer said:

All I do is put about 2 gallons of hot water and Oxyclean. I then invert the bottle in a small bucket with some water it works just like a water cooler. The Oxyclean is in direct contact with the crud and its gone overnight . No shaking, leaking or slightest chance of a scratch

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This is exactly what I do.