better bottles

I just moved over from buckets to better bottles. I like them so much better with the exception of cleaning them. Its pretty easy to get the bottom clean but the kraussen ring is another story. I don't have the cash right now for one of those carboy cleaners so who has some good tips on making this easier?
Thanks

Soak overnight in warm PBW. Everything should rinse right off the next day

shoulda stayed with the buckets.that's my tip

Soak with 1 tablespoon of pbw and two gallons of hot water for an hour.
Works for me.

I use oxi clean. The cheap knock off from the dollar store. I just put a small scoop in the carboy, and fill it to the top with hot water and let it sit in the laundry tub overnight. It hasn't failed me yet. A good shaking the next day and usually good to go.

Pbw water and a clean washcloth shoved in the bottle. Shake em up and works just fine for me.

I looked at the Better Bottle things on some other website for makin' homebrew. Seems they have a hole toward the bottom for some kind of valve. My 1990s-vintage bottling bucket has a one-inch hole toward its bottom for the valve. I would like to find a better valve than what I have, which is one of those old things which requires a difficult, 180-degree rotation to get it open and closed. The red (there are white ones, too) valve part fits so tightly into the PET portion, that it bends and I am afraid it will break off. Has technology come so far forward in the past 12 years that there are now better methods to open and close the valve in the bottling bucket? Any suggestions as to where I can find an improved valve? Thanks.

Dixon said:

I just moved over from buckets to better bottles. I like them so much better with the exception of cleaning them. Its pretty easy to get the bottom clean but the kraussen ring is another story. I don't have the cash right now for one of those carboy cleaners so who has some good tips on making this easier?
Thanks

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Just fill w/ hot water & 1 tablespoon of B-Brite per gal & let it sit for an hour. If there's any residual a soft carboy brush will easily get it w/ no real scrubbing.

Rinse well with hot water & you're done.

I started with Better Bottles and have now moved to glass. I had two BBs develop hairline cracks in the bottom after only a few uses. I contacted the manufacturer and was told that caustic cleaning agents like PBW can do this if exposed for more than a few minutes. Careful what recommendations you take from this forum as I see someone above recommended an overnight PBW soak.

UofMontanaAlum said:

I started with Better Bottles and have now moved to glass. I had two BBs develop hairline cracks in the bottom after only a few uses. I contacted the manufacturer and was told that caustic cleaning agents like PBW can do this if exposed for more than a few minutes. Careful what recommendations you take from this forum as I see someone above recommended an overnight PBW soak.

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Ahh I was unaware that PBW had this effect on the better bottles, good to know. Fortunately I only use them as secondaries, so there's no krausen ring to deal with. Sometimes I just have a habit of repeating info others live by.

Better Bottle website recommends Seventh Generation 2x Free and Clear detergent.

UofMontanaAlum said:

I started with Better Bottles and have now moved to glass. I had two BBs develop hairline cracks in the bottom after only a few uses. I contacted the manufacturer and was told that caustic cleaning agents like PBW can do this if exposed for more than a few minutes. Careful what recommendations you take from this forum as I see someone above recommended an overnight PBW soak.

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I don't think PBW is caustic. It's an oxidizer like Oxyclean.

I've never used PBW, but I have soaked my six betterbottles many, many times with oxyclean without any problem. Some of those bottles are 4 years old. I often let them sit for a week before I get around to hosing them out.

355Newell said:

I use oxi clean. The cheap knock off from the dollar store. I just put a small scoop in the carboy, and fill it to the top with hot water and let it sit in the laundry tub overnight. It hasn't failed me yet. A good shaking the next day and usually good to go.

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SAME here! 2 scoops per carboy and I soak for 48 hours in my guest bathtub...give it a good rinse and shake and it is sparkling clear...even the krausen rings come off the top! Why I didn't try oxiclean and their generic products before is beyond me...it makes carboys fun again!

Jayhem said:

Why I didn't try oxiclean and their generic products before is beyond me...it makes carboys fun again!

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Putting the BOY! back in carboy.

passedpawn said:

I don't think PBW is caustic. It's an oxidizer like Oxyclean.

I've never used PBW, but I have soaked my six betterbottles many, many times with oxyclean without any problem. Some of those bottles are 4 years old. I often let them sit for a week before I get around to hosing them out.

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I was hoping that was the case since I normally soak with oxyclean. The info on the bb website convinced me to try the Seventh Gen method. We use their products around the house when we can but they're sure proud of them and price accordingly. I just washed my first BB yesterday with the Free & Clear and it worked fine but it is a brand new bottle and only used for secondary to dry hop so there was no real funk. I'm sure I'll head right for the oxyclean the first time I need a good soak.

I found a video on youtube that was very helpful, and uses the same process mentioned above. 2-3 cups of warm water, a bit of PBW and a clean cotton or microfiber cloth. Spin and shake around. Takes all the gunk out in less than a minute. Give it a good rinse and let it dry until next time. With the soapy water acting as a lubricant I don't think there's any way that the cloth can scratch the plastic.

Tupperwolf said:

I found a video on youtube that was very helpful, and uses the same process mentioned above. 2-3 cups of warm water, a bit of PBW and a clean cotton or microfiber cloth. Spin and shake around. Takes all the gunk out in less than a minute. Give it a good rinse and let it dry until next time. With the soapy water acting as a lubricant I don't think there's any way that the cloth can scratch the plastic.

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Same - takes me about 5-10 minutes to clean a better bottle from start to finish. I'll never go back to glass.

Here's the video:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pMNsqTBW55s

UofMontanaAlum said:

I started with Better Bottles and have now moved to glass. I had two BBs develop hairline cracks in the bottom after only a few uses. I contacted the manufacturer and was told that caustic cleaning agents like PBW can do this if exposed for more than a few minutes. Careful what recommendations you take from this forum as I see someone above recommended an overnight PBW soak.

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I heard the same and clean my bb with oxyclean but just put in about a gallon or a half of very hot water with about a tbsp of oxyclean. I then shake like mad upside down for a minute or so. Three rinses with hot water making it go down the sides usually removes everything with no need for a brush.

AnchorBock said:

Same - takes me about 5-10 minutes to clean a better bottle from start to finish. I'll never go back to glass.

Here's the video:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pMNsqTBW55s

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Wow big duh on this one why did I not think to put a rag in there... No need to soak IMO at least I haven't had to yet but sometimes still have to get a brush in there, this looks like the way to go. Soaking uses up so much water, cleaner and time!

TIP: if you do a full Oxiclean soak, instead of just pouring out that 6 gallons of oxiclean...USE IT TO DO A LOAD OF LAUNDRY! I just pour it in my clothes washer, turn it on the hot wash cycle so my water is at least warm when mixed with the 6 gallons of oxiclean. Waste not!

http://www.austinhomebrew.com/product_info.php?cPath=178_56_36&products_id=11875

I use this stuff, works awesome. I just put a gallon of warm water in a shake it . Everything comes right out

Jayhem said:

TIP: if you do a full Oxiclean soak, instead of just pouring out that 6 gallons of oxiclean...USE IT TO DO A LOAD OF LAUNDRY! I just pour it in my clothes washer, turn it on the hot wash cycle so my water is at least warm when mixed with the 6 gallons of oxiclean. Waste not!

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I can't imagine what my wife would say if I dumped trub gunk in with the wash!

Jeepinctbrewer said:

http://www.austinhomebrew.com/product_info.php?cPath=178_56_36&products_id=11875

I use this stuff, works awesome. I just put a gallon of warm water in a shake it . Everything comes right out

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Not to hijack, but I've done some searching on this product and can't get a clear answer. What exactly is this stuff?

bd2xu said:

I can't imagine what my wife would say if I dumped trub gunk in with the wash!

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If you rinse out the better bottle before you do the Oxiclean soak it will only be minimul trub into your wash. I wash my own clothes.

uberg33k said:

Not to hijack, but I've done some searching on this product and can't get a clear answer. What exactly is this stuff?

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From the description it sounds pbw or oxy like. Doing the math this stuff is about 44 cents per oz, pbw is about 50 cents per oz (both are online prices that don't include shipping). Oxyclean free is about 17 cents per oz, easy to find at Walmart, grocery stores, etc, works just as well as pbw in my experience, and the rate of use is the same, about an oz per gallon. This is why I switched to oxyclean.

bd2xu said:

From the description it sounds pbw or oxy like. Doing the math this stuff is about 44 cents per oz, pbw is about 50 cents per oz (both are online prices that don't include shipping). Oxyclean free is about 17 cents per oz, easy to find at Walmart, grocery stores, etc, works just as well as pbw in my experience, and the rate of use is the same, about an oz per gallon. This is why I switched to oxyclean.

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Actually, the fact it says "alkaline" would mean it's closer to lye or potash unless they're completely lying about what it is.

They also list BrewVint Cleanitizer, which clearly states it's a oxygen based cleaner. That would be your Oxiclean/PBW knockoff.

I doubt that they'd have two different oxygen cleaners with different names.

uberg33k said:

Actually, the fact it says "alkaline" would mean it's closer to lye or potash unless they're completely lying about what it is.

They also list BrewVint Cleanitizer, which clearly states it's a oxygen based cleaner. That would be your Oxiclean/PBW knockoff.

I doubt that they'd have two different oxygen cleaners with different names.

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Also to consider if it cleans and sanitizes in one step. I'm not a chemist I just look at what is the least cost, quickest, most efficient way to get my brew stuff clean and so far that's definitely oxyclean.
Q.

+1 on oxy.. i only ever use half a scoop but fill it up to the tippy top.. sometimes accidentally leaving it full for a couple days (that reminds me, i may still have one full in my laundry tub) and never had a problem.. i have 5 six gallon BBs and the most i ever have to do is put a rag in and swirl around a bit.. i used rice a couple times as well for a stubborn stain from a 5 month RIS ferment..

UofMontanaAlum said:

I started with Better Bottles and have now moved to glass. I had two BBs develop hairline cracks in the bottom after only a few uses.

I contacted the manufacturer and was told that caustic cleaning agents like PBW can do this if exposed for more than a few minutes. Careful what recommendations you take from this forum as I see someone above recommended an overnight PBW soak.

Click to expand...

PBW contains a large percentage of sodium carbonate (washing soda) which makes it highly alkaline. The sodium percarbonate (the oxygen releasing component) will release oxygen and also "reduce" to sodium carbonate in that process.

Another main ingredient in PBW is sodium meta-silicate, a trisodium phosphate (TSP) substitute. Phosphates are on the s**t list.

These 3 main ingredients are highly alkaline, giving PBW its cleaning power and a high pH (around 12).
I would not call this "caustic." e.g., there is NO sodium hydroxide in it.

Without seeing it, the hairline cracking you experience may be what is commonly known as "crazing" in plastics. Certain (organic) solvents are known to cause crazing in plastics. The cause of crazing here may be a combination of high alkalinity and high temperatures, or other physical/chemical "stress" related effects.

As we all have experienced at some point in time, manufacturers are usually not very forthcoming when asking the pesky details of their products or solutions when problems arise, and the method often used to try to get rid of the pests is brush-off or swat.

I've never used Better Bottles or similar plastics in brewing, in fear of scratching them over time, and long-term product stability. Issues like this make me want to stay away from them even more.

Maybe I'm just lucky, but I've been overnight soaking my Better Bottles in hot PBW solution since I bought them 8 years ago, and they all still look as new as the day I received them.

johnsma22 said:

Maybe I'm just lucky, but I've been overnight soaking my Better Bottles in hot PBW solution since I bought them 8 years ago, and they all still look as new as the day I received them.

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Same here, although mine aren't quite that old.

I can't even see why people mess with a rag and shaking and what not. Fill up with hot oxyclean/PBW, let soak overnight, dump it out, done.

UofMontanaAlum said:

I started with Better Bottles and have now moved to glass. I had two BBs develop hairline cracks in the bottom after only a few uses. I contacted the manufacturer and was told that caustic cleaning agents like PBW can do this if exposed for more than a few minutes. Careful what recommendations you take from this forum as I see someone above recommended an overnight PBW soak.

Click to expand...

That seems like a cop out by the company...for a defect bottle IMO...people have been using the PBW / Oxi clean method for ever first time I've heard of that

I went from glass to all BB's a couple if years ago ' can't see ever going back. I started cleaning w/ B-Brite in hit water ( 1 Tbsp/gal) with no problems other than an occasional gentle brushing.
My SWMBO & kids gave me a Marks carboy/keg washer for Christmas & it's really great since I can clean kegs, lines, & carboys.

I don't care if I have to ferment in an old boot that I found on the side of the road! After a friend of mine almost bled out after severing his femoral artery due to a brand new glass carboy falling to pieces while he was simply carrying it, I gave all of my glass away and will never use them again!

johnsma22 said:

I don't care if I have to ferment in an old boot that I found on the side of the road! After a friend of mine almost bled out after severing his femoral artery due to a brand new glass carboy falling to pieces while he was simply carrying it, I gave all of my glass away and will never use them again!

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That's actually why when i graduated from buckets i didn't go glass. I'd seen too many gashes and stitches on here from the glass. I won't argue that either is better than the other and even if better bottles were truely 'worse' i'd still go with them. I really hate the thought of hurting myself and my copay will buy me another better bottle.

i dropped my betterbottle when i was dumping out the oxy on saturday.. probably the first time i've done that in 2 years of brewing, but it landed on my foot so i am so glad that it wasn't glass.. that in itself has made it worthwhile

Markd27 said:

Same here, although mine aren't quite that old.

I can't even see why people mess with a rag and shaking and what not. Fill up with hot oxyclean/PBW, let soak overnight, dump it out, done.

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It takes about 2 cups of water, a rag, and 30 seconds of swirling instead of 6 gallons and waiting overnight. Different strokes

question to better bottlers.

if you hold your nose to your clean and sanitized 6 gallon BB that you have used for batch after batch, what do you smell?

i am moving away from my bucket because it does not have a neutral smell.

progmac said:

question to better bottlers.

if you hold your nose to your clean and sanitized 6 gallon BB that you have used for batch after batch, what do you smell?

i am moving away from my bucket because it does not have a neutral smell.

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Once mine are cleaned and thoroughly rinsed with cold water, they have no lingering odors what so ever. Even after they've dried and have been stored they have no odor. When I brewed in buckets, no matter how much I cleaned them, there was always some residual smell.

Folks:
Even if a small amt of odor remains, it's a few parts per BILLION. Not to worry.
Using a sponge/rag and a small amt of sanitizer is better: it is cheaper; you will be more likely to finish the job. Why, you ask, is this important?
PET, polyethyleneterephthalate, BBs, is a polyester. Esters can be hydrolyzed(cleaved by water), and the reaction is accelerated by: acid OR base, time, and ESPECIALLY elevated temperature. You could dissolve some of the inner surface of the 'boy.
Just for S&Gs, get a piece of nylon, not an ester, but an amide, close enuf for our purposes, and soak it in warm acid or lye.
PS: It is unfortunate that the same word: polyethylene, appears in both PET and plain old polyethylene. It is misleading. Old poly is highly resistant to chemicals. PET, well, just be careful.