Cleaning/Santizing
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Golddiggie
Well-Known Member
I use PBW to clean hoses and such (fittings, flasks, basically anything that I can fit into the bucket, or fill with it). For the keggles I use Bar Keepers Friend. I clean my fermenters with a soak in HOT PBW solution. Since those are stainless, heat has zero impact on them. :rockin:
To sanitize, I use Star San. I typically mix up 2.5 gallons at a time, and have a spray bottle with it too. Since I'm color blind, I can't depend on noticing a color change to indicate the effectiveness (of the sanitizer).
I have tried the oxy products to clean. PBW rinses away faster, and cleaner, in my experience. I typically buy it in the 8# container size.
To sanitize, I use Star San. I typically mix up 2.5 gallons at a time, and have a spray bottle with it too. Since I'm color blind, I can't depend on noticing a color change to indicate the effectiveness (of the sanitizer).
I have tried the oxy products to clean. PBW rinses away faster, and cleaner, in my experience. I typically buy it in the 8# container size.
Used PBW (instead of the Easy Clean that came in the brewing kit) for the first time the other day. After seeing what that did to my sink I'm sold that it's a damn good cleaner. There were stains in there that I thought I had tried nearly everything to remove, but are gone now.
As far as sanitizer, started with StarSan, see no reason to change. A little of the concentrate goes a long way.
As far as sanitizer, started with StarSan, see no reason to change. A little of the concentrate goes a long way.
although it is suppose to work in 30 seconds the manufacturer recommends 2 minutes.
My bottle of Star San says "...surface must remain wet for at least one minute". While no doubt (to me anyway) because of the nature of the product there is ample safety margin in that one minute, I still don't shortcut on that.
EROK said:PBW and Star-San. You won't find anything better. Just start out with the best and you never have to upgrade. Ask me about that.
What is pbw and where do you get it. I assume you use the pbw to wash your equipment
Oxy free for me as a cleanser, and Star San as a sanitizer. I generally make a keg full of Star San and spray out what I need into a pail for small parts and spoons. I use a sulfiter pump to spray the insides of the bottles and I allow them to drain/air dry on a home made bottle tree. I am very anal about cleaning and sanitation, so I tend to go overboard when sanitizing to insure that there is no possibility of an infection from my process or any of the tools I use. I have been very fortunate so far and never had an infection, but anything is possible so I am constantly on my guard and looking for ways to prevent it from happening anywhere in my system. Hope this helps.
Wheelchair Bob
Wheelchair Bob
PBW is the name of the product, from the same folks that make Star San. And, yes, it's the cleaner before the sanitizing stage.
http://www.fivestarchemicals.com/breweries/homebrewing/products/
I venture to guess that you can get it, or order it, at almost any home brew store.
kombat
Well-Known Member
One minor caveat: Don't soak aluminum equipment in an oxygen-based cleaner (like Oxy Clean). A quick wash and rinse is fine, but if you're soaking with the intention of loosening up stains or something don't use an oxygen-based cleaner.
It's fine for stainless and plastic, just not aluminum (I have 1 aluminum pot I use as my HLT).
It's fine for stainless and plastic, just not aluminum (I have 1 aluminum pot I use as my HLT).
Never got that smell from PBW myself.
