Vinyl Tube Sanitation

I keep my vinyl tubes rolled up and hanging on the wall in my "brewery" but I just noticed some mold and funk in the tubes. I always sanitize before using, but is there a good way to clean or store the tubes so they don't get moldy?

I swing them dry. Pretend its a lasso. I hand mine from a hook so any residual will drain.

Run some oxiclean through them followed by a thorough hot water rinse. Chase that with some Star San and hang them up to dry without coiling or rolling them up. I blow them out with compressed air, but not everyone has an air compressor available, so that may not be an option. Drying the hoses well helps considerably. I've also been known to soak the hoses in hot water and automatic dishwasher detergent overnight and sometimes longer taking care to insure that the hoses are filled with the cleaning solution. Then rinse, dry and sanitize as usual.

I do the same...but instead of a hook, I hang them from the chandelier in the dining room. (Much to my girlfriend's dismay!)

Maybe buy new tubing

Thanks. I'm definitely going to buy new tubing but I wanted to see what others are doing to prevent this from happening.

I like the swing em like a lasso thing!

I learn something here every day!

mold is going to start if the tubing is dirty or has water trapped in it. Rather than rolling it up, hang the tubing up so it's as vertical as possible. If there is any water left, it should drip out. I have a coat hanger that I hang the tubing on so it can dry completely.

HomebrewJeff said:

mold is going to start if the tubing is dirty or has water trapped in it. Rather than rolling it up, hang the tubing up so it's as vertical as possible. If there is any water left, it should drip out. I have a coat hanger that I hang the tubing on so it can dry completely.

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Yes it will! I have had mold grow inside of vinyl tubing that was only used for clean filtered water. I was kind of surprised to see that and that's when I began cleaning and sanitizing ALL of the hoses and blowing them out with compressed air. I store them hanging vertically as you describe.

You can also run some oxyclean through and then use a line brush and swing it to get the water out.

You could also run some fishing line through and pull a piece of wadding through to scrub out any gunk.

I made a brewing hose hanger out of angle aluminum

The blue hose hanger is one of my oscilloscope probe holder



Cheers,
ClaudiusB

Thats sweet

after I clean the tubing I pour some isopropyl alcohol into the tube and just move it around in there by lifting and lowering the ends absorbs all the water and drys super fast . Never had anything grow in the tubing

Any theories on what causes the tubing to become sticky? Age? Breaking down from heat? Acid rain?

dmulera said:

Any theories on what causes the tubing to become sticky? Age? Breaking down from heat? Acid rain?

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Soaking too long in cleaners will do that. Breaks down the plasticizers.