How to clean stains off a glass carboy?

Hello to all!

I have an old glass carboy a friend gave me because I'm just getting into home brewing. He had used it years ago (maybe 7 or 8 years) to try his hand at brewing, but never really got the hang of it. So he let it sit in his storage shed, laying on its side in the Texas heat for years.

I guess he didn't wash it out properly before he put it in there because there are numerous black/dark brown stains on the inside of the glass.

I tried filling it up half way with water and adding in some OxyClean then filling it up the rest of the way. I let it sit for 36+ hours and that did remove some of the stains, but not the thicker/darker ones. I also tried using a bottle brush to scrub them off, but it didn't really work that well.

Does anyone know of a better chemical/product/whatever to use to remove these stains, or is this carboy beyond cleaning, and I should just pitch this one and buy a new one?

I did a search on here but couldn't really find any information that could really help me out, but if someone knows of a thread that already exists, please point me to it!

Thanks to anyone who can help shed some light on this for me!

David

PWB works pretty well. Put 5 tablespoons in and fill it to the top with warm water and let it set for a few days. If that does not work, then get some Starsan, put two tablespoons in it and let it sit for a week. It can take paint off the outside of a Corona bottle, so I bet it would eat through whatever stain is in there. If that does not work, get a Better Bottle. You won't cut off your fingers and you back will thank you.

I agree with Edwort but after trying the PBW make sure you rinse the carboy out completely before trying the Star San, The PBW will weaken the Star San.

Thank you EdWort and Monster Mash for your speedy replies!

I'm guessing by the name (Powdered Brewery Wash) that this cleaner is only available at homebrew shops or online. Or is this something that might be found in a more common-place store such as a Wal-Mart, Target, Home Depot, etc?

The reason I ask is that the closest home brew store that I'm aware of in my area is about 30 or 35 miles away. I'd rather purchase some locally than wait for days or a week for an online order to arrive.

I'll certainly give both suggestions a try and let you all know how this goes!

Thanks again!!

I would toss in the same amount (5 TBS) of Oxiclean in the carboy and fill it up with warm water to the top and let it sit till you get your PBW order in.

You can also try a product called TSP. It is amazing at removing crud. I use it when Oxyclean doesn't get the job done. You can also add one tablespoon of bleach to it in 5 gallons, which improves its effectiveness.

I use OxyClean for everything. I have a new tub of PBW that I had on order when I bought the Oxy, and still haven't opened it. I think Oxy works better and is cheaper to boot.

Maybe some kind of acid? CLR?

On a very related note, for anyone who has ever purchased any of these Outdoor Cleaners, for cleaning your decks and walkways and what not, read the label sometime. All they are is a mix of TSP and bleach... I now buy the two separate and mix them in a garden sprayer and save bucks.

I bet strong bleach water will get it in a few days. Be sure to rinse throughly after. Short of that a carboy brush and some elbow grease.

ok first off with TSP, you have to make sure it says that it is food safe. There are different brands of TSP and some are specific to food industry.

As far as the OxyClean goes. IT IS THE SH*T. I have yet to find a stain it can't clean. Just fill your carboy up to the neck with house hot water (130*ish) and put about 1/2 scoop in your carboy and let it set a till it is clear. If it isn't clear in a week, drain it and do it again.

I did a porter about a month ago, and it stained the carboy pretty well and the oxyclean got it beautiful.

I also use Oxyclean on my chef whites for work and I wash them once a week. I get everything from wine to blood on them and sometimes they sit for a week and Oxyclean gets everything out. I have the whitest whites in the kitchen and everyone else uses bleach.

Go with the OxyClean and you will be happy for every! And from what I have heard it is much cheaper than the PBW.

My $.02

John

ok first off with TSP, you have to make sure it says that it is food safe. There are different brands of TSP and some are specific to food industry.

As far as the OxyClean goes. IT IS THE SH*T. I have yet to find a stain it can't clean. Just fill your carboy up to the neck with house hot water (130*ish) and put about 1/2 scoop in your carboy and let it set a till it is clear. If it isn't clear in a week, drain it and do it again.

I did a porter about a month ago, and it stained the carboy pretty well and the oxyclean got it beautiful.

I also use Oxyclean on my chef whites for work and I wash them once a week. I get everything from wine to blood on them and sometimes they sit for a week and Oxyclean gets everything out. I have the whitest whites in the kitchen and everyone else uses bleach.

Go with the OxyClean and you will be happy for every! And from what I have heard it is much cheaper than the PBW.

My $.02

John

Nwcw2001 said:

As far as the OxyClean goes. IT IS THE SH*T. I have yet to find a stain it can't clean.

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Oxyclean is 20% percarbonate, 80% filler. For great cleaning with less residue, go grab a sack of 100% sodium percarbonate from an industrial supply.

That said, for a crappy carbuoy I use 1tbsp of dishwashing powder and hot water.

pldoolittle said:

Oxyclean is 20% percarbonate, 80% filler. For great cleaning with less residue, go grab a sack of 100% sodium percarbonate from an industrial supply.

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That's exactly what I'm using these days. It takes a lot less, and when I pour the powder it doesn't generate that choking cloud of dust you get from Oxiclean. My tub of Oxiclean is now in the laundry room.

Sodium Percarbonate

rabidgerbil said:

On a very related note, for anyone who has ever purchased any of these Outdoor Cleaners, for cleaning your decks and walkways and what not, read the label sometime. All they are is a mix of TSP and bleach... I now buy the two separate and mix them in a garden sprayer and save bucks.

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I was a painter for a few years best house wash is a bleach mix 1 part bleach to 3-6 parts water depending on how bad the mildew and crap is use a garden sprayer to apply and rinse off with a water hose. Bet it'll get the stains out of a carboy too.

This was drifting off topic, so I relied to BigNick here: https://www.homebrewtalk.com/showpost.php?p=461520

Donasay said:

****************************************************** the stuff will come right off, and you probably have these things sitting around your house.

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Homercidal said:

Mod Edited because extremely dangerous...

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I wouldn't bother with this ... I don't believe it has any more stain removing power than just plain bleach - sterilizing power, yes. In fact, your best bet would be to use a stronger than usual bleach and water solution.

srm775 said:

I wouldn't bother with this ... I don't believe it has any more stain removing power than just plain bleach - sterilizing power, yes. In fact, your best bet would be to use a stronger than usual bleach and water solution.

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Depends on what you define as stain-removing vs sterilizing power.

Either way, the chemistry is the same: Increasing the acidity is going to increase the presence of hypochlorite ions in solutions, increasing the oxidative strength of the solution, which exists in an equilibrium with liberated chlorine gas.

I am not going to argue it any further, and if one doesn't completely, 100% understand the chemistry behind what I just said, then they shouldn't attempt mixing bleach and vinegar. That topic's been covered much in other threads, as well.

So, back to the other compounds suggested: TSP (trisodium phosphate) would probably work really well to get the grunge off, but personally I've been using oxiclean without any problems. BlindLemonBars pointed out a great place for some cheap sodium percarbonate, which would also probably do the trick.

I have to say this: Just be careful when you start mixing chemicals. Chemical reactions don't care if you have a PhD or not...they can blow up in your face all the same.

mrkristofo said:

Depends on what you define as stain-removing vs sterilizing power.

Either way, the chemistry is the same: Increasing the acidity is going to increase the presence of hypochlorite ions in solutions, increasing the oxidative strength of the solution, which exists in an equilibrium with liberated chlorine gas.

I am not going to argue it any further, and if one doesn't completely, 100% understand the chemistry behind what I just said, then they shouldn't attempt mixing bleach and vinegar. That topic's been covered much in other threads, as well....

....I have to say this: Just be careful when you start mixing chemicals. Chemical reactions don't care if you have a PhD or not...they can blow up in your face all the same.

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On that note, always add the chemicals (Bleach, TSP, whatever) to the water, not the water to the chemicals. And if you are mixing bleach and vinegar, don't mix the chemicals then add them to the water, this is somewhat toxic and produces chlorine gas, put the bleach in the water, then put the vinegar in the water.

Carboy Brush and a solvent of some kind.

mrkristofo said:

BlindLemonBars pointed out a great place for some cheap sodium percarbonate, which would also probably do the trick.

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Visually impaired snack food... you have to love it