Learn From My Lesson--Better Bottle Ruined

Washing out my better bottle with my cool new carboy/bottle jet washer that attaches to the hose spigot. ( http://morebeer.com/view_product/15964/ )

The neck is just big enough that if you push hard at all, the washer bar that lets the water out goes into neck and GOUGES/SCRATCHES THE HELL OUT OF THE INSIDE NECK OF IT!! Plastic shavings falling out on the ground.

I think there was a sign that read "Infection Here Please" after I did this, so.....Bubye 6 gallon better bottle (and the $25 for a new one)

I have always praised these things and am sticking to them, but cleaning them is definitely more difficult than my glass one.

Just add some PBW or Oxyclean and some hot water and let them sit for a day. No scrubbing necessary.

I have one of those jet washers. Got me wetter than the bottle/carboy I used it on. Gave it up.

I use a plastic hose sprayer at the end of my hot water hose.

Tip her upside down and spray with 135 degree water until my arms holding the bottle are scalded.

Works every time.

Something about inserting a metal object into a plastic object, spells trouble.

I use bleach and water. It will dissolve almost anything. (I use iodophor for sanitation, but bleach for getting labels off of bottles and funk from inside of glass carboy).

I just unscrew the handle from my sink sprayer and use the hose. Works great!

Kayos said:

I have always praised these things and am sticking to them, but cleaning them is definitely more difficult than my glass one.

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Well,glass can be a PITA also. My B-in-L was brewing with me and his hands were soapy, well, you know the rest...

I've got that same washer and have never had a problem. Sometimes I'll use it to knock gross debris off the bottom, but lately OxyClean has been doing fine. I've been trying to use the "no travel" method of carboy handling, i.e. I drain my chilled wort from the BK into the carboy that is sitting where it will ferment (chest freezer). Then, I siphon right out of there without handling the carboy and into the keg. That way I'm really minimizing handling a full carboy. The handles are good too, just in case you need to make an emergency save....

BierMuncher said:

I use a plastic hose sprayer at the end of my hot water hose.

Tip her upside down and spray with 135 degree water until my arms holding the bottle are scalded.

Works every time.

Something about inserting a metal object into a plastic object, spells trouble.

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BM- How do you get hot water in a hose? Do you have a special connection from your water heater?

There is always some krausen at the top that has to come off. I use the oxyclean methiod, but after a good fermentation, I find myself sticking a rag in there and knocking it up and down 42,352,362 times.

I have never had a single case where an overnight soak with oxyclean and water didn't remove absolutely everything with a following rinse. Even on one where the whole top was caked with krausen and had been that way for a few weeks. A few minute soak with oxyclean is great for cleaning things, but an overnight soak is magic.

I know there's something to be said for getting completely cleaned up and finished on brew day, but I'd much rather let my carboy sit overnight and basically clean itself, than to try anything as labor-intensive as Kayos describes.

I use my slop sink in the basement that has a male hose thread right on the faucet (hot or cold, anywhere in between). I made a little 5' long hose set and put a garden sprayer on the end.

Get a carboy cleaning brush and a thing of oxyclean. If it's REALLY bad, let the Oxyclean solution soak overnight. That'll get rid of 99% of the crud, even fruit film. Then use the carboy brush to knock everything else loose. Anything not knocked off can be considered as extra flavor for your next brew.

Cheesefood said:

Get a carboy cleaning brush and a thing of oxyclean. If it's REALLY bad, let the Oxyclean solution soak overnight. That'll get rid of 99% of the crud, even fruit film. Then use the carboy brush to knock everything else loose. Anything not knocked off can be considered as extra flavor for your next brew.

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The better bottlers can't use a brush - it scratches.

Better Botttle and carboy brush? I am not sure those are a good combo. Seems the brush would make tiny scratches inthe plastic. Have you been doing this with good results?

I've actually had one batch that put a krausen ring at the top that would just NOT dissolve with hot water and oxyclean. I don't know what the deal was. I broke down and CAREFULLY inserted a carboy brush and lightly wiped the gunk loose. I even tried a half a cup of rice in there to act as a mild abbrasive... no dice.

I don't notice any scratching so I think I'm OK but I wouldn't make a habit of using the brush over and over. Scratches in the neck are probably not too bad since the wort doesn't sit on it. I'd just leave the sanitizer in contact for a bit longer than normal. Maybe it is risky.

If you use carboys regularly, get one of these:

Cobra Water Auger

I bought mine at Wal-mart, I think, for about $10 several years ago. It looks like the big box stores (lowes, Home Depot, etc) all carry them too and they're about $10-$12.

Screws onto a regular faucet (once the aerator screen is removed) and blasts water in all directions ... no need to hold the carboy and it'll knock dried krausen gunk off quick.

ScubaSteve said:

BM- How do you get hot water in a hose? Do you have a special connection from your water heater?

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Can't speak for BM, but myself, I have a mop/util sink in my mudroom, and those mopsink faucets have a hose connection on the output. What I did was put a 2-way switched splitter on that, then put a quick-connect female fitting on one side...while my short (4') hose and my jet bottle washer both get male QC fittings so I can switch them out easily. Nice way to roll.

I use a combination of an overnight (usually more like 4-5 days) oxyclean soak and then dump most of it out, add a small washcloth, and shake until clean, works like a charm.