The Pol
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We use PBW at the brewery because it is a cleaner/sanitizer in one
PBW is a sanitizer?
We use PBW at the brewery because it is a cleaner/sanitizer in one
PBW is a sanitizer?
No, it is not. Listen to the 5 Star Chemical podcast with Charlie and he clearly states that it is a cleaner and not a sanitizer.
PBW is percarbonate, wetting agents and chelating agents. This is why it doesn't leave horrible mineral deposits like a percarbonate + inert filler item like oxyclean.
If you know how to construct a suitable cleaning agent from percarbonate, silicates and phospates of course you can do it cheaper than PBW costs because you don't need to pay Five Star for their expertise.
If you want a complete cleaning agent that isn't designed in particular for brewing applications you can buy dishwashing detergent.
Why anyone would use oxyclean is beyond me. In the time you guys spend rinsing everything with vinegar I can make enough money to buy a lifetime supply of PBW and have delivered in a boilermaker.
PBW is percarbonate, wetting agents and chelating agents. This is why it doesn't leave horrible mineral deposits like a percarbonate + inert filler item like oxyclean.
If you know how to construct a suitable cleaning agent from percarbonate, silicates and phospates of course you can do it cheaper than PBW costs because you don't need to pay Five Star for their expertise.
If you want a complete cleaning agent that isn't designed in particular for brewing applications you can buy dishwashing detergent.
Why anyone would use oxyclean is beyond me. In the time you guys spend rinsing everything with vinegar I can make enough money to buy a lifetime supply of PBW and have delivered in a boilermaker.
I only rinse with StarSan, wouldnt I have to do that anyway? That takes me 1 minute, I want your job.
Let's try the socratic method.
Why are phosphates or EDTA added to dish washing and laundry detergent? Wouldn't it be cheaper to use inactive filler like Oxyclean does? Why do something that costs money? Because it is effective? What effect does it have?
Gila:I am thrilled with the PBW. Tap water pH is 9.2 - 9.3 on average. I buy PBW wholesale in 50 pound buckets. With shipping my per gallon cost is around 10 to 15 cents.
No, it is not. Listen to the 5 Star Chemical podcast with Charlie and he clearly states that it is a cleaner and not a sanitizer.
Why does it have scale on it? Ive never noticed any film, is this something I can see with the naked eye?
I have only moderately hard water and I get a film on everything I use oxiclean on. I just picked up a 4# container of PBW today Hopefully that will work better.
Psst...add a couple drops of dishsoap to your oxyclean solution. It'll work just as good or better than PBW.
And it's not even 100% it's 30%
Sodium Metasilicate is cheap stuff $1.50 a pound in a 50 pound bag.
I'm sure you can get it in smaller volumes tho.
http://www.chemistrystore.com/Chemicals_S_Z-Sodium_Metasilicate.html
I put a natural bristle paint brush in sodium metasilicate solution that was clogged with years and years of old oil paint. The solution strength was maybe a quarter cup of the powder to a quart of water.
It stripped away all the old paint and started to denature the brush. The bristles became permanently limp and without any body. The brush was ruined
The lesson for me was this stuff is strong.
I will never use OxyClean again. I usually storage the leftover PBW in unused kegs and then reuse it, assuming it is fairly clean. When I go to use the keg after say a month the inside is unbelievably clean. Tried this with OxyClean and it crystallized on the inside of my keg the only thing that got it off was my buddies power washer. Maybe with soft water this might not have happened. I have once forgot to sanitize a carboy but had just washed it out with PBW and I never had a bit of infection. A little PBW goes a long way, put it in a spray bottle and reuse it, 5 Star says that it is ok to do that.
I have no idea what exactly the PBW is made from, but someone called me a little while back and they told me they found something posted about it that it can "lift Teflon" ????
Just wondering if anyone knows the composition of this stuff or has an MSDS on it....wondering if it is possibly affecting the Teflon thrust washers in our pumps and possibly giving some of you grief!
Old thread, but I have a couple questions.
Is the stuff you guys are using called Sun Oxygen All Purpose Stain Remover? $5.47 for 6 lbs at Walmart? I have a Keggle that I need to clean really well. What kind of ratio should I use to do a really good soak? Hot water? The Keggle has been sitting outside, so I want to TURBO CLEAN the thing. Or... since it is a one time clean, would it be worth just spending the money on the PBW? I am really on the fence about this. Any help would be greatly appreciated. Thanks ahead of time.
iijakii said:Don't make it so complicated. Get Oxy that's dye and fragrance free, then add a good scoop to it if you want to clean the thing well. Rinse plenty afterwards. If it doesn't clean up soak it with some more Oxy and hotter water, or go medieval on it with a brush+drill. It's a keg, beat it like a stepchild til it's clean.
Don't make it so complicated. Get Oxy that's dye and fragrance free, then add a good scoop to it if you want to clean the thing well. Rinse plenty afterwards. If it doesn't clean up soak it with some more Oxy and hotter water, or go medieval on it with a brush+drill. It's a keg, beat it like a stepchild til it's clean.
iijakii said:It's a keg, beat it like a stepchild til it's clean.
PBW works great for me, but I decided to try a mixture of 70% Sun Oxygen cleaner and 30% Red Devil TSP-90 (Sodium Metasilicate). It cleans well, but it leaves the dreaded white film on everything that only comes off with acid. Has anyone figured out what to add to the homebrew PBW cleaners that prevents the white film?
Hot water and once scoop of Sun per five gallons. Dont let it sit in the keg overnight, drain and rinse within 2-3 hours.
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