A SWEET Idea

I just met a guy who has a sweet idea, if you like putting in one more cost to save time. Here it is:

Ferment in plastice buckets, but line the buckets with FOOD GRADE plastic bags. Then, when you rack your beer, just pick it up, and throw it away. No clean up.

I hear the bags may be a couple dollars each, but compared to cleaning those freakin carboys, sounds pretty awesome. Those bags come sterile, and I dont think would cause anymore worry for contamination.

Someone try it!

A bit too wasteful for me. I use cloth diapers on my son in order to save money and the environment, so I wouldn't be able to justify this time saver. Otherwise, it's a good idea.

Edit: I also try to wash yeast and reuse that. I think most homebrewers would save the extra couple of dollars and take the time to clean the equipment. But, i could be wrong.

get a bottle/carboy washer for your faucet. I had one sitting around that someone gave me for the longest time(like a real boob). I finally used it(amazing) and it is quick, saves water, and is truly fun. Blasting a carboy is the most fun, looks cool as hell.

I just ferment in buckets, it only takes 5 minutes to clean them.

desiderata said:

A bit too wasteful for me. I use cloth diapers on my son in order to save money and the environment, so I wouldn't be able to justify this time saver. Otherwise, it's a good idea.

Edit: I also try to wash yeast and reuse that. I think most homebrewers would save the extra couple of dollars and take the time to clean the equipment. But, i could be wrong.

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I can agree with this. I usually dont like just throwing a bunch of plastic away. Also, one of my main goals as a homebrewer is making it as cheap as possible. Meaning, re-using yeast, but Im sure you could get it out of the bag anyway.

I just thought it was a neat idea.

This idea would come in handy if you wanted to brew beer in a bucket normally used for wine, or vise versa -- keeping any flavors in the bucket from migrating, and saving the expense of a new bucket...

I personally like to use glass carboys for two reasons . One, the risk of contamination with a clean glass carboy is minimized and two, with care it should last forever. My method is to rack then rinse out the carboy out with water by adding water then swirling the contents and then empting. The remaining smeg is easily removed by a soak with a 1/4 cp washing soda and water filled to the brim. Just remember that washing soda will not sterilize your fermentor.

I use glass carboys, dont really mind the cleaning. I just fill them up in the tub, and let them soak for a while, then brush the crud off. Usually comes off pretty easy after soaking.

Neat idea, but i agree, kind of wasteful.

I do my cleanup in the back yard. The nozzle on the garden hose gets 95% of the crud out, then I use the rest of the sanitizer solution and a carboy brush.

It would be easiest to buy Megaswill... Is easiest the point of homebrewing?

Where do you find food grade plastic bags?

Seems like a waste to me also.

An overnight soak cleans just about anything. Want to reuse your equipment right away? Get more equipment...

Don't let AlGore know about those throw away Fermenter Diapers. He's liable to come down there and do a carbon footprint measurement and make you buy offsets for it.

Seriously, it only takes me 5 minutes to clean my buckets and the stuff goes into my septic system which is a good thing (I think).