Best detergent to wash equip with

I am brewing tomorrow and I cannot find unscented detergent @ any of 3 stores I have been to. Will a plastic bucket fermenter pick up that much soap scent? I have washed and rinsed very well before even sanitizing (Star San). My last batch I just washed, rinsed, bleached-sanitized, rinsed again to get rid of bleach smell and called it good (tho I have not even bottled that batch so I dont know what it really will end up tasting like) Anyways, let me know by afternoon pacific time, thanks!

I'm a big fan of OxyClean, I am usually able to find it in the detergent section in Target.

It's just me, but I really wouldn't use a scented soap on any of my equipment.

+1 Oxyclean
Available at most retail stores, HD, Lowes, etc.

I also found that it's great for soaking stains off of coffee mugs & carafes.

Oxyclean or if its real nasty PBW

What's PBW?

Bulls Beers said:

What's PBW?

Click to expand...

PBW -- professional brewers wash ... get it at lhbs ... or from one of the online outfits ... it REALLY works great

Oxyclean, but it needs to be the Free stuff, which has no dyes or fragrance. Target, Shopko, Wal Mart...even some hardware stores will have it.

Nah, I use unscented bleach. I rinse really well with HOT water and then sanatize. I have never had any issues doing it this way and I'll continue as it works for me and it is CHEAP.

Oxyclean for the win!
No scrubbing, no mess just soak it clean.. but be sure to rinse Well and limit soak time on metal to under an hour and under 5 min on aluminum

Bleach for me. I know it has it's disadvantages, but can't beat the price. Rinse a few times and don't use too much.

Oxi Clean and Idophor to sanatize

PBW is my first choice followed by B-Brite and then Oxyclean.

I clean with OxyClean and sanitize with bleach. I rinse a lot, but my local tap water just has the usual Psuedomonas sp. in it, so no biggie.

I'm glad I crossed this thread.

I'm going to be brewing again soon and need to stock up on some supplies... Oxiclean and B-Brite are the same thing... right? Sodium percarbonate... Am I correct in saying that Oxiclean Free is ok to use not only on carboys but on vinyl tubing, plastic equipment, assorted racking gear, etc?

I use the cheap Sun Oxygen Cleaner from wal mart. Has performed as well as oxyclean for me. There is even a data sheet on their website.

So I understand we use Oxi Clean for all our cleaning from bottles to carboys to SS or Aluminum brew kettles?

boo boo said:

Nah, I use unscented bleach. I rinse really well with HOT water and then sanatize. I have never had any issues doing it this way and I'll continue as it works for me and it is CHEAP.

Click to expand...

Bleach is not a cleaner (surfactant), it is a sanitizer. PBW (Powdered Brewery Wash) is, by far, the best cleaner for all your homebrew related cleaning needs.

Oxiclean Free and Star-San here.

I use oxy-clean as well, I've never had any issue leaving it in cornys overnight or even over a few days. I always make sure that it is totally dissolved in hot water though, I don't let granules of it sit on the SS.

While I'm normally an Oxyclean kind of guy, I've also had very good luck cleaning nasty equipment with TSP, trisodium phosphate. It's the primary ingredient in a lot of dish detergents, and is usually available in the paint aisle at your local Lowe's/Home Depot/Ace Hardware. Soak, scrub, and rinse really well. Rubber gloves are a good idea with this stuff, as it's a very powerful detergent.

PBW = Powdered Brewery Wash, not pro brewers wash. I thought about slamming the previous poster on this, but even 5-Star's own website doesn't settle it - the most "authoratative" source was Northern Brewer which uses my version, but maybe they just made it up! 5-Star only calls PBW a "brewery cleaner", so WhoTF knows. Gah.

Oxyclean regular works fine. Even with the scenting, I've never noticed it on my equipment, and I'm talking about 6 gallon plastic buckets as well as glass bottles and stainless steel kegs. Especially if you're in a pinch. Although Clorox OxyMagic has no scent - but I can tell you from experience that it's way less effective than OxyClean - apparently OxyMagic has a good percentage of fillers based on feel of the diluted solution and how well it cleans.

Sorry - the ramblings of a drunken overseas GI. What do I know anyhow.
-keith