Bucket residue help

[PilotCline]

So I am kegging my cider tonight. I had a fermenting bucket that I used once for an oktoberfest. I washed it out and put it full of oxyclean to soak for a few days. Life got a hold of me and it has been a few weeks. So I dumped it out and started scrubbing the inside with a soft sponge. there seems to be a residue on the inside of the bucket that feels kind of bumpy. I put it on my marks keg washer for 30 minutes with hot oxyclean water. I scrubbed it out again, but the residue is still there. Has this happened to anyone else? I am going to fill it up with hot cleaner and leave if for a few days, but if it is still there then I guess I am down a fermenter. Any help is appreciated. Thanks.

 

[gointomexico]

This has happened to me on stainless. It sounds like oxalate scale, you can remove it with acid. Can you try starsan? Acid no 6 also removes it, but i don't know if it is available to you?

 

[PilotCline]

OK, I will try that tonight. Thanks!

 

[PilotCline]

I have it soaking in star san now. How long do you think that I should leave it?

 

[unionrdr]

Try a couple days. That bumpy stuff comes from leaving oxyclean in or on anything for more than a day or less. That's why I pay the extra buck or two for PBW. It's made for ther job & doesn't leave sticky scale behind when soaking.

 

[TopherM]

It is lime caused by the Oxyclean.

If the StarSan doesn't work, go get some LimeAway or CLR or something similar meant to clean lime in the bathtub. You throw some of that stuff on it for a few minutes, you'll be able to clean it with a paper towel.

+1 to PBW, though. I think it is well worth the extra cost over oxyclean. You can soak most anything in hot water and PBW, and it's dissolves in less than an hour, and it never leaves any scale. If you buy it in the larger 8+lb containers, it gets to be pretty close to the same cost as oxyclean from the grocery store. The 8 lb container cost me $40.00 at my LHBS, and will last me about a year doing about 25 batches a year.

 

[PilotCline]

OK, yeah I was using PBW initially, but the cost was more extreme for me. 7lbs of oxyclean is $12 at the local Meijers vs. 1 lb of PBW for $8. Is the limeaway or CLR going to be safe for use in a fermenter though? I havent checked to see if the starsan has worked yet. Ive been away on a trip.

 

[PDWhite]

CLR is safe... If you rinse well. It works great in coffee pots too.

 

[ThatGeekGuy]

PBW FTW

'nuff said....

 

[gointomexico]

PBW works a little bit better for me than oxyclean. Could just be me.

 

[davekippen]

I believe a vinegar solution will work too. This happens when I soak my bottles in Oxy for a few days. I rinse them out, then let them sit in a vinegar solution for a few minutes, it takes care of all the scaley gunk

 

[PilotCline]

Update. Well, I left the bucket full of starsan for about a week and a half or so. Washed it out last night. Came out nice and clean again. I would love to switch back to PBW, but until I can pick it up locally for cheap I will have to stick with oxyclean.

 

[unionrdr]

I get a pound jar of PBW with my other monthly orders from midwest for $6.99. Well worth the money to me,as it'll clean just about anything in the right dilution. Instructions for this are on the jar.

 

[gointomexico]

I'm glad the acid worked. I used oxy clean up until August of last year. 1T per gallon is the concentration i used, sometimes 2.