Homemade PBW Recipe

CornyKegs 728
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I go through PBW like crazy, at least 8lb every six months, so obviously this clone recipe was up my alley. I made it with OxiClean Free, TSP/90 and 7th Gen dishwasher soap and have had good luck so far, seems to be getting the job done as expected. Cost was around $3/lb, which is still far better than PBW and a welcome cost savings in my book.

I've found it foams a bit more than traditional PBW...anyone found any additives that help with that aspect? It's not nearly as bad as straight OxiClean, but it's still a bit of an issue when you want to clean, say, a growler and expect to fill it to the brim with cleaning solution to get a good top to bottom clean.

Cheers and thanks for the tip!
 
revco said:
I go through PBW like crazy, at least 8lb every six months, so obviously this clone recipe was up my alley. I made it with OxiClean Free, TSP/90 and 7th Gen dishwasher soap and have had good luck so far, seems to be getting the job done as expected. Cost was around $3/lb, which is still far better than PBW and a welcome cost savings in my book.

I've found it foams a bit more than traditional PBW...anyone found any additives that help with that aspect? It's not nearly as bad as straight OxiClean, but it's still a bit of an issue when you want to clean, say, a growler and expect to fill it to the brim with cleaning solution to get a good top to bottom clean.

Cheers and thanks for the tip!
Click to expand...


Throughout the thread...........Did I read that someone tried some Fermcap for foaming issues?
 
Stealthcruiser said:
Throughout the thread...........Did I read that someone tried some Fermcap for foaming issues?
Click to expand...

I've read the thread from front to back and I don't recall reading that. It's an interesting idea, though. Might be a good use for some fermcap that's getting a little long in the tooth in the fridge! It'd be nice to have a powdered solution that could be added to the mix, if anything so you don't have to fermcap each vessel individually.

The foaming isn't as bad after about 30 minutes, so if you have the time, you can just top off the vessel with water later on and it works. That's what I've been doing in the mean time.

Thanks for the idea, though.
 
I have not noticed foaming with the recipe I posted... I think it's something in the brand name Oxiclean instead of the generic. The generic doesn't foam.
 
I thought someone also posted that the true oxi had higher concentrations of one of the key components. That might explain the foaming.
 
I'll see if I can find the info on the Kroger version. The main ingredient is listed first, so I'm assuming it's about 55-60%. I used that in my calculations. Seems to work well.
 
The Sun oxy does not foam at all, in my experience. I don't add the 7th Gen dishwasher soap though. I do rinse like crazy as I do all my bottles with this, as well as fermentors.
 
I just mixed up a batch, and plan to use it in my keg/carboy washer pump setup. I'll let everyone know how it goes. I had been using a combination of psychogram free and liquid tsp substitute. I looked the cleaning and rinse off my old stuff, but it did foam in the pump setup.

For the record I got 55oz tubs of sun oxy from dollar general for $4 a tub, the red devil tsp/90 from ace for about $10 I think for 4lb, and the 7th gen was on sale at city market for $3.50 for the 45oz box.

I also did happen to notice another option. At a different hardware store they had Savogran TSP and TSP-PF. The pf version says it's sodium sesquicarbonate at 90-95%, sodium metasilicate at 0-5% and EDTA at 0-5%. I don't know if this would be better or worse to use. They also only had 2 one pound boxes of it, and it was about $4 a pound, so it's more expensive too.
 
From what I've read you really want the sodium metasilicate to truly mimic the PBW. I've no idea about the sesquicarbonate.
 
So has anybody used the Kroger brand? I'm curious if it is scented. Appears to be the same active ingredients as Sun Oxygen. A little bit more expensive at $4.50/3.5#, but still cheaper than OxiClean which I've only seen as low as $7/3#.

Cheers!

:mug:

0001111085825
 
_TheTrevster_
Just wanted to post thanks for the recipe. Mixed a described in post 11 and I love it. To say that I cant tell a difference between this and PBW would not be correct. This costed SO much less that I did notice a difference. Lol all the way to the bank.
 
Thanks dirkomatic! I found this 7.8lb tub at Big Lots for $9 so I bought it instead! Same 60/40 mix of sodium percarbonate to sodium carbonate. Cheers!

20150425_191158.jpg
 
For the Canadian brewers, as it seems our US brethren have a wider selection and better pricing:

Originally I was using 70/30 mix of Oxy Clean Free/TSP which worked fine, however I recently located some Seventh Generation Dish Det, albeit in pods, easily broken open to reveal the powder, so I decided to amp it up a bit and make another batch, using all of the ingredients without leaving any leftover. Oxy and TSP from Walmart and 7th Gen from Canadian tire. The 7th Gen you'll need to cut each pod and dump the powder out, unless you can find the powder loose.

Oxy Clean Versatile Free (green lid): $10.98/3lbs
TSP: $5.97/900g
7th Gen packs of pods: $6.49ea/369g
7th Gen packs of pods: $6.49ea/369g

All dumped and well mixed together makes 6.7lbs for $33.82tax in, compared to $42.36tax in for 4lbs for PBW seems pretty good.

I have used this mix on every piece of equipment and it cleans just as well or better than PBW in most cases, and although there is a bit of foaming ( im pretty sure its the 7th gen ), I have no issues with this mix either. I do, as with PBW, rinse all of my gear well after washing.

I hope this helps.
AJ
 
uber_franz said:
So has anybody used the Kroger brand? I'm curious if it is scented. Appears to be the same active ingredients as Sun Oxygen. A little bit more expensive at $4.50/3.5#, but still cheaper than OxiClean which I've only seen as low as $7/3#.

Cheers!

:mug:

0001111085825
Click to expand...


Just found this on sale at Ralps in SoCal.... Under $4 for the 3.5lb tub. It's been the only scent free non OxiClean Free I can find around Pasadena since Wally World here stopped carrying the Sun brand
 
OK, I'm following the thread with much interest as I am finally getting serious about sanitation... I have read every post and still have a question... Why not copy a no rinse oxy-cleaner like Easy Clean or One Step?

2. COMPOSITION/INFORMATION ON INGREDIENTS
Components CAS Number Concentration
Sodium Carbonate Peroxyhydrate
15630-89-4
> 40 %
Sodium Carbonate
497-19-8
> 20 %
Sodium Citrate
77-92-9
> 10 %
Sodium Chloride
7647-14-5
> 20 %
 
BowAholic said:
OK, I'm following the thread with much interest as I am finally getting serious about sanitation... I have read every post and still have a question... Why not copy a no rinse oxy-cleaner like Easy Clean or One Step?
Click to expand...

You could, of course, but PBW is popular with commercial breweries for a reason. It works reeaaaallllllly well.

Here's a pretty decent comparison. I can't vouch for it's accuracy but it seems to be in accord with what I've read elsewhere.
 
The numbers work out in our favor, and soon I hope to test the results vs. real PBW.
Click to expand...

Has the test been done? Results? If so, and if it's as good, Is the correct formula the one in the OP?
thanks!
Bob
 
BowAholic said:
Has the test been done? Results? If so, and if it's as good, Is the correct formula the one in the OP?
thanks!
Bob
Click to expand...

I have used this recipe and real PBW, and could not tell the difference in how clean things ended up. They both came out clean, with no discernable residue once rinsed well. I've got no quantifiable means of measuring though.

I used the recipe posted by the trevster on page 2, which is based off of the table on the first page.

I did notice that this stuff foams in my cleaner pump more when cold, than when warm water is used. Even cold it's still not even close to straight oxyclean. That stuff foams over the top of my pump tub for a long time. This will get about 3 inches of foam on to of 5 inches of liquid, and stays that way as long as the pump is running with a spray ball attached. The foam goes away pretty quickly when I turn the pump off to change items or be done cleaning.

I might use it today to clean a keg, carboy, and tap line. I'll try to get a pic and post it while it's running.
 
Here are pics of a dirty keg, the same one clean after about 20 minutes of washing with the home-made pbw, and the cleaner in the washer. You can see the slight foam. This is with the washing fluid at about 100 degrees F. It foams slightly more when it cools down, enough to cover the liquid but not much more.

dirty keg.jpg

clean keg.jpg

washer foam.jpg
 
With my recipe, which I posted somewhere in this thread a while back, I get no foaming using my hot 120 degree tap water. Not sure about cooler than that, but I can't imagine it being much worse. Also, I have no problems with cleaning or rinsing after adding the little bit of citric acid.
 
I've got a test of the recipe underway. PBW doesn't leave residue / hard water stains on my beer bottles. Straight oxy does leave residue. We'll see how the page 2 formula works.

Incidentally folks, the page 2 recipe works out to almost exactly 5:3:2 ratio by weight of oxy, tsp/90, and seventh generation.
 
aangel said:
I've got a test of the recipe underway. PBW doesn't leave residue / hard water stains on my beer bottles. Straight oxy does leave residue. We'll see how the page 2 formula works.

Incidentally folks, the page 2 recipe works out to almost exactly 5:3:2 ratio by weight of oxy, tsp/90, and seventh generation.
Click to expand...

looking forward to your results... I'm using straight Oxy-Free right now, then rinse, then star san... no residue sounds good.
 
BowAholic said:
looking forward to your results... I'm using straight Oxy-Free right now, then rinse, then star san... no residue sounds good.
Click to expand...

I've been doing that until now but even then I get some residue on my bottles. It's annoying as all hell.

Damn carbonate water. My magnesium and calcium additions are immediately precipitating out of solution as flaky grossness, rendering my minerals additions useless too.
 
thekraken said:
So what is the most up-to-date formula?

Per post #11 I have 48% 'Oxygen cleaner', 32% TSP-90, 20% Seventh Generation by weight.

And does it matter what brand name oxy cleaner we use?
Click to expand...

I'm still wondering about the difference between oxy cleaner brands. Does Oxyclean Free = Sun Oxygen Cleaner = Any other non scented dollar store oxy cleaner? Can I just interchange brand names willy nilly or would I need to adjust the recipe's ratios?
 
The Buyer I contacted on the matter of scented / unscented, for "Family Dollar" stores, told me, that SHE was told, that it's all made in the same
"factories", wherever they may be.

I ran with it!
 
It seems that around me, no one carries powder 7th Generation dishwasher detergent. Can it be subbed out with any other detergent? Seems I can only find stuff like Cascade Complete in powder form. Is that an equivalent?
 
barrooze said:
It seems that around me, no one carries powder 7th Generation dishwasher detergent. Can it be subbed out with any other detergent? Seems I can only find stuff like Cascade Complete in powder form. Is that an equivalent?
Click to expand...

I don't know about a sub, but I gave up on finding it and one day just happen to come across it at Kroger. Hope that helps if you hadn't checked out Kroger yet
 
You can get it at Amazon - not sure if it ships free with Prime or not. I mix my brewery wash with just Sun oxygen and TSP 90 (two thirds / one third). I then add liquid 7 Gen unscented as needed when soaking. Or I can use the liquid by itself when cleaning stainless.
 
I ended up finding it at my Target. Not sure why couldn't find it there in the first place (I seem to have a problem find stuff right in front of my face, or so I've been told). I couldn't source the TSP sub, so I went with the real thing. My diy pbw seems to be doing the trick!

Thanks again, OP, for helping with the recipe formation!
 

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