PBW vs Oxyclean

[Schwabizzle]

So, I just ran out of PBW, but I have a ton of Oxyclean laying around. I've read alternating opinions on using Oxyclean,but I wanted to see what y'all brought to the table. I am planning on using it to clean a plastic carboy and fermenting bucket,as well as my hoses and keg.

 

[kl Roosevelt brewer]

I haven't been brewing beer but I have been making a lot of ciders out of frozen concentrated juice. I do use star San for my glass carboys when I rack must into secondary but when it comes to my plastic fermenter bucket I just use Dawn dishwashing soap and throw another batch in. After reading so many things about infections with beer making I am beginning to wonder if beer is a little more particular than Brewing ciders

 

[SanPancho]

As long as you dont have hard water it works fine. Or if you do have hard water, get yourself some tsp and make your own pbw. Lots of threads here for a diy recipe.

 

[enkamania]

I've used both and they work well. People will freak out that you get non fragrance Oxyclean, but I've never seen any issues with the fragrant kind.

 

[S-Met]

I have a solution for fixing oxiclean with fragrance. I stopped telling people. After a soak, scrub and 3x rinse there is no retained scent.

Pbw vs oxi vs diy-pbw: PBW is best, then diy-pbw, then oxi. However, factoring the price of PBW, the cost savings outweighs the cleaning differential. At least for my needs.

Worth noting that Pbw has a chelating agent that others lack that binds to metals and help reduce scale build-up.

 

[Zzyzx3]

I've used oxiclean a bunch and it works well. I still prefer PBW, but in a crunch I would use oxiclean. I've only used the non-scented version, so I can't comment as to whether the scented version has an impact or not.

 

[kh54s10]

I buy and use the cheapest generic oxyclean cleaner I can find. Dollar General usually. Never had any problems with just a days soak and a quick rinse. And it is WAY cheaper than PBW.

Use it for the laundry too.

 

[Schwabizzle]

Thank you all for the replies. I figured as much,just wanted to make sure.

 

[Rev2010]

I've used Oxiclean for years, and both the Free and scented versions when I couldn't find Free which for some reason started becoming hard to find. Never had an issue with either on both stainless and plastic. Went with PBW for my most recent restart with the Robobrew. Very similar but supposed to be better, albeit at a much higher cost. After this 4lb tub I may just go back to oxyclean for the cost savings and years of using it with zero issues.


Rev.

 

[Comfort_Zone]

I've been routinely using the standard scented Oxiclean and I've never had an issue. Like any good post-cleaning practice I just make sure I rinse well.

 

[Rocksville]

PBW will break down some of the calcium deposits (beer stone) better, but for general purpose cleaning oxi-free works great. If you have something particularly crusty, you'll find PBW is far more effective (especially if you can use really hot water).

As was said, I would try to avoid dishwashing detergent (it generally has a perfume added and leaves a film) and the scented oxi clean (perfume), but if you use them, just rinse really well prior to sanitizing and you should be just fine.

 

[SEndorf]

Agreed.
I use PBW in the boil kettle, bring to boil, turn off and let it sit overnight.
It really does wonders removing the beer stone and cleaning the heating element.

 

[Comfort_Zone]

For calcium buildup I use vinegar, because I'm cheap.