PVC Carboy Washer

[grrickar]

So I thought about it, and came up with a plan to make a DIY carboy washer. I picked up all that I needed at a local Menards for a few bux.

Some PVC, and end cap, quarter turn valve and a hose adapter. You'll need PVC cleaner and cement also if you don't already have them. Also a dremel with a small drill bit. You could use a drill but I think it would be more tedious. A drill press would work well.

Anyway, take the PVC, glue on the hose adapter to a short PVC piece, allow to dry, then glue on the valve, then the length of the 'washer arm', and top it with a cap at the end. Let it all dry before testing.

Drill X number of holes in the length of the arm. I may have went a bit overboard, but a bunch of small holes are better than a few larger. You are pressuring the washer arm part, and you want the water to spray with force. If you drill too many holes I suppose you can always epoxy some up.

Anyway, trial run worked ok. If it wasn't so cold out I'd take a pic of it in action. Here is the finished product.

Hook it to a hose, drop it in a carboy, open the valve and move it around as needed. It isn't as high-pressure as I had hoped, but what will be remedied with version 2.0

 

[galwaybrewer]

Nice concept, if you want more pressure I would get smaller diameter pvc pipe and see if that would help increase the pressure. Good Luck!

 

[Mike_kever_kombi]

I have been using one of these for a couple years attached to my pump. I set my pump in a 5 gallon bucket with a gallon of PBW. I have a white wire closet rack that fits on top of the bucket that kegs/carboys/just about anything sits on.

Works a treat.

 

[Thakaz]

I did something similar to this awhile back with a 30" sprinkler riser, sprinkler head, 1/2" ball valve and 1/2" MPT to hose adapter. I already had a 1/2" ball valve laying around so the total cost was around $5, would be $10 with a valve.

 

[helterscelter]

I have been using one of these for a couple years attached to my pump. I set my pump in a 5 gallon bucket with a gallon of PBW. I have a white wire closet rack that fits on top of the bucket that kegs/carboys/just about anything sits on.

Works a treat.

I do similar to wash my kegs and carboys, but I find that my pump turns the pbw (also tried oxy) into foam almost immediately which tends to leak out all over the place. I suspect I'm using too much. have you had similar issues? How much pbw do you mix?