When to retire old equipment?

[BrooklynBrewer]

I have all plastic equipment (i know...) and it's 4 years old. It's my original brew equipment and I'm wondering: Is it time to get new stuff?

I've had some problems with off (bandade and plastic) flavors lately that were never a problem before. I clean and sanitize diligently.

The buckets are stained, and usually smell like hops, BUT NOT scratched. I've only used sponges, mild soaps, and sanitizers for cleaning. The tubing is faded, and my auto-siphon (also plastic) looks very old, too.

I'm thinking that now is the time to switch to glass carboys (and turning the buckets into a lauter-tun). I can't seem to find a direct answer for when a bucket has kicked itself (haha). Any advice?

thanks in advance.
BrooklynBrewer

 

[olllllo]

If you are AG, you can use your buckets to store grain.

 

[GilaMinumBeer]

I've known HB'ers that have used the same buckets for a decade or more without any issue. But if you feel you need to replace the equipment I say why not, even if it is for peace of mind.

Personally, I don't see any need to go glass. Plastic primaries and keg secondaries is how I roll. If I ever decide to fruit my beers that's when I'll consider a big glass carboy.

 

[zoebisch01]

Well, although some plastics (most probably) do tend to degrade over time with heat and light exposure, 4 years isn't super long. However, if you get a funky taste in your bucket you'll probably get off flavors as they seem to inherit any flavor and can redistribute them. But if they smell like hops, it could be that you are getting the flavor elsewhere. Did you recently switch any tubing/etc?

Oh and....Welcome!

 

[abracadabra]

Try soaking your stuff in Oxiclean Free. Also smell your hoses and see if they or the autosihpon has any strong plasticine odor.

Or you could give the equipment away to someone else interested in the hobby.

Also old buckets make good containers for holding sanitation liquid.

 

[FlyGuy]

I would replace them. The problem with plastic, especially buckets, is that microscopic scratches are enough to harbour nasties. It is also inevitable that these scratches will eventually occur during regular cleaning, no matter how gently you scrub.

A local homebrew club close to us has an annual event where all their members bring in all their plastic equipment, and dispose of it. They make a big social event out of it, apparently.

I had a recurring infection in my plastic a few years ago, and it took pitching all of it to rid myself of it. That was three batches (kits) down the road. If I had just pitched it all at the beginning, I would have saved myself some money.

 

[BierMuncher]

I have all plastic equipment (i know...) and it's 4 years old. It's my original brew equipment and I'm wondering: Is it time to get new stuff?

Age is relative.

How many batches have you brewed in that equipment?

 

[homebrewer_99]

I've been using the same buckets over 10 years now...nary a problem with nasties.

I DO NOT disassemble my bottling buckets either. The beer is only in them for 30 mins or so. A quick hot soak and a couple of rinses and all the sugar's dissolved.

I fill up my primaries to within 2 inches from the top for overnight soaks with Oxi or some bleach. A couple of hot water rinses and some elbow grease (using a sponge) usually gets it all clean in minutes.

I replace my hoses as necessary...I buy like 20-30 ft at a time so I'll always have it handy...

 

[Crazytwoknobs]

Age is relative.

How many batches have you brewed in that equipment?

When do you replace old equipment?

When it's old!

 

[solidghost]

Luckily, I just purchased my equipment recently. Don't need to worry about retiring them for quite a while.

 

[Rich the Brewer]

My primary bucket was bought in 1982. With gentle cleaning with a soft sponge and long soaks in bleach it still works great.

All the other plastics I use are over 5 years old, except the tubing. I replace it every 3 or 4 bacthes.

 

[BrooklynBrewer]

Age is relative.

How many batches have you brewed in that equipment?

50 or so. But many of you have mentioned using plastic for a long time but changing tubing. Granted it's a different plastic, but the original question is: at what point is old equipment too old to continue using? 2 bad batches in a row? Cracks and scratches? Discoloring and off odors? Or can some of these be fixed or ignored? Which can and can't?

To seniors using the same plastic fermenters for 5+ years: mucho kudos. But tubing?

I fill up my primaries to within 2 inches from the top for overnight soaks with Oxi or some bleach. A couple of hot water rinses and some elbow grease (using a sponge) usually gets it all clean in minutes.

I replace my hoses as necessary...I buy like 20-30 ft at a time so I'll always have it handy...

99, we could be buds. This is exactly what i've been doing: ales fermented once in plastic buckets (sanitized as suggested) and bottle conditioned. Also I should mention I brew, relax, and enjoy what I make. I'm not interested in contests, and even my off beers aren't undrinkable.

Maybe I just worry too much, but I think it's a worthwhile discussion (it's a bridge i've just come to) Cheers to all you who brew!

 

[balto charlie]

All the other plastics I use are over 5 years old, except the tubing. I replace it every 3 or 4 bacthes.

You replace tubing every 3-4 batches!!!

 

[TexLaw]

Plastic equipment is a lot cheaper than funky batches. Try replacing your tubing first, if you only want to replace one thing at a time to see where the problem is. I would probably try a new bucket, as well. It could even be as simple as the gaskets on your bucket.


TL

 

[discgolfin]

You replace tubing every 3-4 batches!!!

Thats a lot of tubing to replace..I give it a long soak in warm water and bleach..unless the hose has visable cracks..it should be fine for years and years..This is also a reason I like glass for my fermenter..(I know lets not discuss how dangerous glass is..Im very careful with it)..I never have to worry about replacing them any time soon.

My wine theaf on the other hand has small scraches that makes me a bit worried..

Jay

 

[BierMuncher]

The right side of this shop sink is constantly filled with water along with 1/4 cup of oxyclean and a 1/4 cup of bleach and a few drops of Dawn. (I change out the water every 2-3 days).

All my hoses soak in there over night before being rinsed with hot water and hung to dry.

I have three siphon hoses, one of which is 16 years old and narry a problem.

 

[BrooklynBrewer]

Thank you Muncher and Tex,

I'm going to give everything a long soak in oxyclean and bleach and order some new tubing (why not) and change my auto-siphon (it has stress cracks).

 

[homebrewer_99]

Thats a lot of tubing to replace..I give it a long soak in warm water and bleach..unless the hose has visable cracks..it should be fine for years and years..This is also a reason I like glass for my fermenter..(I know lets not discuss how dangerous glass is..Im very careful with it)..I never have to worry about replacing them any time soon.

My wine theaf on the other hand has small scraches that makes me a bit worried..

Jay

Why are you worrying about scratches on a thief? You only use it for 10 minutes at a time. If you use then rinse off the beer you wouldn't have any problems at all.

 

[zacster]

Myself, I'd buy some new equipment, at least a new bucket and tubing. It isn't that expensive that it's worth the risk. And if you don't have a carboy you should get one.

I'm in Brooklyn too, I'm finding there are a lot of homebrewers here, more than I thought. I was told about a homebrewing meeting once a month in Williamsburg that I'm going to check out. If nothing else its in a pub and they drink beer.

 

[sittingturbo]

I would suggest cleaning with something like One Step Oxi Cleaners, not dish detergents. Might help with your staining and other issues.

Just my $0.02

 

[david_42]

I'm still using my original buckets after seven years, no problems. I don't see any sign of decomposition and an occasional soak with bleach takes care of any stains. Tubing gets replaced whenever it gets stained badly. I'm on my third set of beer lines, largely because I built a new kegger.

But, if you want to buy carboys, buy carboys.

 

[BrooklynBrewer]

Update:

I've had better luck with carboys than buckets.
I've been replacing tubing about annually (as soon as it's stained or has any residual odor).
Using PBW and Star San together has increased the life of my equipment, gotten rid of odors and stains, and helped me make cleaner beers.
Hanging properly cleaned and sanitized tubing to air-dry after use is the most important thing I've ever done.

When in doubt, throw it out (or better yet, recondition it and recycle it: old fermenters become sanitizing buckets, old transfer hose becomes sparge hose etc)

Happy Brewing!

 

[redm18]

Not to split hairs here or anything but you posted this three years ago complaining about 4 year old buckets causing off flavors so its hard to say your carboys are way better. Say your carboys are about 3 times the cost of a bucket then they would need to last 12 years to be about the same price. They probably will but it hard to knock buckets to bad. I do kind of wonder if buckets getting scratches that harbor bacteria is a bit overstated. How can a bug get somewhere but sanatizer cannot? Plus i'm a bit gun shy about carboys after reading some horrible storys about them breaking today.

 

[jiggs_casey]

I have two buckets that are 10 years old this year... I still use them as primaries.

 

[Snowhere]

Both my bottling bucket and two of my glass carboys are 19 yrs old. I just replaced the racking valve on the bucket since it started to leak. I also have a few hoses that are around the same age. None of my gear gets any UV light so I expect the plastic to last. My old tubing is stained from Iodine sanitation but I have never had a off flavor from it. Hell I used my short length of stained tubing today to bottle a Scotch Ale I plan on aging for a good time. With proper cleaning, your plastic stuff should last a long time. I would only toss my bucket if I had noticable scratches or started losing batches. That should not happen anyway as I have switched to Star San and I hope the foam would kill all nasties.


Dam, I did not notice the date of the original post...............