Carboy cleaning tips?

[DieKatzchen]

It's about time to rack to my secondary and I was wondering if anyone had any tips for sanitizing a carboy. I was thinking of putting a gallon of Easy Clean in it, picking it up, and (carefully!) swirling it around for a few minutes. I'm not sure I can pull it off, though. It might be a bit heavy for me. Anyone have a better idea?

 

[ColoHox]

It's a glass carboy then? Easy clean is a decent no-rinse cleaner and sanitizer and can be used to in your carboy. Lifting and swirling is about the best you can do for sanitation purposes if you just need contact. Weight is one of the reasons many people use plastic carboys.

 

[DanCoBrewing]

I recommend using a carboy handle when lifting a carboy for cleaning. I also carry mine in a "milk crate" and use these at all times with my carboys.

As for cleaning tips. Get a carboy brush. Use PBW or any number of the homemade versions discussed in other posts on HBT.

For sanitizing you can depend on Star San to do a great job every time.

 

[pablosbrewing]

It's a glass carboy then? Easy clean is a decent no-rinse cleaner and sanitizer and can be used to in your carboy. Lifting and swirling is about the best you can do for sanitation purposes if you just need contact. Weight is one of the reasons many people use plastic carboys.

Oxyclean Free is what I use (about 1/4 scoop) - fill with hot water. I use a garden hose adapter and a siphon hose attached to my kitchen faucet to make it easy.

Usually about an hour soak works for me, then I disconnect from the tap side and use the same hose to siphon out. Rinse well with warm water.

[ame="http://youtu.be/uvdKN_bXzU4"]http://youtu.be/uvdKN_bXzU4[/ame]

 

[ColoHox]

Oxyclean Free is what I use (about 1/4 scoop) - fill with hot water. I use a garden hose adapter and a siphon hose attached to my kitchen faucet to make it easy.

Usually about an hour soak works for me, then I disconnect from the tap side and use the same hose to siphon out. Rinse well with warm water.

I also use ocyclean and a hot soak, usually gets all the gunk out. OP asked about easy clean for sanitizing, and his method will work. It is a royal pain to carry around glass carboys. I've even had a neck snap with one of those handles, and yes, it was empty.

 

[pablosbrewing]

Oops - I missed that he was sanitizing I just saw the words "Easy Clean" - clearly not enough coffee.

+1 for milk crate and glass carboy

 

[kh54s10]

For me, I would only sanitize without moving the glass carboy at all. This would mean either using a spray bottle of Starsan and trying to coat all internal surfaces or filling with Starsan then siphoning the Starsan out. I don't know how you would get what the siphon couldn't reach out of there though.

This, the weight, and the danger of a glass carboy is why I will never use one.