Cleaning a no-chill cube

[eulipion2]

I've been using the same Winpak for no-chill brewing for about four years. Usually when I clean it I rinse it out with water, then soak with PBW or OxiClean, then rinse again and use for the next batch.

My cube now has a brown/tan deposit (beer residue, but not beer stone) building up on the walls of the cube, and it's been there for a while. It hasn't caused any noticeable problems, but I'd like it to go just in case. This film can be scraped/scrubbed off, but both PBW and OxiClean fail to remove it on their own, and I really can't get inside the cube to scrub it.

So, has anyone else noticed a film inside your cube, and how did you clean it? I'm considering soaking in vinegar or double-strength StarSan to see if an acid will strip it, but wanted to see if anyone had any better solution.

Thanks!

 

[ido50]

Just noticed this post. Hope you found a solution, if not I'll tell you what worked for me when I had the same problem. From time to time, between batches, before putting away the cube for storage, I fill it with water and a little bit of bleach and vinegar, with a dilution rate that qualifies it as a no-rinse sanitizer (as detailed in this discussion). In a few days you'll find your cube as white as it was the day it left the factory. The difference is amazing.

 

[grathan]

It might even be the oxiclean that is leaving the residue.