cleaning my carboy

[jpr210]

theres a lot of **** stuck on the side of my carboy after my last batch (and it was the first time i used the carboy so help me here), whats the best way to get it all off before i sanitize it? i have a bottle brush but its not big enough to hit everywhere in the carboy, i was thinking some oxyclean or something but i dont know. recommendations gents? thanks in advance

 

[asterix404]

They do make a carboy brush for just such a purpose. It looks like a bottle brush but it has a large bend end which you shove into the carboy to get the sides.

 

[Golddiggie]

I used the for the first time on Sunday... Makes cleaning primaries SO much easier... You can also use it for bottles, and anything else you want to clean inside of. I used it to clean my 1/6 bbl keg fermenter. My brew buddy used it on his 6 gallon carboy (had at least a 4" thick yeast cake in it)... Made quick work of cleaning both. With a carboy, you can do the first round, pour out the water (easy if you put the carboy on the floor), then put the wand inside, invert the carboy over the sink, and turn on the water... Instant (and damned cheap) carboy washer. I might get another so that I have one at my place, and one at his... At $11 it's a bargain.

[edit]WTF?? links are not showing up... Here's what I used to clean out the primaries... http://www.midwestsupplies.com/buon-vino-spray-wand.html Got it from my LHBS, not MidWest...

 

[danorocks17]

oxiclean, green lid. But half a scoop in it and fill with as hot water as you can stand, while letting it sit over night.

 

[gcdowd]

I got mine soaking with hot water and oxyclean right now. That stuff is magic.

 

[Kaz]

A good soak in Oxyclean or PBW is all my carboys/Better Bottles ever get. An overnight soak always gets all the crud out with no scrubbing.

 

[TotemWolf]

+1 the Oxyclean

 

[Golddiggie]

Oxyclean/oxyfree/PBW are all good cleaners. BUT, the spray wand does a damned good job if you don't have a spray hose in your sink...

I've gone to using PBW for cleaning brew related gear. Where I shop, they don't have oxyfree, so that's not an option. I picked up the 4# container of PBW last time... I'll probably get the larger container next time, so that I won't run out so fast. I just used some to clean my Blichmann kettle, wort chiller (Chillhog 4000) and have a 1/2 bbl keg sitting with about 10 gallons of PBW solution in it. Soaked a bunch of items in the kettle to get them clean too. Does a damned good job...

 

[PHillBrewCo]

oxy clean for sure

 

[paraordnance]

no need to clean carboys if you soake it with Oxyclean for couple days, gunk comes right off

 

[boomtown25]

+1 on Oxyclean and hot water. I usually rinse my carboy out as good as possible after bottling, then fill to top with water and 1/2 scoop oxyclean and leave until I am ready to brew the next time. Keeps nasties from growing in it and gets everything else off. Once I am ready to brew, I hang over edge of sink and stick the nozzle of my sink hose in and it rinses everything out really easy!

 

[KevinW]

Oxyclean Free is the one for me!! Oxy Free only cause it has no perfumes and stuff you don't want!!

Oxyclean and PBW are both percarbonate cleaners, what I love about them is they will literally dissolve all the organics.

Oxyclean Free can be purchase a lot cheaper than PBW but you have to go with what you like!

I store my fermentors filled with the cleaning solution I used to clean my bottles so I don't have to waste any of it!

 

[JoeDaddio]

We let ours soak with PBW for about an hour or two. Scrubbed with a brush and 99% came off. We then filled it with PBW water part way, shook it up, scrubbed again, and everything else came out (this is with a Better Bottle).


joe

 

[Golddiggie]

Used PBW last night to clean my SS kettle, hop bags, silicon tubing (with SS QDs), plate chiller and a few other items (all in the pot, except the chiller). Also mixed up 9-10 gallons in a 1/2 bbl keg to let it soak and get clean. Got everything except the keg rinsed and done. Ran the out from the Blichman kettle through the chiller both directions before runnong several gallons of rinse water through it. Might rinse it again before putting it away. Probably don't need to but it won't hurt.

The spray wand also does great work on fermenters before you soak them. After a good PBW soak, you can use that to really rinse well before storing them. You'll use less water that way too IMO.

 

[shawnbou]

Another +1 for Oxyclean Free, hot water, and an overnight soak. I use plastic fermenters and Better Bottles exclusively, and have never had to scrub them to get gunk off.

If a 1-night soak doesn't get it off, try a 2nd night. It works wonders.