Cleaning Plastic Fermenting Bucket

[Twtr25]

Well, after brewing four different times (3 beer, 1 cider), my fermenting bucket still smells like some of my brews, even after heavy cleaning (hot water, StarSan, etc. My buckets are getting what are I hope are not permanent stains.

My question: is there a good way for me to get the smells and stains out of my fermenting buckets? For some reason I feel that I read somewhere the bleach is not a good idea, but if I am mistaken, please let me know. I just want my buckets to not have a smell or any kind of stains from fermenting. Thanks!

 

[BradleyBrew]

I have used the same buckets and plastic carboys for about 2 years now. They all smell like beer. I have never had any problems with smells being transferred around. I say just clean & sanitize and forge on!

 

[jmprdood]

Oxyclean soak overnight - or 1/2 cup of bleach in fermenter full of cool water overnight.

 

[Twtr25]

Oxyclean soak overnight - or 1/2 cup of bleach in fermenter full of cool water overnight.

I never thought about using Oxyclean. It seems like a lot of people use Oxyclean for a lot of the basic cleaning of their brewing equipment, right?

 

[kevokie]

If you can find it, Sun oxygen is pretty much the same as oxyclean, and a few bucks cheaper than oxyclean. It's what I'm gonna use from now on. My fermenters smell like beer and I've cleaned and cleaned. No problems so far.

On a side note, don't use oxyclean or other 'oxygen' cleaner on aluminum or it will turn it an ugly black, but it's just oxidation.

 

[beergolf]

I have used the same buckets and plastic carboys for about 2 years now. They all smell like beer. I have never had any problems with smells being transferred around. I say just clean & sanitize and forge on!

ding...ding..ding.. we have a winner.

Don't worry about the smells or the stains. They have no effect on your brews. I have buckets that have had many brews and they all have a stain around the krausen ring, they smell, but they still produce great brews.

 

[Just-a-Guy]

I've been boiling a couple of gallons of water then dumping into the bucket at the same time I was working on the wort. Then slosh it around, dump it out, and spray a little starsan soluntion into the bucket. Rinse with hot tap water and go.

Anything wrong with that approach?

 

[jphebbie2]

Don't rinse star San. It will not affect your beer in any way if used properly. Actually after it is diluted enough, yeast can metabolize it so it becomes a sort of yeast nutrient

 

[944play]

Watch out -- if you soak your bucket with bleach, make sure you rinse it completely and let it air out. Bleach has a way of sticking to plastic and making your next batch taste like burning bandaids....

 

[lgilmore]

I toss a fair amount of baking soda in the water I soak the bucket in "after" I have cleaned it out with a sponge. Doesn't have an odor afterwards.

 

[Nugent]

Your bucket is just getting awesome.

That smell is victory.

:fro:

 

[prrriiide]

That smell is victory.

I love the smell of kreuzen in the morning...