Cleaning Tubing/Carboy

[jdlev]

What's the easiest way to sanitize some hose and the carboy? I've got a carboy brush and some star san, so I figure that won't be a problem. What's the easiest way for the tubes though?

 

[jet35a]

I clean my carboy with oxyclean and brush, flush the carboy and hoses with hot water. I sanitize by dumping star-san in the carboy then use the auto-siphon to return it to my star-san container. The exterior of the hoses I use a spray bottle of star-san.

 

[djinn88]

I only put mine in bleach water, although your star san should work better. Do not run any type of abrasive through as it can create scratches for bacteria to hide. The carboy can handle mild abrasion, watch it on a better bottle though, I believe they can scratch.

For the tubes:
So put some of your solution into the tube, cap it off with your thumbs and shake it until the particles are gone.

 

[Pappers_]

I clean my tubing right after I use it. For example, lets say its bottling day. I use an autosiphon and tube to rack to the bottling bucket, and the same tube and bottling wand.

After racking, I immediately rinse out the carboy and after getting the easy gunk out, fill it full of water and oxiclean and let it soak.

After everything else is done, I rinse out the bottling bucket and then fill it full of water and oxiclean. I submerge the tubing in it and anything else that needs to be cleaned (stoppers, hydrometer). Then i hook the tubing up to the autosiphon and run the oxiclean water through it, for quite a while. Then empty the bucket and rinse it out thoroughly. Fill it full of clean water and run the clean water through the autosiphon and tubing to rinse it thoroughly. When its done, disconnect the tubing and hang it from a rack i have in the ceiling, so it dries.

 

[Pappers_]

That's cleaning. To sanitize, I use the same method. Fill a the bucket or carboy 1/2 full of water and with the proper idophor concentration. Submerse the hose in the solution, and hook the hose to the autosiphon and run the idophor solution through it.

 

[jdlev]

Basically, I just used really hot water on the carboy and added about 1/2 an oz of star san to about 2 1/2 gallons of hot water and swirled it around.

Unless I shouldn't for some reason...i'm just going to forego the tubing, and use this giant funnel that I have to transfer from the ferm to the car.

One question about star san. It always leaves behind some foam. Is that a big deal?

 

[Pappers_]

Basically, I just used really hot water on the carboy and added about 1/2 an oz of star san to about 2 1/2 gallons of hot water and swirled it around.

Unless I shouldn't for some reason...i'm just going to forego the tubing, and use this giant funnel that I have to transfer from the ferm to the car.

One question about star san. It always leaves behind some foam. Is that a big deal?

You need clarify. Are you talking about cleaning or sanitizing? You need to think of these as two different and distinct steps, or you will run into problems in the long term.

The foam is no problem at all.

 

[jdlev]

Sanitizing...

 

[BlackBearForge]

I was wondering about this myself as I just bottled my first batch. The fermenter was a no brainer, oxyclean and the brush but I was something at a loss about the auto siphon, Thief and tubing so I just rinsed them all thoroughly with the plan to clean them better before the next use. Does the tubing ever really dry?

 

[jdlev]

Can I add beer when there is this much foam? Not sure if that's good for it or not?

I just can't wrap my brain around the fact that leaving it in there won't have consequences.

 

[Pappers_]

I was wondering about this myself as I just bottled my first batch. The fermenter was a no brainer, oxyclean and the brush but I was something at a loss about the auto siphon, Thief and tubing so I just rinsed them all thoroughly with the plan to clean them better before the next use. Does the tubing ever really dry?

If you rinse the thief, auto siphon and tubing right away, with oxiclean if you wish, they will be clean. No problems.

I hang the tubing up, so the ends are down, excess water drips out and/or dries.

 

[BlackBearForge]

Don't fear the foam! Just try and pour as much excess liquid out, the foam is fine. The ph of the wort will render it harmless and it will break down into things the yeast can use as nutriiton.

 

[Pappers_]

Can I add beer when there is this much foam? Not sure if that's good for it or not?

I just can't wrap my brain around the fact that leaving it in there won't have consequences.

Do not fear the foam.

https://www.homebrewtalk.com/f11/question-about-using-star-san-foam-bubbles-74550/

 

[jdlev]

Transfer complete

Going to keg in 2.5 weeks.