Daughter left PBW in brewers bucket for a week

[dpalme]

My daughter called me tonight she was cleaning out some of her brewer buckets and forgot about one on the side of the house it had PBW in it for about a week, any chance it damaged the bucket?

I have never left mine out lol told her I'd ask the resident experts

 

[NeoBrew]

Not likely. Are you saying it was mixed up PBW? The only thing it could possibly do is etch or pit the plastic. If it did that she would be able to feel a change in the texture of the plastic.

If it's still smooth, just do a really good rinse and go with it.

 

[dpalme]

I asked her if there was pitting she was going to check but it was mixed with water

 

[dpalme]

She said she left a hose in it that's now cloudy I told her to toss that

 

[madscientist451]

I don't think it would hurt anything. PBW is actually very mild and plastic buckets are pretty tough.

 

[dpalme]

She just called me said it's not perfectly smooth but isn't rough either so I think the bucket is ok but the hoses were cloudy now those are cheap to replace

 

[LarMoeCur]

@Madscientist351- buckets are anything but tough as fermenters. Just cleaning them will cause scratches. Now they are super tough as grain storage containers.

@Dpalme- It may have been damaged cleaning it. So, it may be good for one more batch. If the surface got textured it will hold yeast and bacteria even after sanitation. Buckets are 3 bucks at Homedept cheaper than hose you lost. When in doubt throw it out! I'd just spend the 3 bucks and get a new one. Have one batch of beer get infected and your out 40 or more dollars. Not worth the risk for 3 bucks.

 

[GHBWNY]

She just called me said it's not perfectly smooth but isn't rough either so I think the bucket is ok but the hoses were cloudy now those are cheap to replace

I don't think her bucket is ruined. When cleaning, obviously don't use something harder to scrub it with than the plastic it is made of and she'll be OK. As for any damage the PBW might have caused --- negligible at best. Here's what the manufacturer says about their product:

"PBW (Powdered Brewery Wash) is a patented alkali cleaner originally developed for Coors, now widely used in commercial breweries across North America. Use 1 to 2 ounces per gallon for cleaning kettles, 3/4 ounce per gallon for fermenters, kegs, tanks, and other equipment. Soak equipment overnight in PBW solution; rinse the following morning - no scrubbing required! Will not damage rubber gaskets, soft metals, or your skin. PBW can effectively clean items that can't be reached with a brush or sponge, and is strong enough to remove thick, difficult, caked-on organic soils.

Keep a bucket of PBW solution around for cleaning small parts when needed. Recirculate a hot solution of PBW through your pump and counter flow chiller to remove hidden debris. Perfect for cleaning kegs or bottles before sanitizing. PBW is environmentally friendly, biodegradable, and will not harm septic systems. It also works great as a household cleaner too.

Rinses clean leaving equipment ready for sanitizing with a dedicated sanitizer like Star San."

Note "soak equipment overnight". If it were harmful to the point of etching plastic, they wouldn't recommend it. Plastic, rubber, gaskets, etc. is exactly what it is made to clean. It is designed to react to organic material and debris, not inert material like plastic, rubber, etc.. Won't even hurt your skin. Active ingredients are sodium percarbonate (an oxidizer), sodium carbonate aka washing soda (a buffering agent), and sodium metasilicate (a builder). It is an alkali and does not "eat away" debris (like acid); it lifts it and causes it to be easily removed with rinsing.

My guess is you could leave PBW in a plastic bucket for weeks without harm. It is only going to react with debris in the bucket and then stop its action; it will not continue to eat away or "etch" the plastic. Cloudiness in the water or on clear tubing is a factor of change in pH, not acidic action.