Dirty Carboy

[slater]

So I got an old 5 gallon carboy of my dad's from back home. I was going to use it as a secondary so I went to NT homebrew shop and they gave me some stuff they recommended and said it would kill anything that was in there. My question is.. the outside of it has some pretty nasty stuff on it and after an hour I have barely gotten much of it off. Should I go buy a new carboy or just use this one still. Hopefully this summer I will have the time/money to get carboys and not use my plastic bucket anymore. Thanks for the input ahead of time. And also if you have anything you think might help get the stuff off the outside go ahead and shoot those pointers my ways. I know the inside is clean but the outside of it looks like crap still.

 

[NWernBrewer]

Soak it in whatever cleaner you have - all day check and if it wipes off - if not let soak a day or two. If that doesn't work - soak in a bleach solution overnight. In fact, try the bleach solution first. My friend used to work for a housewares company and people would leave coffee pots on and the coffee would boil down and create terrible messes - scorched coffee sludge - and he would soak in bleach solution overnight and the glass would be perfectly clear.

 

[BruDaddy]

Oxyclean is another good cleaner. I've never had to scrub a carboy, I just soak for a day or so in oxyclean solution - about 1 scoop to a full carboy of water. Of course, this 'standard' beer-making crud, what you have may be worse.

 

[SteveM]

You may get to a point where you have to ask yourself how much you value your time and your beer. Be careful about being "Penny wise and Pound foolish."

 

[Melana]

+1 for Oxyclean!

 

[Arneba28]

diluted GOO Gone Soak!!!

 

[bungholebrewery]

oxy clean is good as well as bleach.

i got eight 5 gallon carboys from my grandpa, and i have cleaned them all and they look/work great.