how best to clean a dirty blow off tube

[brewcephus]

I use a rigid 1" pvc for my blowoff. a 3" piece of 1" tygon attaches the PVC to the carboy. 2 90 deg elbows.
it looks something like this:

I also like this idea. So how would you go about cleaning this? Do you just stick it together(no glue) so that it can be broken down for cleaning purposes?

 

[dsaavedra]

I soaked mine in PBW for a little while, maybe an hour. This dissolved all the gunk out of the inside of the tube but it did make the tube a hazy white color. I have looked into it and it seems like this hazy color does not harm the beer and you can remove it if you scrub it/soak it in water or sanitizer or something. I am not worried about the hazy tubing so much because it is a dedicated blow off tube. I could probably run paper towels through the tubing with a dowel rod or something to scrub it out if I really wanted to.

 

[Howiedw]

I also like this idea. So how would you go about cleaning this? Do you just stick it together(no glue) so that it can be broken down for cleaning purposes?

Exactly. Without glue, the fittings are snug enough to make a seal. If cleaning is required, just break it down and use your bottle brush. Several places acutally sell these setups as a pre-cut kit.

 

[Opiate42]

I didn't read all the suggestions in this thread, but I want to mention this:

I bought a daypack for hiking from walmart and it has a refillable bladder inside. Company is Outdoor Products. They also sell a cleaning kit for the bladder and hose. I found the best brush for cleaning my blowoff tubes in it.

It's a scrub brush that's about two feet long and made out of a spring. It's completely flexible and is perfect for cleaning all the dried krausen from inside the tube.

Not sure if that's been suggested already, but that brush is one of the best brushes in my arsenal and the only one capable of scrubbing the inside of my hoses 100%.

It looks similar to this version, but with shorter black bristles:

:rockin:

Thank you!

Sweet mother of all things bubbly..... why the hell didn't I think of this?!?!?! I HAVE hydro packs and hike/camp all the time.... sheesh.... me.

 

[kombat]

I use a rigid 1" pvc for my blowoff. a 3" piece of 1" tygon attaches the PVC to the carboy. 2 90 deg elbows.
it looks something like this:

Very cool! But please tell me you don't lift full carboys using that red neck handle?

 

[Howiedw]

Very cool! But please tell me you don't lift full carboys using that red neck handle?

I didn't have an actual picture of my setup. This image was one I found online that was very similar to mine. I have nylon brewhauler straps.

 

[rodwha]

I bought a line brush meant for kegging lines.

http://morebeer.com/products/line-brush-38-48.html

I should have read the thread first...

 

[berwick12]

I've use the keg line brush but with longer and wider blowoff tubing it doesn't always fit or cut the mustard. What is a man to do if he has played every brass instrument and never throws anything away? EASY, go to the basement and grab you trombone brush. Nylon bristles and wider and longer than the keg brush.

 

[MockY]

I just bought this item, and hoping that it will do the trick

 

[william_shakes_beer]

I use a shotgun mop and a rifle cleaning rod.

 

[mbbransc]

As cheap as tubing is, I'm surprised so many ppl go through such efforts to clean it. When mine is too nasty, I toss it and cut a new piece.

 

[unionrdr]

I use PBW and this brush to clean long lengths of tubing; http://www.beveragefactory.com/draftbeer/cleaning/brushes/NHCB38.html

 

[DM3MD157]

I used a keg dip tube brush (similar to the brush in the previous post) and wrapped a small piece of paper towel around the brush part. Pushed it through as far as the wire will go and pulled it out. Repeated on the other end of the tube. Since the brush has stiff bristles it has no problem gripping onto the paper towel on the way in and pulling it out. It cleaned it PERFECTLY!!!

 

[CorporateHippie]

fish tape. That is all.

 

[Jphillips13]

^^^^ this

 

[Malted_hops]

Blowgun attachment on an air compressor, couple foam ear plugs or wadded paper towel, and 90p.s.i.
Problem solved.

 

[unionrdr]

Huh. New use for those dang foam ear plugs! Never thought of that one...:rockin:

 

[oogaboogachiefwalkingdeer]

I just put one of the plastic sabots in mine fill with a little black power and strike a match to it. Problem solved.

 

[unionrdr]

Those long brushes I linked in my last post are now 20% off @ $5.63 for anyone interested. Hey walking deer, did you use black powder or Pyrodex? I still have some sabots laying around from the 50 cal...

 

[alexnova]

My 1/2" line didn't get cleaned after I used it to rack a batch into a keg so it had splotches of mold in it. I soaked it in Star-San for an hour or two, which made the tubing a bit sticky but it rinsed off. I wrapped a wad of paper towel around a 3/8" dowel and pushed it through with help from a skewer since I had more tubing than dowel. Clean as a whistle.

The weighted line with a rag or bit of paper towel on the end sounds like a winner.

As for why bother cleaning it? I had everything I needed to clean it and it took less time and $$ than going to the LHBS for more.