How Clean Do You Get Your Buckets?

[smyrnaquince]

After you are done fermenting and bottling, how clean do you get your buckets? Are the insides darkened from the beer? Do they still have a beer or yeast smell?

For mine the answer is yes to staining and beer smells. I am wondering if I need to try to clean the buckets better or if it really doesn't matter.

 

[akimbo78]

i always clean and sanitize after use, then just sanitize before use. my buckets are stained and do smell, but i have yet to have a problem.

 

[Copperpots_Brewing]

I agree with akimbo. You should always clean and at least lightly sanitize after brewing. I scrub with a sponge and dish soap and run some starsan over it, then repeat the next time I brew. Better safe than sorry!

 

[ampsman]

I scrub out the gunk and then oxiclean after use.

 

[kh54s10]

They will probably stain and retain some smell, but clean them as well as you possibly can.

Be careful when cleaning so you make no scratches. And disassemble any spigots, this seems to be a common source of infection.

Oxyclean!

 

[smyrnaquince]

Sorry to be unclear. I do wash the buckets (with dish soap) and rinse, but I was wondering if I need to do a better job of cleaning to try to get rid of the lingering beer smell. I assume that the staining is permanent in a white plastic bucket.

I didn't think about spraying with Iodophor (the no-rinse sanitizer that I use) after cleaning. I'll add that to my procedures.

 

[Cambone]

After you are done fermenting and bottling, how clean do you get your buckets? Are the insides darkened from the beer? Do they still have a beer or yeast smell?

For mine the answer is yes to staining and beer smells. I am wondering if I need to try to clean the buckets better or if it really doesn't matter.

Mine aren't stained, but they smell; kind of good actually. I believe the litmus test for throwing them out is scratches/gouges on the interior.

 

[Ozzfest05]

This works for me for smell and cleanliness.
Run hot water and fill bucket 3/4 with sanibrew and sunlight dish soap.
Sunlight gets rid of all my smells from fermenter, I do this right after use.
Lightly scrub the walls.

 

[Brutus Brewer]

I've had a bucket for 10-12 years that isn't stained. I wash with Oxyclean immediately after and do so again before next use.

 

[truckndad]

I rinse out real well and use a cloth to get all the gunk out, then I put in a couple gallons water with a scoop of Oxiclean and put the lid back on and let it soak. Whenever I walk by it I give it a good shake. Next morning go over everything with a cloth, rinse, squirt some sanitizer in it, and call it good. Has a beer smell to it, but I haven't had any problems.

 

[mrk305]

I usually do bottling or kegging during the boil. I am going to put the next batch in in less than an hour.

I barely even rinse mine. I use my finger tips to loosen the krausen and rinse out the trub with hot water.

If they are ever empty for a few days, I fill them up with bleach water. They turn as white as brand new.

 

[BetterSense]

I wash out with water and Dawn, rinse with starsan before refilling. Mine all smell like beer but I don't see the problem with that.

 

[KRYLOK]

Oxyclean bath overnight.

 

[PIGMAN]

I use Easy Clean and a soft sponge. I try to avoid dish soap with brewing equipment. The beer smell lingers, but the bucket is clean.