How to get odors out of Primary Bucket

[Marko73]

Hi All,

I have a few primary buckets and there is one that has had an odor of beer ever since I fermented a cream ale in it. I have tried to get it out with bleach, then Dove, the One Step and even Star San and it is still there.

I guess my question is does anyone else have this problem?

and is it a problem? Will this odor affect the fermentation of another ale?

Thanks!

 

[BigKahuna]

I don't worry about it much...but I do soak my buckets in a pretty strong bleach solution after I rinse out the trub.

I figure that the faint smell of hops gone past is the good vibe that keeps the next batch good to go!

 

[mttewes]

I clean and deodorize my buckets with Oxyclean OR Starsan. Just fill the bucket and let it sit for 24 hrs. Works great for me but I wouldn't worry about it too much.

 

[ThickHead]

Solutions, in order of preference:

1) Stainless Steel Conical Fermentors
2) Glass Carboys
3) Better Bottle Carboys

While your brews will more than likely turn out just fine using your bucket, there are advantages to upgrading your equipment. In lieu of an upgrade, I agree with Bigkahuna, clean the hell out of it. But remember, if brew remnents are capable of hanging around in your bucket, so can bleach and other nasty stuff.

 

[dblvsn]

Fill the bucket up with a strong oxyclean solution and let it soak for 24 hours.

 

[PWalk]

I just had a similar issue where I couldn't seem to get a stout scent out of my one fermenter bucket. I took two scoops of oxyclean and mixed it with the full 5 gallons and let it sit there a day and a half and now she's as good as new.

 

[ohiobrewtus]

Oxiclean is the way to go. I don't do this after every use though. Normally the buckets get pretty nasty after 4-6 batches, then it's time for Oxiclean.

 

[homebrewer]

I had the same problem after brewing dark or hoppy beers and could never get it completely clean and odor free. I switched to glass carboys, which were under $30 each and have been completely satisfied.

A quick rinse with sanitizer and there is no discoloration or smell.