I've had my fermenter buckets for a few years and I want to "deep" clean them
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Your old buckets have probably developed scratches over the years that can harbor bacteria.
These buckets work well but aren't built to last. You can use Clorox if you like, but it won't fix the scratches and wear.
If they are #7 plastic buckets, I would retire them and use them for storage. New buckets are very cheap.
Don't use Clorox on SS or any metal.
You can use it on Glass or PET all you want, just rinse very well.
These buckets work well but aren't built to last. You can use Clorox if you like, but it won't fix the scratches and wear.
If they are #7 plastic buckets, I would retire them and use them for storage. New buckets are very cheap.
Don't use Clorox on SS or any metal.
You can use it on Glass or PET all you want, just rinse very well.
The buckets I use are made out of #2 HDPE plastic.
If your bucket is a couple years old just replace it.
I recall seeing somewhere a plastic bucket was good for something like 10 uses, I got more than that out of my buckets but I would replace them after a year regardless to how they looked.
I recall seeing somewhere a plastic bucket was good for something like 10 uses, I got more than that out of my buckets but I would replace them after a year regardless to how they looked.
flars
Well-Known Member
You can use unscented bleach to clean stains from a bucket. Follow the directions on the jug for sanitizing. When there are visible streaks of heavier stain these are scratches. When there are scratches it is better to replace than try to clean.
I just buy new and make car wash buckets out of the old ones.
JONNYROTTEN
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I've had the same buckets for years. I don't buy into the whole scratches harbor bacteria thing. I've forgotten yeast cakes in my buckets for months that got nasty. An overnight Oxyclean soak always does the trick. I also stir up the yeast cake with a spoon before dumping and use the scratchy side of a kitchen sponge to clean. If your old bucket is clean than infections are no more likely than any other piece of equipment. Replacing them is cheap but if I don't have to why bother. I'll replace them when I start getting infections that hasn't happened yet after years of use.
So a good heavy Oxyclean soak works wonders or look up "Bleach Bombing buckets" that has been done by many people
So a good heavy Oxyclean soak works wonders or look up "Bleach Bombing buckets" that has been done by many people
Barley_Bob
Well-Known Member
I've had the same two buckets since I started brewing. After every use, I bleach clean all of my equipment. Buckets, lids, airlocks, tubing, bottling bucket, bottles. It all gets a bleach and dry, and then it all gets starsan before I use it. I keep the same 5 gallons of bleach solution and then move it around between buckets and bottles. Bottom line - I don't get infections.
I really started this process because I was having problems with bottle infections. The quick rinse followed by starsan procedure just wasn't working for me. For one thing, I get a ton of beer stone in my bottles. I have no idea why, but it's been happening for years. The bleach cleaning really isn't much extra effort, and I haven't had any trouble since I started it.
EDIT: I forgot to mention that I also no-chill. So my near-boiling wort is going into the sanitary bucket.
I really started this process because I was having problems with bottle infections. The quick rinse followed by starsan procedure just wasn't working for me. For one thing, I get a ton of beer stone in my bottles. I have no idea why, but it's been happening for years. The bleach cleaning really isn't much extra effort, and I haven't had any trouble since I started it.
EDIT: I forgot to mention that I also no-chill. So my near-boiling wort is going into the sanitary bucket.
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beerlover77
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+1 to oxyclean. I wouldn't touch bleach with a 10ft pole...
masskrug
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For the past year or two I have been using food-grade trash can liners. Its like a new bucket every time. On top of that, cleanup is a breeze.
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01LY5XX96/?tag=skimlinks_replacement-20
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01LY5XX96/?tag=skimlinks_replacement-20
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Wtf, that sounds actually really smart. Thanks!
Edit : how do you know it is food-grade?
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While I am brewing I fill my bucket up with Star Sans solution so if there are any scratches with bacteria it has plenty of time to be killed.
InTheBasement
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I agree. I have been using using my buckets for a couple years. After each ferment, I fill the bucket with boiling water and add oxy clean. I let it soak like that for an hour or so. Works great.
BigJoeBrew
Well-Known Member
I haven't seen anywhere that trash can liners are food safe, but hopefully I'm wrong. In the description it says they are made from Linear Low Density Polyethylene (LLDPE) which some plastic films seem to be made. Could you show us where using liners like that would be food safe? It would be awesome if it is the case.
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BigJoeBrew
Well-Known Member
@masskrug After a quick search I noticed you posted this link last year. Pretty cool!
http://fermware.com/fermentation-bucket-liners/
@Miraculix also I have read about using oven turkey bags
https://www.homebrewtalk.com/forum/threads/clear-plastic-leaf-garbage-bags.115130/#post-1271635
http://fermware.com/fermentation-bucket-liners/
@Miraculix also I have read about using oven turkey bags
https://www.homebrewtalk.com/forum/threads/clear-plastic-leaf-garbage-bags.115130/#post-1271635
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stosh
Well-Known Member
As cheap as they can be I'd just get new ones. They make great gift giving ideas too.
Or you could bribe a friend or two into buying a beer kit of their choice and tell them in exchange for brewing it for them they can buy you some new buckets.
masskrug
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From the DOW (manufacturer) website:
Product Uses: LLDPE resins are used in the following industrial fabrication processes: Film (blown and cast) – Applications include food packaging (crackers, cereals, bakery goods, liquid and semisolid foods, meat and cheese, boil-in-bag vegetables, ice bags), nonfood (retail carry-out bags and sacks, heavy-duty trash bags, industrial liners, disposable diapers, medical packaging, newspaper/mailer bags, bundling and overwrap, textile packaging ), shrink wrap, and stretch wrap (pallet wrap). Films used for food applications are FDA compliant.
I dont ferment in buckets but if I did, I'd really be looking at this plastic liner stuff in this thread! Looks pretty slick!
There shouldn't be anything in your bucket that can't be killed with just hot water. HDPE buckets can take boiling water but even water at 160 should kill everything. Dump the hot water in, let it set for a minute, dump it to the next bucket. Repeat until all buckets are done.
My oldest bucket is almost 5 years old and still makes good beer, it still looks like new on the inside. As long as you don't scratch the inside they will last a long time. I bleach my buckets after every few uses, you just need to let them sit for a day or so to let the smell evaporate.
Edit:
I got curious and went to check the date stamps on my buckets. I think I might hold the record for the oldest bucket on here. I bought a bunch of bottles and brewing stuff from a guy that was moving across the country, I got a bucket from him that was in really good shape. I heat sanitized it and bleached it before I started using it, the beers have always turned out fine with it. It has a date stamp that says 07/99! It's almost 19 years old! The 5 year old bucket that I mentioned above has a date stamp of 09/12, I bought it in spring of 2013. Like I said, both buckets work fine and I've never had an infection in them, but now I'm considering retiring the 18.5 year old bucket.
Edit:
I got curious and went to check the date stamps on my buckets. I think I might hold the record for the oldest bucket on here. I bought a bunch of bottles and brewing stuff from a guy that was moving across the country, I got a bucket from him that was in really good shape. I heat sanitized it and bleached it before I started using it, the beers have always turned out fine with it. It has a date stamp that says 07/99! It's almost 19 years old! The 5 year old bucket that I mentioned above has a date stamp of 09/12, I bought it in spring of 2013. Like I said, both buckets work fine and I've never had an infection in them, but now I'm considering retiring the 18.5 year old bucket.
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I've wondered if the hot water method would work for cleaning up after an infection as well. It seems like it would be effective even when there is a protective biofilm.
JONNYROTTEN
Well-Known Member
Homebrew over thinking at its best.
For years it was written law if you used the scratchy side of a kitchen sponge to clean your bucket you were guaranteed an infection and your bucket was toast.
I can say with certainty that is nothing more than homebrew folklore...as is half the other stuff we "know" to be true.. bleach them oxy clean them.. whatever...scratches don't make infections...infections make infections
"1,500 years ago, everybody knew that the Earth was the center of the universe. 500 years ago, everybody knew that the Earth was flat. And 15 minutes ago, you knew that humans were alone on this planet. Imagine what you'll know tomorrow..."
For years it was written law if you used the scratchy side of a kitchen sponge to clean your bucket you were guaranteed an infection and your bucket was toast.
I can say with certainty that is nothing more than homebrew folklore...as is half the other stuff we "know" to be true.. bleach them oxy clean them.. whatever...scratches don't make infections...infections make infections
"1,500 years ago, everybody knew that the Earth was the center of the universe. 500 years ago, everybody knew that the Earth was flat. And 15 minutes ago, you knew that humans were alone on this planet. Imagine what you'll know tomorrow..."
I have used the same plastic buckets for 3-4 years. Never had an infection that I can tell. Never soaked them by filling. Just a wash cloth with oxy and spray bottle with starsan. No need to fill them up and waste oxy/starsan. I just never let them dry out from beer before cleaning.
I think of them as seasoned like cast iron or oak cask. I try to keep them designated to their yeast so I have wheat, ale and lager buckets. They each have a distinctive smell and are dis-colored.
I suppose if if I ever got an infection from "scratch theory" I would use them for something else and buy new ones.
I think of them as seasoned like cast iron or oak cask. I try to keep them designated to their yeast so I have wheat, ale and lager buckets. They each have a distinctive smell and are dis-colored.
I suppose if if I ever got an infection from "scratch theory" I would use them for something else and buy new ones.
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