Potentially unsanitary carboy.. would you worry?

[organ]

I've got a five gallon glass carboy with some sort of white, calcium deposit-looking stuff stuck to the bottom -- and I mean stuck! I've tried everything I can think of to get rid of it. I've bleached it two or three times; I've tried Star San at least twice; poured some pipe-clearing acid in there; scrubbed it with a Brillo pad attached, via wooden dowel, to a cordless drill; I've tried a power washer and for the last month it's been filled with a solution of PBW.. to no avail. Whatever it is it ain't coming off.

So, I'm left wondering whether or not it's safe for use as a secondary vessel.. ? Would you worry? Should I?

 

[Clann]

Have you tried C.L.R?

 

[organ]

Nope. Should I?

 

[Revvy]

Yes.

 

[ShakerD]

Yeah it will take calcium off easily just make sure you rinse it well.

 

[organ]

I guess I'll be buying some CLR. Thanks.

 

[kpfeif]

Or if you have a water softener, toss in a handfull of the water softener salts and dissolve in water. Let it soak overnight and it should pull off the hard water deposits. I clean my bathroom with those.

 

[pdxal]

Could be beer stone. Calcium oxalate. Comes off best with an acid cleaner.

 

[bannonb]

PBW is what I use (It's an alkalai). Never had the buildup like you, but it should remove it (if it's not etched with the acids you used) when soaked overnight. The product is billed as used by commercial breweries. It works in fermenters, mash tuns and boilers for me.

 

[organ]

Well, this carboy sat, uncorked, in my father's shop for around three decades. There was all manner of filth caked in the bottom when I took ownership of it. Bleach took care of most of it.

Found some Lime-Away under the kitchen sink; I believe it's working. Carboy is currently soaking in second solution of it. I'll let it sit for a while longer this time.

Thanks again, guys.