Should I just chuck my blow off tube?

[AlecCheckerfield]

So I had a emergency 3 AM quick switch to a blow off tube from my (full) airlock and all went well after that.

Now that the vigorous stuff is done I slipped a clean airlock back on the primary.

Question: The blow off tube is a mess. Is it worth it/possible to clean it? Or do most folks just buy a long piece and cut it to use once???



Alec

 

[Stauffbier]

So I had a emergency 3 AM quick switch to a blow off tube from my (full) airlock and all went well after that.

Now that the vigorous stuff is done I slipped a clean airlock back on the primary.

Question: The blow off tube is a mess. Is it worth it/possible to clean it? Or do most folks just buy a long piece and cut it to use once???



Alec

If I can't get mine clean with PBW and starsan then I just toss it..

 

[Golddiggie]

Tubing is cheap. If it's not easy to clean, then chuck it. I recommend getting enough, at one time, to make several blow-off tubes. That way you don't need to worry about it one bit.

 

[HibsMax]

We live in such a throwaway time.

You can get some wire, twist a piece of cotton in one end and pull it through the tube. Sorry, not very detailed but hopefully you get the idea. Just another suggestion.

 

[Dunerunner]

Can do the same with a small piece of woven cotton patch like that you would use to clean a gun barrel.

 

[AlecCheckerfield]

Thanks members - in the best interests of sanitation I'm leaning towards chucking then. This has NOTHING to do with my usual leaning towards laziness however :cross:

 

[Draken]

Thanks members - in the best interests of sanitation I'm leaning towards chucking then. This has NOTHING to do with my usual leaning towards laziness however :cross:

A soak in PBW or oxyclean over night will clean it

 

[shawnbou]

Tubing is cheap, but so am I. I'd give it a soak overnight in some warm PBW or Oxiclean solution (it can't hurt to mix it a little stronger than usual) before giving up on it.

 

[TrubDog]

+1 for the overnight soak in PBW. My chunky dirty blowoff tube looks like new in the morning.

 

[malevolent]

Fill your bottling bucket with Oxyclean solution, drop the tubing in, voila. No need to waste the extra few dollars and a trip to and from your LHBS

 

[baddad]

pbw soak = no problem

 

[dfc]

Soaking in starsan works well.

 

[Stauffbier]

After an imperial stout batch that I brewed I tried soaking my tubing in Oxi for one night with no luck. I then soaked it in PBW for another night.... still chunky! Then my last attempt was to use a strong starsan solution. Fail! I do like the idea of a cotton ball on the end of a wire, though. I didn't try that, but I will next time. I was lucky that I already had a lot of tubing laying around. Plus the stuff that I can't get clean becomes "industrial" tubing for work related tasks, so It doesn't get wasted...

 

[homebrewdad]

A overnght soak in oxiclean or PBW will clean it like you wouldn't believe. Run a little hot water through it, and it's clean - even if there is tons of old, dried-on gunk.

 

[kh54s10]

Just throw it away. Use a new one every time. Our landfills do not have enough plastic in them anyway. :cross:


Sorry, just a little sarcasm. Really, clean the tube. It is not that hard. Mine is pretty well stained but I am not ready to replace it yet.

As for tubing being cheap... Cheap is relative. And I am cheap. I want to get as much life out of mine as I can. I can then spend that money making more beer.