Soaking stuff

[Maylar]

I'm a winter brewer and the season is fast approaching. Haven't been active in 2-3 years and I'm kinda excited about getting started again. Paid a visit to my brew room and everything is covered in dust and old brew goo. So the plan is to fill my 6 gallon bucket and have a cleaning day. I'm wondering about what cleaner to use.

I intend to soak stuff overnight or more and rinse thoroughly and air dry everything. I have vinyl tubing, auto siphons, rubber bungs, hydrometers, measuring vials, racking canes (both plastic and metal)... you know, brew hardware.

So, I have PBW which I find leaves a nasty film residue, Barkeeper's Friend, One-Step, Dawn liquid, bleach .. uh, yeah most everything. I'd like to mix some cleaner in the bucket with warm/hot tap water and let it soak. I'm writing this because I've had a bad experience with one of them once (maybe StarSan?) that almost melted my vinyl hoses. So what is your preferred all-purpose cleaner that can be left for a while without worries of plastic damage? And I'd like to minimize scrubbing, though a wipe down will definitely happen.

And Star San will be the final treatment just before using the stuff, as I always do.

Let's brew something Brothers!

 

[PCABrewing]

You may find the vinyl hoses are sticky on the surface. That's the plasticizer weeping out.
I would just replace any that do that. They'll do it even with no soaking, just the nature of the material.

 

[hottpeper13]

I would use the Dawn first, not overnite but for a few hrs. I don't think you cannot scrub( I would scrub). If not replacing the vinyl hose, they should have a brush run thru them. I like the 3M purple sponge, it is truly scratch free and I use them on all my plastic and PET.
After the first go round soak in PBW to remove the soap film or your beer will have no head.

 

[Maylar]

How do you get a brush through 4 feet of 3/8" hose?

 

[day_trippr]

Tubing brush with a 4 or 5 foot long "handle" will do it

https://www.brewhardware.com/product_p/brushtubing66x14.htm

I have a four footer with a 1/4" diameter brush head, and another with a 1/2" diameter brush head...

Cheers!

 

[Broken Crow]

I was just thinking of your other thread about the racking pump... I had thought about suggesting switching out your 3/8" vinyl lines for 1/4"ID EVABarrier. (https://www.homebrewtalk.com/threads/o2-free-transfer-paranoia.733895/page-2#post-10412260) Maybe this would be a good time to upgrade all your tubing to EVABarrier? Yeah, the 1/4" ID goes a bit slower, but it makes for a good stepping stone if you're on the path to CO2 gear.
As to the 'film' of PBW, though not as easy with plastic parts, the trick with PBW is to use it hot and rinse it hotter. Used this way it really doesn't leave any film at all. Tip: The cooler you use it, the longer you'll need to rinse it, but even then; make the rinse hotter than the original temp.

 

[MaxStout]

Replace the tubing. It's a PITA to clean and cheap to replace. Everything else--soak in hot PBW solution for several hours (except anything aluminum!). Rinse well, soak in Starsan to sanitize.

Buy some big plastic bins to store your gear. This will keep the dust away for next time.

Welcome back to brewing, BTW!

 

[Maylar]

Replace the tubing. It's a PITA to clean and cheap to replace.

Duh, you're right, of course. Some of my hoses could be pushing 10 years old. I only use them for transfers, racking and bottling. When I'm done in the brew room I wash everything and hang them to air dry. Unfortunately they've been hanging for almost 3 years so they're icky. A 25 ft. roll of 5/16 and 3/8 will hook me up. A plastic bin is a great idea, thanks.

I'm really not a fan of PBW, I only use it for really nasty deposits. I think a tank of One Step and hot water will handle everything else. So, on a related note: is BrewHardware.com any better than MoreBeer or Northern Brewer for supplies?

Thanks Guys.

 

[MaxStout]

Duh, you're right, of course. Some of my hoses could be pushing 10 years old. I only use them for transfers, racking and bottling. When I'm done in the brew room I wash everything and hang them to air dry. Unfortunately they've been hanging for almost 3 years so they're icky. A 25 ft. roll of 5/16 and 3/8 will hook me up. A plastic bin is a great idea, thanks.

I'm really not a fan of PBW, I only use it for really nasty deposits. I think a tank of One Step and hot water will handle everything else. So, on a related note: is BrewHardware.com any better than MoreBeer or Northern Brewer for supplies?

Thanks Guys.

I've ordered from Brewhardware several times and never had an issue. Good selection of gear and ingredients, very reasonable prices, fast shipping. I've been happy to do business with Bobby. Better pricing than MB and NB, too.

 

[PCABrewing]

A plastic bin is a great idea, thanks.

I use 3 large rubbermaid bins.
One holds scale, scoups and mill.
One for spares and misc like seals, tubing, funnels, mesh bags etc.
Last one holds one of everything I need for a brew day. Makes it easier to setup and not take ten trips up the stairs and out to the garage.
Finally I have a toolbox that holds thermometers, hydrometers, lighter, whirfloc, nutrient, pen etc.

They all stack so it makes storage less of a mess in the basement.

 

[Skeeter686]

So, on a related note: is BrewHardware.com any better than MoreBeer or Northern Brewer for supplies?

I've been very happy with Brewhardware.com... good prices, good selection, and he's very supportive of the homebrewing community.

I've also been happy with the service I've gotten from MoreBeer.

I don't know if Northern Brewer has gotten back to their former level of service. They've gone through some transitions and, for a while at least, they had become very slow to ship. I stopped ordering from them for anything that I needed soon. Hopefully, they're back on their feet again.

 

[hottpeper13]

I bought the SS siphon with cleaning kit and it came with the brushes to clean all my tubing.

 

[Broken Crow]

Duh, you're right, of course. Some of my hoses could be pushing 10 years old. I only use them for transfers, racking and bottling. When I'm done in the brew room I wash everything and hang them to air dry. Unfortunately they've been hanging for almost 3 years so they're icky. A 25 ft. roll of 5/16 and 3/8 will hook me up. A plastic bin is a great idea, thanks.

I'm really not a fan of PBW, I only use it for really nasty deposits. I think a tank of One Step and hot water will handle everything else. So, on a related note: is BrewHardware.com any better than MoreBeer or Northern Brewer for supplies?

Thanks Guys.

Brewhardware.com is better not just for the products, but for this community. @Bobby_M is one of our leading gurus, not just an award winning brewer himself, but designer and builder of brewing hardware that you won't find anywhere else in the world and he freely shares his knowledge and experience on this site to all our benefit.
As to the hose: While EVABarrier is an ideal choice of lines for your beer, it is not available in 3/8" but I downsized my own transfer lines to 1/4" EVABarrier and willingly put up with slower transfers because you really can taste the difference. That said; One of the biggest downsides of pre-EVABarrier 'food-grade' vinyl lines is the off-taste caused by either beer, Star San or PBW that has sat in the line for any period of time. If you really have to stick with 3/8" lines, at least spend the little extra per foot and get the Bevlex 200 https://www.brewhardware.com/product_p/pvcthickwalltubing38.htm .....It doesn't yellow over time or leach as much chemistry into your beer when cleaned or sanitized with standard products like PBW or Star San which do seem to create off tastes in so-called "food-grade" lines as well as oxydation of your beer.
Just my 2-cents.

Oh... There is another fairly decent (but not O2-impermeable) line available to you, but I forget what it's called.. I think it's "Ultra"-something... Just don't buy the standard junk.

 

[day_trippr]

Accuflex Bev-seal Ultra 235 https://www.ritebrew.com/product-p/843564.htm
Once the leading barrier tubing for dispensing, EVABarrier pretty much kicked 235 to the curb...

Cheers!

 

[Maylar]

Thanks, guys.

 

[ncbrewer]

There's another thread - https://www.homebrewtalk.com/threads/oxiclean-and-plastic.733866/ - that discusses OxiClean and PBW possibly degrading plastic. It seemed to end up that OxiClean is ok, but I never got a completely positive feeling about PBW.

 

[mashdar]

Echoing earlier sentiment: Northern Brewer has had issues in the last few years. They have new ownership and a new location, so maybe they'll shape up, but be prepared to wait if you order from them. Not currently recognized as quick at fulfilling orders.

I order some stuff from morebeer, but when I can I order from Brew Hardware. It's a little more curated, and they have the Barke grain, which I love. It looks like you're in CT? Brew Hardware is in NJ, and I get 1 day cheap UPS to the Hudson Valley.

 

[Maylar]

It looks like you're in CT? Brew Hardware is in NJ, and I get 1 day cheap UPS to the Hudson Valley.

Vinyl hose delivered to my door USPS Priority Mail in 3 days. Works for me, thanks.