SS BrewTech Brew Bucket owners...

[Rob2010SS]

Do you strip the buckets down (unscrew everything and pull gaskets off) and boil the stainless parts between brews to sanitize?

I have only done one brew in mine. I transferred the beer out to a keg and the following day I gave it a good oxyclean soak and rinse to get all the debris out. This was probably 2 months ago.

Today I pulled the thermowell and sample port off, stripped the gaskets and was planning on boiling the metal parts just to sanitize. I'm probably still going to do it, just curious if other people do this between every brew or not.

 

[LeeH]

I just pbw after every brew, then strip and star san. No boiling.

Quick spray again before use.

 

[deadwolfbones]

I just pbw after every brew, then strip and star san. No boiling.

Quick spray again before use.

Ditto except I usually only wash and star san.

 

[brew703]

I only have one batch in mine which will be kegged tomorrow. I plan on soaking in hot PBW for a couple hours then rinse. I will be brewing on Friday and at that point I will add star san.
I wasn't planning on taking the valve off and clean the gasket etc but might not be a bad idea every couple brews.
I would think Oxy would eliminate any gunk around the valve. Guess I'll see tomorrow.

 

[micraftbeer]

I'll probably be sent to the Sanitation Jail for this, but I just use hot water and my commercial spray nozzle to clean it out. I clean it out immediately after emptying, so nothing has a chance to dry up and crust in. I have a sponge I use if I have hop/yeast debris clinging around the top edge where the top of the wort was, but with this I get it visually clean and shiny. I usually unscrew the port and give it a good rinse as well and then let it all dry loose in the bottom of the fermentor. Same with thermowell and cooling loops. I never boil anything.

Before I put a new batch in there, I spray it all down well with Star San, and ensure Star San gets on every surface.

I've had no issues with infections.

 

[Rob2010SS]

Good to know. In the future i may only do this every couple of batches. For now, my stainless pierces are currently in boiling water for another 6 minutes and then they're all ready for choc pb milk stout

 

[Kealia]

I take apart, wash and hit with the Starsan that I used for kegging. Then, before I fill it again, I hot with Starsan that I used on Brew day. No boiling.

 

[couchsending]

The ball valve is the only thing I worry about on the brew buckets. Man are they a bitc* to take apart. To me that’s the one real weak spot in this design, they use the same sample valve on the Chronicals as well.

I’ve been using Chronicals and brew buckets for 2+ years and maybe 150ish brews. Never had an infection that I know of.

I scrub all the gunk off with a brush and hot water. Rinse. Fill with hot PBW and leave for a minimum 2 hours but usually overnight, I always take the lid gasket off and soak at in the bucket/chronical. I’ll empty it through all the valves. I then rinse and take the small ball valve off and soak in pbw again (with a Chronicals I soak all the valves, gaskets, TCs) for say 30. Rinse then soak them all in Star San for a bit. Reassemble and fill the vessel with Star San and let it sit for however long until I’m ready to fill it. Drain through all the valves and fill.

The BME Chronicals use those weldless fittings for the cooling coil and the thermowell. I’ve fully disassembled them and maybe twice. If I use say a Hefe yeast or a diastaticus yeast I’ll fill the vessel with boiling water after the PBW and let it sit for a while just to be sure.

 

[Rob2010SS]

The ball valve is the only thing I worry about on the brew buckets. Man are they a bitc* to take apart. To me that’s the one real weak spot in this design, they use the same sample valve on the Chronicals as well.

I’ve been using Chronicals and brew buckets for 2+ years and maybe 150ish brews. Never had an infection that I know of.

I scrub all the gunk off with a brush and hot water. Rinse. Fill with hot PBW and leave for a minimum 2 hours but usually overnight, I always take the lid gasket off and soak at in the bucket/chronical. I’ll empty it through all the valves. I then rinse and take the small ball valve off and soak in pbw again (with a Chronicals I soak all the valves, gaskets, TCs) for say 30. Rinse then soak them all in Star San for a bit. Reassemble and fill the vessel with Star San and let it sit for however long until I’m ready to fill it. Drain through all the valves and fill.

The BME Chronicals use those weldless fittings for the cooling coil and the thermowell. I’ve fully disassembled them and maybe twice. If I use say a Hefe yeast or a diastaticus yeast I’ll fill the vessel with boiling water after the PBW and let it sit for a while just to be sure.

I didn't take the ball valve apart. After i kegged the beer i rinsed out the bucket and filled it with hot oxy clean solution, let that sit for a while, then drained it through the ball valve. Rinsed again, dried, and let sit for 2 months. As i stated in my previous post, i disassembled the bucket and boiled the thermowell and ball valve for 12 minutes last night. I'll soak those parts and the gaskets in star san, reassemble the bucket, fill it with star san, drain, and then transfer beer into it. I feel like thats a decent cleaning and i shouldn't have any problems

 

[Mer-man]

I disassemble everything every time. Kind of annoying but you know ... it is effective