stubborn mineral deposits on plastic

[fluketamer]

i normally clean and rinse my fv after use and let it air dry

last time i did this i noticed some strange white what i am assuming are mineral deposit from the tap water rinse that are stuck to the inside of my fv. ive only tried warm water rinse cause i dont want to scrub the plastic with anything hard. but they arent coming off at all. would you guys reccomend hot oxyclean soak and how long can i leave oxyclean soak on plastic?

thanks in advance

 

[hotbeer]

CLR might work, but it seldom does for my hard water deposits. Starbite hull cleaner for boats tends to work better on that type of stuff for me. You'll find it in the boating section of various stores. Academy Sports use to have it.

I think it's Phosphoric acid. Might be Oxalic acid. You won't like the fumes. So don't get a whiff by accident. Work with decent ventilation. Just a kitchen or bathroom exhaust fan is fine.

If you've got hard water or any water that leaves spots and deposits, then you might want to consider toweling stuff off before it dries.

 

[DBhomebrew]

would you guys reccomend hot oxyclean soak and how long can i leave oxyclean soak on plastic?

Did you use Oxy to clean it to begin with? If so, how long did you let it soak? Oxy can leave behind deposits. I find white vinegar to be very effective, food safe, etc.

 

[BongoYodeler]

I got tired of white spots everywhere, as well as mineral deposits on pipes, fittings, and faucets, etc. I recently installed a Rheem water softener that I bought at Home Depot. I wish I'd done that long ago. Installation was quick and very easy, and now glasses are coming out of the dishwasher spot-free as is brew hardware when hand washed and rinsed. OP, would a water softener be a possible option for you? I know they're not an option for some.

 

[fluketamer]

no i didnt use oxy to clean it. i just rinsed thoruoghly and let air dry like i always do.

i wouldnt want to soften my water as i live in an area with very hard water that seems to make good beer without water adjustments.

i love my hard water and whenever i am in a location with soft water i cringe when i try it. hard water tastes better makes better beer is easier to wash things with ( makes a better soap lather) and is prolly better for you (contains minerals)

im going to try to soak it in warm water and vinegar and see if it does it.


thanks for the replies

 

[BongoYodeler]

Couple of points.

If your tap water tastes good and is making good beer for you then that's a great reason for not changing anything. I certainly wouldn't. You have hard water, so do I, (pre-softened anyway). I had my water tested and posted the results on this site. Almost every response said "wow, never saw water so hard," with recommendations not to brew with it. I never did, and I likely won't brew with my softened water either. I use RO and build from there.

Yes, the minerals in tap water are generally good for you and help the water taste better, but are found at levels likely too small to be of any substantial benefit when compared to the minerals found in a well-balanced, healthy diet.

Lastly my experience now, and every other time I've showered with softened water, is completely opposite what you see. Way way WAY better, stronger lather with soft water. Not even close. In fact that's one of the marketing points made by the softening companies - that you can save money on soap, shampoo, and laundry detergent because you can use far less to get the same or even better (lather) results. My experience matches that, always has.

Anyway, cheers and happy brewing.

 

[hottpeper13]

I have a line coming off the iron out system going to a under sink filter with uv lite. This gose to a faucet and ice maker. The rest gose thru a softener ,and a line from there gose to a RO system for brewing. If I need alkalinity for dark beers I mix the filtered drinking water with RO.