Went back to OxiClean but am switching back to PBW

[Rev2010]

I've used OxiClean for years with no complaints, not knocking it as it works great. However, being I just ran out of PBW this weekend (was my first jar of PBW as I decided to try it when I kicked up brewing again after a hiatus) I picked up a tub of OxiClean Free like I always used to use. Used it to clean out my Spike brew kettle yesterday and it left a cloudy layer on the bottom of the kettle that I never had with PBW. I'm guessing this is the carbonate layer @Yooper was talking about? I have quite soft NY water however and I know she gets this with her hard water. Anyhow, I'm OCD enough that it bugs me so I just ordered a bigger tub of PBW.

Anyone else get a cloudy layer on their kettle floor using OxiClean? Oddly enough, the walls of the kettle are fine and shiny. I did used to get this on my pervious Blichmann kettle but at the time I thought it was from the wort or something.


Rev.

 

[Zooksta]

I have noticed the bottom of my kettle was kind of cloudy/dull looking, just figured it was from the heat of the burner. I've been using oxiclean mixed with red devil tsp90 for a while, and have hard water. I do still have some PBW, think I'll switch it up as well.

 

[passedpawn]

Maybe add citric acid as the chelating agent. Not sure that will fix your problem, but it's likely one of the missing ingredients that are causing you problems. Maybe try the PBW clone?

Homemade PBW Recipe

 

[Beholder]

I would often get a dull residue on the bottom portion of the BK that would not get taken off with a heated Oxy recirc, but found that it came off with light scrubbing with paper towel along with the oxy. It was a tan hue, so attributed it to beer stone or the like. I also will periodically use BKF to polish back up.

Ironically, just got 50 lb of PBW for savings, so unlikely to employ my prior practices in the near term!

 

[bja]

Ironically, just got 50 lb of PBW for savings, so unlikely to employ my prior practices in the near term!

50 lb? That would last me 100 years.

 

[Beholder]

50 lb? That would last me 100 years.

I’ve got a larger system so pump 15 gallons of hot PBW across the kettles and fermenter - end up using a pound per batch, so it should last me a couple years.

 

[Lynchy217]

I've definitely had the same thing and just finished off my oxyclean. Switching back as well. At least since last time I used it I've set up a CIP, so I'll go through the PBW much slower this time around.

 

[augiedoggy]

I also found the oxyclean left a slightly slimy layer that was harder to rinse clean and thus only use it when im out of pbw and in areas I dont manually scrub afterwards.

There are other companies that make cleaners like pbw. a loacal brewery uses stuff made here in the Buffalo area he said is less than half the cost.. At the brewpub we bought a 5gallon pail of pbw ourselvs and even after brewing over 10 times and 1000g gallons of beer we've only used about 20% of it if that.