I am looking for ways to improve or make more efficient my cleaning of my carboys. I am wondering how others go about cleaning and sanitizing carboys.
How are you cleaning them now?
Soak with Oxyclean. The stuff almost falls away. Sanitize with Starsan.
Glass or plastic (Better Bottle)?
If Glass there is a company that makes a special carboy cleaner that you attach to a drill. They also make one for cleaning kegs and I think it works just great. I use it all the time.
+1 - I use PBW, but same results…
for glass carboys I soak in B-brite and turn upside down onto carboy dryer to soak off krausen on top of carboy.
you’ll need to wrap a stopper in a baggie.
and be careful!
[quote]for glass carboys I soak in B-brite and turn upside down onto carboy dryer to soak off krausen on top of carboy.
you’ll need to wrap a stopper in a baggie.
and be careful![/quote]
I basically do the same except i fill my sink with about 2 inches of water and turn the carboy over into it. The pressure keeps the water in the carboy. A 10 minute soak and the chunks come off easily with a carboy brush.
I just soak in oxy clean or pbw overnight and rinse and its pretty much spotless, maybe one or two times where I throw a small rag inside with a little water and swish it around to get a stubborn piece off. I only use BB glass is way to much of a pain IME
some people make some cleaners with a pump and stuff and just let it run, there are plans for that on the brewing network
All the methods listed would certainly work.
But the simplest route has worked fine for me for more than 30 years: I’ve never had to do anything but a quick rinse, followed by a weak bleach solution soak and ending with a hot water rinse.
The carboys always come perfectly clean.
I use a carboy brush and a bottle blaster. For siphon some water into my carboy to clean out my siphon and tubing. Dump that out and blast it out with the bottle blaster until nothing more comes off the sides. Then brush it down with a carboy brush, blast it again. Take a look to see if it needs it again and keep repeating the process until all the junk is off the sides. That’s pretty much it. Sometimes I clean it out with an oxyclean solution, but not every time. Sanitize with StarSan. As long as there are no visible debris or particles, it can be sanitized with Starsan.
I feel like filling the whole carboy up to soak is just not necessary and too much work.
I used to let them soak overnight in PBW (BB and carboys) but have switched to Oxyclean. Several guys in my brewclub are doing the same. I swear it’s the same stuff, just a fraction of the price. Rinse well with hot water. Sanitize on brew day. Easy peasy!
it is not the same stuff, but it does work. PBW works better for some really hard caked on stuff from sours or something sitting for years IME, well easier to rinse IME atleast. I also get a film sometimes from oxiclean that I then have to clean twice.
If you buy PBW in bulk it is fairly inexpensive, it can also be used more than once just like star san.
for either one when you rinse make sure it is warmer or atleast the same temperature than your soak.
I forget what it is to but you can add something to oxyclean from your local hardware store to make it the same thing as pbw. Seems like to much hassle for me though
it is not the same stuff, but it does work. PBW works better for some really hard caked on stuff from sours or something sitting for years IME, well easier to rinse IME atleast. I also get a film sometimes from oxiclean that I then have to clean twice.
If you buy PBW in bulk it is fairly inexpensive, it can also be used more than once just like star san.
for either one when you rinse make sure it is warmer or atleast the same temperature than your soak.
I forget what it is to but you can add something to oxyclean from your local hardware store to make it the same thing as pbw. Seems like to much hassle for me though[/quote]
I believe it is TSP?
I have tried a few different things over the last few years. I have filled full with H20 and PBW/B-Brite and let soak for various times scrubbing with a bottle brush. Then rinse with bottle jet. I have also filled the carboy half full scrubbed, and soak. Then I will swirl for about 5 minutes then flip upside down and soak.for about 5 minutes and drain and then rinse. I am just looking of ways of conserving a little water and getting the carboy the cleanest possible. I also feel my carboy brush doesn’t isn’t doing the best cleaning job. I guess I am back to filling full and soaking with pbw. I forgot they do make an attachment for a drill. Maybe I will give that a try.
For a glass carboy, bleach water works great. Just rinse well and you wont find another product cheaper/effective to clean stuck on gunk. Most times I use PBW, but I have 15 or so glass carboys, so occasionally it’s easier to fill them up with bleach water and leave them for a couple days.
For my Better Bottles, I use PBW exclusively. I find that a slimey film is left behind if it soaks for too long, but a hot water blast and then a sanitizer removes it.
There’s also a drill attachment that is a long rod with cloth strips that will work way better than a bent brush. NB has them for $29, I’ve seen homebrewers make them also.
http://www.northernbrewer.com/shop/brew ... eaner.htmlI hit mine on the bottle blaster and hot water. Then fill with hot water and B-Brite and soak for 30m followed by a 30 second carboy brushing. Dump into next carboy and rinse with hot water on bottle blaster. Repeat until all carboys are clean.
Seems like a waste of water to soak your carboys over and over. Why not just blast it out, use a carboy brush to get the gunk off, blast it out, and repeat until it’s clean? Beats filling and soaking the carboy, having to pick it up, dump it out, and repeating that…
blasting gets the main gunk off then you soak, then blasting again rinses
Seems like a waste of water to soak your carboys over and over. Why not just blast it out, use a carboy brush to get the gunk off, blast it out, and repeat until it’s clean? Beats filling and soaking the carboy, having to pick it up, dump it out, and repeating that…[/quote]I am only using one carboy full of water / B-Brite and dumping it into the next of 4 carboys. The blast of bottle blast water only takes a few seconds. I don’t want dried on junk in there. Inside and outside have to sparkle like the day they were made.
I agree, I try to get them super clean looking too so if there is anything stuck to the glass I can see it.
