I recently did two ale brews in two separate fermenters and in both cases my airlocks got sediment in them, which then dried in. I can't find a way to clean out these airlocks, as I can't get around the bend with a brush. I've tried soaking them in boiling water but it hasn't helped. Is there anyway to clean these out or should I just give up and buy new ones?
2 Answers
You want to get some brewery cleaner, like Oxiclean or PBW. Make up a solution with hot water, soak the airlock in that overnight and the gunk will detach itself from the sides and can be flushed out with clean water.
You can also use bleach, if you don't have access to either of the cleaners mdma suggested.
Use between 4 and 16ml of bleach in 1 liter of water and let it soak until the gunk disappears (usually doesn't take more than 24h).
You should buy the cheapest bleach you can find (supermarket brands are good), so they will have no additives for aroma.
Extra: At the 4ml per liter concentration, bleach is a non-rinse sanitizer (kills in 20 min) but most brewers still prefer to take no risks and rinse with boiled water anyway.
answered Apr 7, 2013 at 16:37
