Questions tagged [cleaning]
The removal of soils from the surface of equipment left behind by the brewing/fermentation process. A vital prerequisite for good sanitation.
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1answer
37 views
Need to use TSP for a New Keg?
I just got a brand new keg. The keg isn't just new to me but totally unused. Do I need to use TSP to clean it prior to my first use? I'm worried about industrial residues that might be left on the ...
3
votes
2answers
128 views
Star-San and Aluminum Issues
Have used Star-San for years in my home brewing, I recently saw some information on the web that it should not be used on aluminum substances, i.e. pots, kegs, etc. Reviewing the pdf about Star-San I ...
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4answers
74 views
Brewing using Lambic yeast: can't reuse the vessel for something else?
One of my friends told me that if you brew a lambic with lambic yeast (e.g. the WLP one) you shouldn't be re-using that carboy for anything else.
I thought the whole purpose of cleaning was no yeast ...
3
votes
3answers
117 views
Sodium Percarbonate safety
Suppose I did not adequately rinse the sodium percarbonate solution from my fermenter/bottles. Could this a) make somebody ill or b) affect the flavour of the beer?
When I left sodium percarbonate ...
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5answers
1k views
How clean does your equipment really need to be?
For example has anyone done an experiment where they either didn't wash/sterilise any equipment including the fermenter, spoon, jugs, other etc or at most they just rinsed out the equipment with water....
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1answer
72 views
Can I use Sodium Dichloroisocyanurate ('Sterilising Tablets') to clean vessel/equipment?
I have some old tablets what say Sodium Dichloroisocyanurate and 'Sterilising Tablets' on them and am wondering if these when diluted will be suitable to clean vessel/equipment before brewing?
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2answers
81 views
Does bentonite kill yeast in wine?
I don’t want to use potassium sorbate or sulfite to kill the yeast in wine. Does bentonite help with killing the yeast in wine?
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1answer
102 views
How to clean krausen off of ceilings?
Woke up this morning to an unhappy surprise:
Getting the ceiling clean has proven to be quite the challenge, since the krausen had dried off before I got to it. Can anyone share techniques that have ...
3
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3answers
681 views
Sanitizing: Does the same standard apply for “DIY Juice alcohol”
I'm new to the home-brewing process and I am attempting an experiment in which brewing yeast is added directly into juice for a period no longer than a week so that the yeast converts glucose into ...
1
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1answer
54 views
Brew Flooring Systems
I had a few friends use Brewfloors.com flooring systems and they were pretty happy with the results. I'm considering Brewfloors or something else. Do you have other recommendations? If so why?
...
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votes
3answers
100 views
Fat residues on bottles or glasses, causing bad head retension: how to dissolve and remove it?
I have a rather concrete issue for those of you well versed in the chemical sciences:
The situation
I know for a fact that most of the bottles I am using have been contaminated on the inside with ...
1
vote
3answers
265 views
PBW, or Oxyclean Free, that is the question
Ok so it gone like this :
Me : I red on some forums that I could save a lot of money by switching from PBW to Oxyclean Free. Do you want to go to Walmart tonight?
Him : You mean the cloth cleaner? ...
3
votes
2answers
105 views
Bubbles within glass
Hello. I have been brewing for a few months and your advice has been extremely valuable. Thanks.
I have a question about glass bottles such as this one in the photo. I bleach them between use and ...
2
votes
2answers
428 views
What are best practices for cleaning and passivating stainless steel pot/fermenter?
What are the recommended ways to (a) clean/sanitize stainless steel and (b) if necessarry passivize the stainless steel after the treatment?
While there is a question asking about "Cleaning stainless ...
4
votes
3answers
577 views
Safe but effective cleaning solvent for copper
I'm looking for a better solution for cleaning. Some of my equipment is home from copper which limits agents I can use. Currently my strategy is using barkeepers friend on all external surfaces such ...
9
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6answers
358 views
How paranoid about cleaning & sanitization?
I'm a new home brewer. I only have a few batches under my belt -- one partial extract and two all grain. Like most, I've read multiple books and watched videos on the brewing process. Cleaning and ...
3
votes
4answers
216 views
How to clean bottles used for homebrewing few times?
I've used bottles few times to bottle home beer. Recently I've found that inside them there are small spots that remain there even if I rinse them with water.
Should I worry about them? It's safe to ...
1
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1answer
180 views
Safe/practical to leave brew equipment in no-rinse sanitation tub throughout the whole brew?
I'm brand new to brewing and am just using extract kits.
I got my haircut recently, and it gave me an idea for brewing (!). The barber keeps his scissors in a little trough full of that blue ...
0
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1answer
109 views
How to clean a cotton grain bag for reuse
I recently got into brewing (well, extract brewing) and all the kits I use come with a grain bag. I've since learned that it is perfectly fine to reuse these bags, so long as you clean + dry them ...
1
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1answer
579 views
Can I clean and reuse a grain bag?
Brand. Spanking. New. To brewing. Just bought an Amber Ale extract kit (don't judge!) and equipment set from Brewer's Best. I read the "Brew Day" instructions and they included a grain bag that they ...
2
votes
3answers
422 views
Cleaning Many PET Bottles
How do I clean my set (>30) of PET bottles? I'm dealing with dried beer and yeast residue from my previous batch. I doubt I can use hot water, since it would deform the plastic. Do I need to scrub ...
1
vote
3answers
1k views
Is it okay to clean/sanitize brewing/bottling equipment the day before I plan to use it?
I'm curious to know if it is safe to clean and sanitize equipment the day before using it, particularly bottles and bottling gear. If I clean and sasnitize the night before using it, will it still ...
1
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3answers
677 views
How to sanitize aluminium?
I use an aluminium counterflow wort chiller. To sanitize this I circulate the boiling wort through the chiller to clean and sanitize the inside
¿Do you recommend any acid or alkaline product for ...
2
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6answers
3k views
Is submerging bottles in boiling water a good method of sanitization?
Is submerging bottles in boiling water (assuming they've been rinsed out) for a few minutes a good method of sterilization? I'm still planning on spraying some metabisulphite afterwards, and then ...
2
votes
2answers
93 views
How to clean little bottler
I'm about to buy a secondary fermenter (generic plastic bucket and drill a hole to fit in a plastic bottle filler) for the usual reasons. I'm, however, curious how would I go about and clean the ...
1
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1answer
38 views
Brewing in former lotion pot
Some relatives recently gave me a 6-gallon aluminum pot that they no longer wanted. The pot was used to make homemade lotion. I've been needing a bigger brew pot, but money has been tight. I'm excited ...
2
votes
3answers
151 views
Using a bottle rinser with 500ml PET bottles
just a quick question regarding the use of bottle rinsers to clean out 500ml PET bottles.
I'm looking at this bottle rinser here: http://www.the-home-brew-shop.co.uk/acatalog/Bottle-Rinser-AVVINATORE....
6
votes
5answers
2k views
Stubborn residue in my bottles
I've been brewing for a couple years now, and lately my bottle collection has been more and more difficult to keep clean. I've always been thorough about rinsing the bottles with hot water ...
6
votes
1answer
3k views
Kegerator taps stick when inactive
So I've noticed with my kegerator, if I don't pour a beer for a few days, the taps can get very sticky. So sticky sometimes that it actually takes a scary amount of force to pull the tap open to ...
5
votes
1answer
644 views
Why did PBW strip my gold colored faucets?
I soaked my gold colored Perlick beer faucets in Powdered Brewery Wash (PBW) overnight and it stripped the gold coloring off and revealed the stainless steel underneath. PBW is non-reactive to most ...
1
vote
2answers
116 views
Specific and generic questions from a first timer - size of fermenter, flavoring, gravity, sanitation
I just brewed my first ever German Weizen (using True Brew kit) on Saturday (today is Monday) and it's sitting in a plastic 6 gallon bucket (but there's only 5 gallons of it). I have some questions ...
1
vote
3answers
505 views
Mold in S-Shaped Airlock
I'm new to homebrewing, and I've recently encountered a problem with an s-shaped airlock. I clean it out with water after use, but it takes forever to dry on its own. This time, it's started growing ...
3
votes
3answers
352 views
How to clean the inside of a refrigerator?
I bought a large chest freezer that I use to brew all my beer. It was always difficult for me to clean it because my brewing schedule did not allow for less than 3/4 of the freezer to be empty at any ...
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3answers
3k views
Should I clean plastic fermenters wth PBW
I'm concerned about cleaning my fermenter with PBW. The crystals seem hard & sharp and take a while to dissolve. I don't want to scratch the bucket. Am I doing it wrong?
3
votes
1answer
2k views
Beer stone: what works?
After some investigating, I've discovered that beer stone (calcium oxalate, mostly) doesn't just taste vile, it's highly toxic. Plus it's ugly.
As if that wasn't bad enough, it's also incredibly ...
2
votes
2answers
7k views
How to clean an old oak barrel
I have a very old oak barrel that was given to me that used to have rum in it.
It has been empty for about 10 years but I would like to clean it to store cider.
What is the best way to clean it so ...
0
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2answers
328 views
Critique my Cleaning Regime
I have one batch of home brew under my belt, and I am preparing for my 2nd and 3rd batches (going to get a second primary fermenter so I can have two batches going at once) so I have spent a few hours ...
0
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2answers
931 views
Cleaning Inside of Racking Cane
I've noticed a little build up of gunk (for lack of a better term) in the curve of my racking cane. I can use a cleaning brush to get most of the cane but I don't have anything on hand to get into the ...
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4answers
288 views
Homebrewing and Cats
I am somewhat interested in obtaining 2 kittens.
My 1 bedroom apartment already isn't the cleanest. I spray 409 and Windex on all my surfaces before I brew or bottle and call it clean. I'm not going ...
1
vote
3answers
107 views
Cleaning, sanitizing
I have been cleaning all of my equipment with vinegar and this has always worked well. However recently i have had several brews that have been flat after the relevant brewing period and I have ...
0
votes
4answers
399 views
Stirring Spoon Hop Stained
So... I will just start with sharing that "Hop Stained" has a nice ring to it for an IPA name, but I digress to my question.
During my first batch, I am becoming paranoid I did not pay enough ...
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vote
3answers
1k views
Cleaning the fermenter spigot before bottling
I have a cider in the fermenter that has been there for almost two months. I am ready to bottle it now but during the half way point I took a sample out of the spigot to check the FG reading.
My ...
1
vote
1answer
149 views
Can you use sodium metabisulphite that is hard
I have a container of sodium metabisulphite for sterilizing my fermenter and bottles that has gone hard. It is about 1 year old.
Can I still use this effectively or should I use another container ...
0
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2answers
91 views
Trying a gluten free kit; must I buy new equipment to be safe?
I just ordered a gluten free kit to brew for a friend of mine who has celiac disease. I have a glass carboy, but another home brewer recommended I start with completely new equipment. Is that ...
7
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2answers
5k views
How often should a keg be disassembled and cleaned?
Right now I give my corny kegs and beer lines a hot rinse, PBW soak, rinse and Starsan in-between batches. I inspect for gunk but don't fully disassemble (posts, etc.) unless there's something ...
3
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1answer
1k views
After cleaning a bottle, what's an acceptable amount of leftover StarSan bubbles?
I've been slowly improving my bottling, thank goodness. I make a pot of warm / hot StarSan, and fill each bottle with the mixture, then after a while, turn each bottle upside down in the StarSan pot. ...
2
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1answer
3k views
Chemicals of PBW and StarSan - DIY solutions?
Ok, i've see so much people here advising the use of PBW - Powdered Brewery Washer. I've seen some videos, and it seems to be a very good thing for cleaning everything in homebrew stuff.
But I live ...
7
votes
2answers
8k views
in depth cleaning glass bottles
I realise there is a tonne of information about cleaning on the net already, but I am just about to bottle my first batch of glass bottles and wanted to put my process out there to make sure I haven't ...
8
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5answers
2k views
Would placing the fermenter tank in a tub of water be a good way to handle hot environments?
Summers where I live typically have 80F nights and it can easily pick up to 95 degrees during the day.
I have a plastic trash can (which I bought for this purpose) that I have filled up with water. ...
6
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2answers
986 views
Necessary to clean bottle tree?
So I recently purchased a bottle tree (not sure how I went so long without one) for drying/storing my sanitized bottles. Is it is overkill to sanitize the bottle tree in sanitizing solution as well?
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