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PBW / Oxiclean

BennettBrewingCo

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My question concerns cleaning of our equipment which we do a lot of. When it comes to our brew kettles we have been cleaning with PBW which does a very nice job. For every day use will the Oxiclean work? If so, which one of the many Oxiclean products are recommended. There is a 30 lb box which is unscented that I think will work but not sure. We strive to keep all of our components as clean as possible and do a good job at it but sometimes we think we are over doing it. We also use sanitizer after cleaning on everything. Expense is always looked but we certainly don't sacrifice cleanliness for cost of cleaners.

Your recommendations are appreciated.

Steve
 
Greetings Steve - I use a mix of PBW and unscented oxyclean.  Yes, PBW is about the best money can buy, but it is expensive. The blend I use is roughly 5:1, for every 5 parts of PBW I use 1 part of oxyclean. This kind of stretches the PBW a bit and I have had no ill affects aside from some unwanted foaming.
 
Keep in mind you do not need to fill a carboy with 6 gallons (or whatever size) of PBW.  You can fill it half way and flip it over.  Same for kegs.  One batch of PBW can be used to clean multiple things and can last weeks.  I've reheated PBW several times to clean multiple kegs and carboys.
 
Thanks for the info. I have been disposing of the PBW after 1 use. We have been brewing less than a year now and we are still trying to get processes down for repeatability. Cleanliness is top priority. Sometime I think I'm overdoing it. I spend as much time cleaning as I do brewing.
I will say we have come a long way in a year and have made some very good beers with recipes from BeerSmith.

Love all the info that is on here.

Thanks
Steve
 
If you are spending as much or more time cleaning, you are doing well!

I use fresh PBW for cleaning out the carboys, then pour the majority of the PBW into 5-gal buckets to use for cleaning siphons, funnels, bottling wand and other items, tossing the loose trub which has settled to the bottom of the carboy.  From there the PBW bucket goes to de-labeling  and cleaning bottles.  When I am brewing steady, as I often am through the winter months, it is about a 3 to 4 week use of the PBW solution depending on my supply of bottles which need recycling.
 
+ When I am done, I pour it down my sink and shower (careful, shower will be very slippery) to breakdown some organics along the way.
 
So being a new brewer, I have more questions. How long do you typically leave the PBW in the carboy, fermenter or corny keg?
I typically rinse all well with hot water before cleaning with the PBW.
What ratio do you use PBW to water?
 
I leave PBW in hot water las long as it takes to clean the carboy.  Usually 30 minutes.  Same for kegs though you can't see though so you take it on faith. 

Mix PBW and hot water exactly as the instructions advise.  If you do not, it may either take much longer to clean or wastes PBW and require more thorough rinsing.  Always rinse PBW with clean, hot water in equal amount used to soak in PBW.

I'll add the same for no rinse sanitizers.  If used per instructions, you can safely no-rinse sanitize.  If not, you will either not sanitize or need to rinse. 
 
I mix down the PBW in hot water exactly as the instructions on the package states.  Unlike Jomebrew, I am lazier so I let my carboys (rinsed with hot water first) soak overnight.  This also allows the trub and stuck on crud to settle to the bottom of the carboy so that I can pour out relatively clean PBW solution for reuse and chuck the portion on the bottom with the trub.
 
Mr. Old School, here. I have been brewing for over 20 years and have always used regular bleach a mix of 1/4 cup to 5 gallons, and never had an issue. And if you are trying to hold cost down... It costs @ .05 cents per cleaning.
Yes, you have to rinse in hot water, but you only have to let it sit for about 15 minutes to get the full effect.
Just throwin' my retreavable .02 cents in.  ;D
 
BILLY BREW said:
Mr. Old School, here. I have been brewing for over 20 years and have always used regular bleach a mix of 1/4 cup to 5 gallons, and never had an issue. And if you are trying to hold cost down... It costs @ .05 cents per cleaning.
Yes, you have to rinse in hot water, but you only have to let it sit for about 15 minutes to get the full effect.
Just throwin' my retreavable .02 cents in.  ;D
Just to be clear, you use the bleach mix to clean or to sanitize or both?
 
BennettBrewingCo said:
Mr. Old School, here. I have been brewing for over 20 years and have always used regular bleach a mix of 1/4 cup to 5 gallons, and never had an issue. And if you are trying to this article may help finding information on steroids hold cost down... It costs @ .05 cents per cleaning.
Yes, you have to rinse in hot water, but you only have to let it sit for about 15 minutes to get the full effect.
Just throwin' my retreavable .02 cents in.  ;D

PBW is awesome. Unfortunetly, it's also expensive  8)

Nora
 
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