Equipment Cleaning Agents

[denny]

@ynotbrusum

@neuse

@denny

Craft Meister Oxygen Brewery Wash - 5 lb
Amazon.com

Bar Keepers friend soft cleaner

Cheers

Or Alkaline brewery wash, which is even better.

No - it’s plastic. But OxiClean should be fine for stainless afaik.

Actually oxygen based cleaners are problematic for soaking stainless.  That was the link I attached -  SS Brewtech warning against O2 cleaners on their stainless products.  YMMV, of course.

Maybe on their equipment, but I’ve been using percarbonate cleaners on stainless for years without issue.

[Bilsch]

The real deal caustic, sodium hydroxide, 2% warm solution is also an option. Nothing cleans as well or is as cheap.
Just don’t get it on you or especially in your eyes.

[jjflash]

@Bilsch

The real deal caustic, sodium hydroxide, 2% warm solution is also an option. Nothing cleans as well or is as cheap.
Just don’t get it on you or especially in your eyes.

+1  Best i have found for plate chillers and pump heads.  Ran different cleaners through my equipment, was amazed what crud came out with sodium hydroxide.  Just have to be careful using product.

[redrocker652002]

I have been using the Alkaline Brewery Wash at Denny’s recommendation and it works really well.  I run it thru my homemade bucket/keg washer and it seems to pull all the crap off.  It takes a bit of scrubbing to rinse it off though, but all in all, it is a good product.  But, with that said, it is a bit pricey.  I am thinking of trying the Oxyclean Free.  I can get double the amount for half the price and I am guessing as long as I practice good procedure it should be ok.  Gonna give it a try and see which works best.  Either way, there are plenty of products out there and even a do it yourself recipe.  I am just not smart enough to figure out the measurements on it.  LOL.  Either way, Rock On!!!

[goose]

@hopfenundmalz

@waltsmalt

PBW.  I’ve tried using Oxyclean in the past, but I’ve never had the same results as PBW.

My $0.02

Oxyclean<PBW<Craft Meister Alkaline

Those work on organic material.

For beer stone and mineral buildup you need an acid.

Barkeeper’s Friend or a Beer Stone remover.

You can also go to a farm supply store that sells an acid cleaner that removes milk stone.  It works well for beer stone and is relatively inexpensive.  I bought mine at a business that sells bulk milk tanks.  It has phosphoric and hydrochloric acids in it and works well without damaging the stainless steel. I also use it to remove beer stone from my kegs.  Obviously, you would use this after an alkaline cleanser like PBW or Craft Meister.

[hopfenundmalz]

@goose

@hopfenundmalz

@waltsmalt

PBW.  I’ve tried using Oxyclean in the past, but I’ve never had the same results as PBW.

My $0.02

Oxyclean<PBW<Craft Meister Alkaline

Those work on organic material.

For beer stone and mineral buildup you need an acid.

Barkeeper’s Friend or a Beer Stone remover.

You can also go to a farm supply store that sells an acid cleaner that removes milk stone.  It works well for beer stone and is relatively inexpensive.  I bought mine at a business that sells bulk milk tanks.  It has phosphoric and hydrochloric acids in it and works well without damaging the stainless steel. I also use it to remove beer stone from my kegs.  Obviously, you would use this after an alkaline cleanser like PBW or Craft Meister.

I’ll look again around here. Not too many dairy farms left in my area so no luck at the farm store. Loads of horse farms though.

[erockrph]

@hopfenundmalz

@goose

@hopfenundmalz

@waltsmalt

PBW.  I’ve tried using Oxyclean in the past, but I’ve never had the same results as PBW.

My $0.02

Oxyclean<PBW<Craft Meister Alkaline

Those work on organic material.

For beer stone and mineral buildup you need an acid.

Barkeeper’s Friend or a Beer Stone remover.

You can also go to a farm supply store that sells an acid cleaner that removes milk stone.  It works well for beer stone and is relatively inexpensive.  I bought mine at a business that sells bulk milk tanks.  It has phosphoric and hydrochloric acids in it and works well without damaging the stainless steel. I also use it to remove beer stone from my kegs.  Obviously, you would use this after an alkaline cleanser like PBW or Craft Meister.

I’ll look again around here. Not too many dairy farms left in my area so no luck at the farm store. Loads of horse farms though.

I can’t remember where I’ve heard it before, but I thought you could just use StarSan/Saniclean as a beer stone remover since they are acid based. I use BLC once or twice a year, but I’ve honestly never run into any beer stone issues in my kegs/lines/taps. I’ve always just chalked it up to my typical procedure of running PBW followed by Star San through all my kegs and lines whenever I change a keg (the Star San part in particular).

[TechBrew (Richard)]

@erockrph

@hopfenundmalz

@goose

@hopfenundmalz

@waltsmalt

PBW.  I’ve tried using Oxyclean in the past, but I’ve never had the same results as PBW.

My $0.02

Oxyclean<PBW<Craft Meister Alkaline

Those work on organic material.

For beer stone and mineral buildup you need an acid.

Barkeeper’s Friend or a Beer Stone remover.

You can also go to a farm supply store that sells an acid cleaner that removes milk stone.  It works well for beer stone and is relatively inexpensive.  I bought mine at a business that sells bulk milk tanks.  It has phosphoric and hydrochloric acids in it and works well without damaging the stainless steel. I also use it to remove beer stone from my kegs.  Obviously, you would use this after an alkaline cleanser like PBW or Craft Meister.

I’ll look again around here. Not too many dairy farms left in my area so no luck at the farm store. Loads of horse farms though.

I can’t remember where I’ve heard it before, but I thought you could just use StarSan/Saniclean as a beer stone remover since they are acid based. I use BLC once or twice a year, but I’ve honestly never run into any beer stone issues in my kegs/lines/taps. I’ve always just chalked it up to my typical procedure of running PBW followed by Star San through all my kegs and lines whenever I change a keg (the Star San part in particular).

You can use StarSan but you need to make it at least double the regular strength to be a strong enough acid to clean beer stone. I did it once and it cleaned nicely but foamed so excessively that it was a pain. I got some in a sponge and the foam just would not rinse out. The non-foaming equivalent of StarSan, SaniClean, would be a better choice, but then if you are going to purchase something just to remove beer stone you should probably go with something designed for that. BLC is alkaline, not acid.

[Bilsch]

@goose

@hopfenundmalz

@waltsmalt

PBW.  I’ve tried using Oxyclean in the past, but I’ve never had the same results as PBW.

My $0.02

Oxyclean<PBW<Craft Meister Alkaline

Those work on organic material.

For beer stone and mineral buildup you need an acid.

Barkeeper’s Friend or a Beer Stone remover.

You can also go to a farm supply store that sells an acid cleaner that removes milk stone.  It works well for beer stone and is relatively inexpensive.  I bought mine at a business that sells bulk milk tanks.  It has phosphoric and hydrochloric acids in it and works well without damaging the stainless steel. I also use it to remove beer stone from my kegs.  Obviously, you would use this after an alkaline cleanser like PBW or Craft Meister.

Hopefully it doesn’t have any HCL in it since that is a no no with stainless. Chlorinated caustics do get used as a dairy cleaner/sanitizer and the pH may have an inhibiting effect. The best rule of thumb is keep chlorine away from your stainless.

[waltsmalt]

Over the weekend, I was cleaning some 375ml and 750ml bottles to cork and cage a Belgian Golden Strong I have in the fermenter.  Even after soaking them in hot PBW for 20-30 minutes (some even longer), I still noticed something in the bottle.  Most of what was left was just on one side from when the full bottle sat on a wine rack to seal the cork.  I’m wondering if I need to get a bottle brush inside there to remove what is only on one side , or if Craftmeister Alkaline Wash would be able to clean the bottles up.  Thoughts?

This reminds me again why I don’t bottle very often anymore.

[denny]

@waltsmalt

Over the weekend, I was cleaning some 375ml and 750ml bottles to cork and cage a Belgian Golden Strong I have in the fermenter.  Even after soaking them in hot PBW for 20-30 minutes (some even longer), I still noticed something in the bottle.  Most of what was left was just on one side from when the full bottle sat on a wine rack to seal the cork.  I’m wondering if I need to get a bottle brush inside there to remove what is only on one side , or if Craftmeister Alkaline Wash would be able to clean the bottles up.  Thoughts?

This reminds me again why I don’t bottle very often anymore.

All I can tell you is that ABW is much more effective than PBW. Of course, a brush is a sure thing.

[neuse]

@denny

@waltsmalt

Over the weekend, I was cleaning some 375ml and 750ml bottles to cork and cage a Belgian Golden Strong I have in the fermenter.  Even after soaking them in hot PBW for 20-30 minutes (some even longer), I still noticed something in the bottle.  Most of what was left was just on one side from when the full bottle sat on a wine rack to seal the cork.  I’m wondering if I need to get a bottle brush inside there to remove what is only on one side , or if Craftmeister Alkaline Wash would be able to clean the bottles up.  Thoughts?

This reminds me again why I don’t bottle very often anymore.

All I can tell you is that ABW is much more effective than PBW. Of course, a brush is a sure thing.

Papazian discussed bleach for cleaning glass - at a rate of 2 ounces in 5 gallons of cold water, with an overnight soak. (The New Complete Joy of Home Brewing, on page 123 if you want to read about it) He was discussing cleaning a carboy, but it works well for bottles. It’s the best method I’ve found for cleaning bottles.

[Semper_Sitientem]

I use a combination of 80% Oxyclean Free and 20% Seventh Generation Free & Clear dishwashing powder. Works great and it’s cheap. Recommended sometime ago in this forum, but I can’t remember by who.

[goose]

@erockrph

@hopfenundmalz

@goose

@hopfenundmalz

@waltsmalt

PBW.  I’ve tried using Oxyclean in the past, but I’ve never had the same results as PBW.

My $0.02

Oxyclean<PBW<Craft Meister Alkaline

Those work on organic material.

For beer stone and mineral buildup you need an acid.

Barkeeper’s Friend or a Beer Stone remover.

You can also go to a farm supply store that sells an acid cleaner that removes milk stone.  It works well for beer stone and is relatively inexpensive.  I bought mine at a business that sells bulk milk tanks.  It has phosphoric and hydrochloric acids in it and works well without damaging the stainless steel. I also use it to remove beer stone from my kegs.  Obviously, you would use this after an alkaline cleanser like PBW or Craft Meister.

I’ll look again around here. Not too many dairy farms left in my area so no luck at the farm store. Loads of horse farms though.

I can’t remember where I’ve heard it before, but I thought you could just use StarSan/Saniclean as a beer stone remover since they are acid based. I use BLC once or twice a year, but I’ve honestly never run into any beer stone issues in my kegs/lines/taps. I’ve always just chalked it up to my typical procedure of running PBW followed by Star San through all my kegs and lines whenever I change a keg (the Star San part in particular).

Ericl BLC is sodium hydroxide which will dissolve anything that is organic.  It is not an acid cleaner so it will not remove beer stone.  Just an FYI.

[BrewBama (Dwain)]

I use B Brite. Works great but thorough rinsing is definitely required.

[waltsmalt]

I have some ABW arriving this weekend, but in the meantime I may try some BLC and/or bleach (have both on hand) as I would really like to bottle this weekend.

[goose]

@Bilsch

@goose

@hopfenundmalz

@waltsmalt

PBW.  I’ve tried using Oxyclean in the past, but I’ve never had the same results as PBW.

My $0.02

Oxyclean<PBW<Craft Meister Alkaline

Those work on organic material.

For beer stone and mineral buildup you need an acid.

Barkeeper’s Friend or a Beer Stone remover.

You can also go to a farm supply store that sells an acid cleaner that removes milk stone.  It works well for beer stone and is relatively inexpensive.  I bought mine at a business that sells bulk milk tanks.  It has phosphoric and hydrochloric acids in it and works well without damaging the stainless steel. I also use it to remove beer stone from my kegs.  Obviously, you would use this after an alkaline cleanser like PBW or Craft Meister.

Hopefully it doesn’t have any HCL in it since that is a no no with stainless. Chlorinated caustics do get used as a dairy cleaner/sanitizer and the pH may have an inhibiting effect. The best rule of thumb is keep chlorine away from your stainless.

Just catching up on this thread.  You are right about chlorine Bilsch.  But since they use this in bulk milk tanks that could harbor bacteria if it would get pitted by chlorine they wouldn’t be selling it.  The contact time is pretty low, as is the concentration, and I don’t have to use it very often. IIRC, the product I am using also has a small amount of sulfuric acid in it as well.  But the major amount of it is phosphoric.  I will check the percentages when I get back home from FL.

[waltsmalt]

Purchased some ABW and I am using it to clean bottles.  How long of a soak do you recommend to get them clean?  After about 30 minutes, it didn’t seem to remove the last of the deposits in the bottle.

[denny]

@waltsmalt

Purchased some ABW and I am using it to clean bottles.  How long of a soak do you recommend to get them clean?  After about 30 minutes, it didn’t seem to remove the last of the deposits in the bottle.

I always leave it overnight since that’s easiest for me.

[system]

@waltsmalt

Purchased some ABW and I am using it to clean bottles.  How long of a soak do you recommend to get them clean?  After about 30 minutes, it didn’t seem to remove the last of the deposits in the bottle.

I had the same problem years ago, an overnight soak didn’t work with some.
Using a bottle brush just left streaks/specs when held up to light. (22 oz brown bottles)
Once an overnight soak was done with a strong bleach/water solution it worked, then
followed by a thorough rinse, and then sanitized with a no rinse mix of Iodophor for storage.

https://www.homebrewersassociation.org/forum/index.php?topic=35068.msg441501;topicseen#msg441501

Cheers