Fast Ferment conical fermenter smells of old hops

[oldtymehockey]

Hi all,

I did a search and couldn’t find this question. When I search I don’t spend hours so if one is buried deep in the archives I apologize.

I brewed my first batch in my Fast Ferment plastic conical. It was Hopstache black IPA. I have rinsed the fermenter and then soaked for a day in PBW. After rinsing the PBW the smell of the old wort (mainly the hops) remains.

Is this an issue going forward?

Has anyone experienced this?

Thanks.

[denny]

My buckets all smell like that but it hasn’t caused any problems.

[erockrph]

@denny

My buckets all smell like that but it hasn’t caused any problems.

+1 - All of my HDPE fermenters (i.e., plastic buckets) get that smell and occasionally a green stain. I’ve fermented clean lagers in them with no discernible impact on flavor of note.

This would make for an interesting brülosophy exBeeriment…

[leejoreilly]

I’ve had success using an overnight soak of Mark’s (S. cerevisiae) solution of 1 oz bleach and 1 oz vinegar in 5 gallons of water. Works like a charm. Be careful to add the bleach and vinegar (separately) to the water.

[reverseapachemaster]

Oxyclean will get out stains and most of the smell but IMO only bleach (1 tbsp/gal) will completely eliminate the smell in plastic. You have to decide whether you want to risk exposing an apparently porous plastic to bleach. After all, your wort will smell like wort when it goes in your plastic conical. Will the residual aroma have an impact on the beer? My use of buckets that smell of beer suggests not.

[factory]

@leejoreilly

I’ve had success using an overnight soak of Mark’s (S. cerevisiae) solution of 1 oz bleach and 1 oz vinegar in 5 gallons of water. Works like a charm. Be careful to add the bleach and vinegar (separately) to the water.

I wonder if this will get the pickle smell out of a Firehouse Subs pickle bucket?  Firehouse sell the empty buckets for $2 or $3.  I was going to buy a couple to store grain in.  But I think I’m better off with a Homer bucket from Home Depot.

[ballandkeg]

@factory

@leejoreilly

I’ve had success using an overnight soak of Mark’s (S. cerevisiae) solution of 1 oz bleach and 1 oz vinegar in 5 gallons of water. Works like a charm. Be careful to add the bleach and vinegar (separately) to the water.

I wonder if this will get the pickle smell out of a Firehouse Subs pickle bucket?  Firehouse sell the empty buckets for $2 or $3.  I was going to buy a couple to store grain in.  But I think I’m better off with a Homer bucket from Home Depot.

Don’t do it, my wife and I still laugh about our pickle beer from years ago.  We cleaned the tar out of it and bleached, etc. but we still had a clear pickle flavor to the beer.

[69franx]

I use an old pickle bucket for my star san. Usually keep a gallon or 2 in there. Been using it for that purpose for over 2 tears now and it still smells of pickles. I did clean and bleach it heavily when I brought it home from my restaurant,  all to no avail. Don’t store any ingredients in a pickled bucket

[scarper11 (Pinski)]

@reverseapachemaster

Oxyclean will get out stains and most of the smell but IMO only bleach (1 tbsp/gal) will completely eliminate the smell in plastic. You have to decide whether you want to risk exposing an apparently porous plastic to bleach. After all, your wort will smell like wort when it goes in your plastic conical. Will the residual aroma have an impact on the beer? My use of buckets that smell of beer suggests not.

+1 rdwhahb

[dzlater]

@factory

@leejoreilly

I’ve had success using an overnight soak of Mark’s (S. cerevisiae) solution of 1 oz bleach and 1 oz vinegar in 5 gallons of water. Works like a charm. Be careful to add the bleach and vinegar (separately) to the water.

I wonder if this will get the pickle smell out of a Firehouse Subs pickle bucket?  Firehouse sell the empty buckets for $2 or $3.  I was going to buy a couple to store grain in.  But I think I’m better off with a Homer bucket from Home Depot.

I get empty frosting buckets for free from the bakery at the grocery store.

[brewinhard]

@ballandkeg

@factory

@leejoreilly

I’ve had success using an overnight soak of Mark’s (S. cerevisiae) solution of 1 oz bleach and 1 oz vinegar in 5 gallons of water. Works like a charm. Be careful to add the bleach and vinegar (separately) to the water.

I wonder if this will get the pickle smell out of a Firehouse Subs pickle bucket?  Firehouse sell the empty buckets for $2 or $3.  I was going to buy a couple to store grain in.  But I think I’m better off with a Homer bucket from Home Depot.

Don’t do it, my wife and I still laugh about our pickle beer from years ago.  We cleaned the tar out of it and bleached, etc. but we still had a clear pickle flavor to the beer.

Yum.  That can’t be good.