cleaning fermenters

[SpicedRummy]

I'm courious, as a newby, just how much trouble do you guys go to, to keep your ferments from getting infected? I have been looking in the mashing and fermenting forems but I haven't seen this subject discussed. After making a mash, I usually rinse out the bucket with a hose, put the top on it and put it away. When I get ready to get started again, I wash it out with dish soap and hot water, and rinse with water as hot as the water heater can provide. Then get on with the mixing up of the recipe. So far I haven;t had any trouble, and was wondering if there was some steps that I should be doing? This is a great site, and I'm glad I found it . This is only my second post, and I've been reading almost every day. I just ran my first run of rum and it's great. Thanks for the tried and true recipes. SpicedRummy

[red dirt shiner]

I just fill with hot tap water and add an ounce of bleach let sit for an hour then rinse untill I don't smell the bleach.

[frozenthunderbolt]

Water only unless i have had an infection in it that i dont like, in the which case some bleach all arround for an hour or two and then several thourough rinses with hot water to remove the bleach.
Important note: to get rid of infection from a fermenter with a tap you need to both run bleach through it, and unscrewit and wet th threads with bleach too. ask me how i know . . .

[woodshed]

Too much going on in dish soap to want to use it. Bleach or Sodium Percarbonate are a much better option. Short soak and rinse. I prefer the SP.

[MitchyBourbon]

I use better bottle fermenters with spigots. I clean them before and after each use. I use star san and hot tap water. I fill with water add 1 once let sit 10 minutes and drain through the spigot.

I never let them sit unclean for more than 10 minutes.

[Barney Fife]

Beer and/or wine maker have to get all anal about their fermenters, but we don't need to be. Keep it clean, decently sanitized, and you'll be fine. Use, at least, bleach to sanitize. Between ferments, I keep my fermenter(s) filled with a water and bleach solution, then rinse it completely and re-fill with clean water before adding a wash. If it gets dirty, a good washing with oxyclean does wonders!

[SpicedRummy]

Thanks for the quick replys. I was wondering if I was missing something. For some reason I just didn't think of using bleach. Thanks again for the reminder.

[Prairiepiss]

Oxyclean and starsan. If it needs washed I use the oxyclean. And I keep a spray bottle of starsan mixed up. I just spray everything down before hand. I like starsan because you don't need to rinse it. Where bleach need to be rinsed out good.

[midnightmaraude]

I use the foreshots followed with a good hot water rinsing

[lampshade]

I use the foreshots followed with a good hot water rinsing

What an excellent recycling idea.

Does anybody know whether foreshots are as effective for sanitizing as bleach and starsan?

WARNING: I am not endorsing this application. Please read Prairiepiss' & Rad's comments below.

[Prairiepiss]

I'm sure they would be but. I personaly would be hesitant to use them. Why? I use a 2.5 gal bucket flipped upside-down to sit my collection jars on when running my still. Same buckets I use for fermenting wine. I once spilled a jar. And it ran over the bottom now top of the bucket. I immediately cleaned it all up. It wasnt on there long at all. By the end of that run. The bottom of that bucket had a crack started. The next day it was all the way across the bottom. And opened up about a 1/4" wide.

Maybe for glass jug fermenters? But I wouldn't use it on plastic fermenters.

Another reason I will never suggest any plastic to come in contact with high ABV alcohol.

[Thump35]

.5% bleach mix for twenty four hours after I rince it.

[midnightmaraude]

I'm sure they would be but. I personaly would be hesitant to use them. Why? I use a 2.5 gal bucket flipped upside-down to sit my collection jars on when running my still. Same buckets I use for fermenting wine. I once spilled a jar. And it ran over the bottom now top of the bucket. I immediately cleaned it all up. It wasnt on there long at all. By the end of that run. The bottom of that bucket had a crack started. The next day it was all the way across the bottom. And opened up about a 1/4" wide.

Maybe for glass jug fermenters? But I wouldn't use it on plastic fermenters.

Another reason I will never suggest any plastic to come in contact with high ABV alcohol.

These are the one's from mile high distillery. I believe the plastic is safe for high proof alcohol.

[Prairiepiss]

I'm sure they would be but. I personaly would be hesitant to use them. Why? I use a 2.5 gal bucket flipped upside-down to sit my collection jars on when running my still. Same buckets I use for fermenting wine. I once spilled a jar. And it ran over the bottom now top of the bucket. I immediately cleaned it all up. It wasnt on there long at all. By the end of that run. The bottom of that bucket had a crack started. The next day it was all the way across the bottom. And opened up about a 1/4" wide.

Maybe for glass jug fermenters? But I wouldn't use it on plastic fermenters.

Another reason I will never suggest any plastic to come in contact with high ABV alcohol.

These are the one's from mile high distillery. I believe the plastic is safe for high proof alcohol.

No they are not. They are safe to ferment in.

[midnightmaraude]

I'm sure they would be but. I personaly would be hesitant to use them. Why? I use a 2.5 gal bucket flipped upside-down to sit my collection jars on when running my still. Same buckets I use for fermenting wine. I once spilled a jar. And it ran over the bottom now top of the bucket. I immediately cleaned it all up. It wasnt on there long at all. By the end of that run. The bottom of that bucket had a crack started. The next day it was all the way across the bottom. And opened up about a 1/4" wide.

Maybe for glass jug fermenters? But I wouldn't use it on plastic fermenters.

Another reason I will never suggest any plastic to come in contact with high ABV alcohol.

These are the one's from mile high distillery. I believe the plastic is safe for high proof alcohol.

No they are not. They are safe to ferment in.

Well it's not like I'm storing the foreshots in the buckets. I take a paper towel... drench it with the fores and swipe all around the bucket...bottom sides... lid. I notice no damage and I rinse it really well...so I'm certain all is okay.

Here is the product description of the barrels:

Product Description
A complete fermentation bucket kit with 32-qt (8.5 gallons) bucket, lid, 3-piece airlock, Lid comes with grommeted hole for air lock also bucket comes with spigot that makes it easier to transfer liquid to the boiler. The bucket features measurement in LITERS , a translucent body construction, molded-in handles, and it is made of alcohol-tolerant food grade PP plastic. If you ever used an opaque fermentation bucket before, you know how frustrating it can be to figure out how much liquid you have in your container. This translucent bucket is sure to make your fermentation preparation go a lot easier.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

[Halfbaked]

[rad14701]

Before making bold statements like "so I'm certain all is okay" you'd better provide us with MSDS documented proof, otherwise you're just talking out your ass and potentially misleading less educated newcomers...

[red dirt shiner]

I just rinse with warm tap water.I use to use bleach and scrub them like I did when I made beer and wine but I found that is not needed in this hobby.

[midnightmaraude]

Before making bold statements like "so I'm certain all is okay" you'd better provide us with MSDS documented proof, otherwise you're just talking out your ass and potentially misleading less educated newcomers...

I use a pot still.>> The fores are 140 tops, most often than not 130... so 65%-70% just being applied topically to a bucket that reads tolerant of alcohol and flushed with water is bad??!! So all the alcohol sold at the packaging store in plastic bottles (25%-30% lower I understand) is no good either? I've been using these buckets from the start of my doing this. There is no damage to them at all! So I'm speaking on experience here, not talking out my ass thanks.

I'd rather use foreshots than some chemical bleach.

[Prairiepiss]

I'd rather use foreshots than some chemical bleach.

Because something we throw out because its poisonous. Is much better then chlorine.

You haven't done much reading around here have you?

In your fist post you said.

I believe the plastic is safe for high proof alcohol.

And I said it was not. That it was safe to ferment in. I said this because you stated it was safe for high proof alcohol. Which as far as this forum in concerned. It is not. But safe for low proof alcohol as in a ferment.

And it doesn't say in your quote its high proof alcohol safe. There is a difference. And my example above was with a food grade pp bucket. And it had about the same exposure to the alcohol. As you are doing with yours.

Just saying. Good luck.

[Prairiepiss]

I've never been a fan of using chlorine. Not because of what it is. But the method you need to use.

You have to rinse with a chlorine solution. Then have to rinse the chlorine solution out. With a water that could be very well contaminated. And it would need to be used right away. It more contamination will collect on it.

Where something like starsan that you just spray on. With no need to rinse. Will leave behind a then residue to stay sterile a little longer. The stuff is cheap. And works. I will stick with it.

[midnightmaraude]

This should be the end of this topic.
"Made of food grade, chemical resistant PP plastic"

http://www.borealisgroup.com/pdf/chemic ... tab_PP.pdf" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;" rel="nofollow

Chemical resistance table......
Ethyl alcohol up to 95 %

So unless I'm reading this wrong, I would deem this container safe for using foreshots to clean with.

[Prairiepiss]

Scope and Field Application
This document establishes a provisional classification of the chemical resistance of polypropylene with respect to about 180 fluids. It is intended to provide general guidelines on the possible utilisation of polypropylene piping for the conveyance of fluids: - - at temperatures up to 20, 60 and 100oC in the absence of internal pressure and external mechanical stress (for example flexural stresses, stresses due to thrust, rolling loads etc).

First it says general guidelines.
Second its for piping. You have a fermenter not piping.
Not to mention the big huge disclaimer at the end of the document.

Do you have something that specificaly covers your fermenter?

Wonder how long before you get this thread locked?

[Rod]

PSR

Pink stain remover

[midnightmaraude]

first off I'm not being rude or inappropriate. don't we want to educate new people? im posting specs. do you have something to refute that other than your disdain for plastics? piping eludes to fluid being piped through consistently over long periods. my cleaning isnt close to that. it's in black n white. I respect you guys and you're knowledge but no one is ALWAYS right.

[Thump35]

Just outta curiosity. Can anyone tell me what the fuel tank on a 05 Honda Element is made of? If you guessed polypropoline. You guessed right.

[rad14701]

midnightmaraude, the concept you obviously aren't grasping is that these forums are visited by a broad range of visitors, from adept to inept... And because they all don't look before they leap we have to have very stringent rules to keep everyone safe... You can do whatever you want but the management here has to make sure everyone stays as safe as possible because that is part of our mission here... You stated that your bucket is food grade and safe for ethyl alcohol and this is where you get narrow-minded and drift... What about all of the other components in the mix...??? Acetone, for example... And what if someone sees you playing down safety concerns and uses the wrong synthetic and something goes terribly awry in any of a number of ways...??? You see, there's more to this than you are seeing in the grand scheme of things... Don't turn this into a great debate because the topic will get shut down in a hurry if you do... Our rules are our rules, for all members... When you're here you abide by them... What you do outside these forums is all on you... Clear enough...???

[midnightmaraude]

Just outta curiosity. Can anyone tell me what the fuel tank on a 05 Honda Element is made of? If you guessed polypropoline. You guessed right.

what % would that be?

[Doogie]

Well, it is known that the FDA has approved Plastic #1 for alcohol storage ...

... but that is at 40% (and figuring commerical distillers take out very little early distillate, even if compressed) and not at 95%- that most fores/heads are at.

I use it to clean ... but it does not stay in there long ... a minute or so ... and then I rinse with water very well before letting to air dry. I prefer that to any industrial chemicals (bleach, etc) and figure rinsing out very well will 1) neutralize any fore/heads remaining, and 2) remove any leached chemicals

However I am not a scientist like some here , so do as you wish just be safe ....

[Doogie]

Just outta curiosity. Can anyone tell me what the fuel tank on a 05 Honda Element is made of? If you guessed polypropoline. You guessed right.

what % would that be?

Irrelevant ... I am sure that the plastic leaching into the gasoline is irrelevant to the fact you would be consuming petroleum distillate ...