Cleaning glass Carboys

[Butterman]

I've been considering buying a couple glass 6.5 gallon carboys and was wondering how or what technique others use to clean them?
They seem rather difficult to sanitize, unless you have access to an industrial lab and I understand glass can get pitted and can be hard to clean/sanitize.
Any advice, techniques would be helpful.

Butterman

[rad14701]

I use several sizes and simply rinse them out held upside down in a utility sink with a hose run up inside them... I also have a long handled "bottle brush" that is bent to be able to scrub the head space... I also fill them partially full, plug them, and shake the hell out of them - for exercise... I never worry about sanitation and I've never had an infection...

[carnica]

What's worked best for me is to put a piece of dishwasher detergent in the carboy and then use warm water and a pressure washer. In some cases I have used caustic soda mixed with a little dish soap, but watch out! The soda makes the carboys very slippery, and it could be quite dangerous to break a large glass carboy.

[Coyote]

I use an iodine (BFT I think) solution on everything. . .

When I think about it, maybe once every 3 months or so

Coyote

[oliver90owner]

Caustic- soda or potash - will attack the surface of glass, particularly soda glass. The only acid which attacks glass is hydroflouric and that is not used by normal people doing cleaning!

Any of the modern surfactants should be good for cleaning, followed by sanitation as necessary.
There is generally only a problem with infection where low ABVs are concerned (fermenting mashes or low sugar washes). Higher concentrations of ethanol are sometimes used for preserving items. Never yet seen a bottle of spirits which has 'gone off'.

Once cleaned and sanitised they should only need rinsing out in the future, so not really an on-going problem. Most large glass carboys are fragile and should generally be treated with care.

[bellybuster]

after use I simply fill mine to the top with oxyclean and warm water. Next time I need it a quick water rinse out and good as new. I don't tend to sanitize unless it's beer going in it. wash for distillation will be heated to boil anyway soon.

One of the greatest hints I have for carboys is
1) never trust a carboy handle
2) keep your carboys in milk crates, even the slightest tap on a concrete floor and your carbot can shatter violently.

[Black Eye]

I use B-Brite cleanser and a bottle brush. Your local brew store should carry it. It seeems a lot like Oxyclean.

after a scrub of that and a rinse, I sanitize with Star-San. Something like 1/2 an oz per gallon I don't know, the directions are on the bottle. Mix up 2 gallons... wash my buckets, hoses, air locks etc... and scrub up the carboys let that sit to air dry and you're good.

Sanitizing is more important in beer making than Distilling. but I like all my stuff clean

[ErnieV]

I simply use household bleach. Put a bit in, then fill with water, leave overnight, empty and rinse out.

Never had a problem.

[Butterman]

Thanks for all the great info and techniques.


Butterman

[The flint stones]

Fish tank gravel with water swished around works well as a scrubber if there is hard to remove grime

[TOAD]

I have seen lots of elaborate carboy washing devises. This is my simple solution.
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Long scrub brushes found at homebrew shops are nice. Ice and rock salt swished around can scrub out the tough stuff (also works very well to clean glass coffee pots)
Best thing every for a no rinse sanitizer (and cheapest) fill carboy with 5gal hot water. I recommend a long reach shower head hose with shower head removed (dont lose that gasket!) Add one tablespoon distilled white vinegar, this removes the smell of the next ingredient. Wait a few mins and add one tablespoon household bleach unscented. Swish around. Your carboy is now as clean as it ever was. Dump mixture into tub to clean other stuff.

+20 on never trust carboy handles

Also, i cut a hole in the bottom of the box the carboy came in and cut off the top tabs. Works well for carboy storage. Turn upside down to cover carboy while in use (hole is for airlock)

Its best to always siphon liquids out instead of dumping them. But if you must, use a tube for air to get in as you pour to remove the "glug" had a 6.5 carboy bust in my hands mid-pour. I blame the back and forth pressure and vacuum caused by the gluging action.

[Shae]

Once I discovered how well oxyclean works, I've never had to scrub a fermenter again. fill to the brim with hot water from the tap, leave just enough room for the scoop of oxyclean, and walk away. By the next day, all the clingy bits will be gone and the inside will be clean as new. Empty, fill with about a gallon of hot, shake around, dump, shake another gallon, and it's fully rinsed and ready to go.

Don't leave it in too long as it will eventually mar the glass surface, but overnight is not a problem.

[bonehead]

a small tube of bb gun bbs and a little soap + water shaken around. save + reuse bbs dumped in a colinder for easy retrieval.

[legalizepotstills]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ah9w3ClpBGY" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;" rel="nofollow Here is a good video of how to clean a carboy. Those carboy covers make handling, moving, and cleaning a carboy sooo much easier. You can get them at http://www.carboy.net" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;" rel="nofollow