Just curious if anybody has any recommendations for cleaning tubing short of connecting it to the tap and rinsing it out. Wondering if anybody makes something like a pipe-cleaner that is long enough to push through 4'-5' of poly tubing?
Any recommendations for cleaning tubing
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johngaltsmotor
Well-Known Member
I've got a tubing brush that is 2' long so I can go from each end of a 4fter. Other than that you'd have to look toward the rifle cleaning world. They sell basically a rope with a brass ferrule on the end as a weight to drop through.
As long as you clean them regularly you should be fine with rinsing and sanitizer or Beer Line Cleaner, no scrubbing required.
As long as you clean them regularly you should be fine with rinsing and sanitizer or Beer Line Cleaner, no scrubbing required.
They do make tubing brushes and most brewshops will have them at varying diameters. If it gets too gunked up, toss it and use new tubing. Tubing is much cheaper than a messed up batch.
I dry mine out with CO2.
Generally, quick rinsing and pbw soak/star san is the best method.
I have done the following for working "crud" free.
Soak your tubing in pbw for a bit to soften anything in there. Take a length of fishing line longer than your tubing. Put a split shot sinker on one end. Tie the other end to a smallish patch of cloth. Drop the split shot through your tubing and then pull the moistened piece of cloth on the other end through the tubing. Think of a "bore snake" for beer tubing.
Or, just buy some new tubing...... never worth a couple bucks to risk using dirty tubing for siphon or transfer of cool beer.
I have done the following for working "crud" free.
Soak your tubing in pbw for a bit to soften anything in there. Take a length of fishing line longer than your tubing. Put a split shot sinker on one end. Tie the other end to a smallish patch of cloth. Drop the split shot through your tubing and then pull the moistened piece of cloth on the other end through the tubing. Think of a "bore snake" for beer tubing.
Or, just buy some new tubing...... never worth a couple bucks to risk using dirty tubing for siphon or transfer of cool beer.
The trick that I have been doing may or may not work for your needs.. I use smaller blow off tubes. From time to time they would get gunk in them. I would try rinsing them with hot water, soaking with hot water and chemicals. None of those worked like I wanted them too. Now my solution is to soak briefly with pbw then cramp paper towel into the tubing. And for the the trick... to take my air compressor and basically shoot it out like a giant speeding spit wad. Watch the other end of the hose if you have your compressor too high that thing could hurt. This cleans out tubing pretty quick and nicely.
Oooooo, that opens up a world of possibilities... I am sure SWMBO will be thrilled as I start using this process...
Thanks
Water pressure will spit the wad through as well. I use a piece of fishing line to pull a piece of cotton through some of the longer tubing if it grows some crud. A few passes through after a good recirculation of pbw gets all the gunk out.
