cleaning bucket fermenters

[richl025]

Question for the more experienced brewers here: when using a plastic "bucket" fermenter, thought I read somewhere to not use abrasive cleaners? Something about allowing little crevices to form that are harder to sanitze?

What exactly counts as "abrasive"? I get that it means "no brillo pads", but what about plastic bristle brushes?

If that's out of bounds as well, what do you clean the krausen "ring" off with? With my first 2 batches I've had quite a bit of gunk and needed a fair bit of elbow grease to get it clean, but I don't want to damage my equipment....

 

[bstacy1974]

Give it a good soak with oxyclean and hot water. I just run my hand lightly around the krausen ring. My kit came with a plastic bristled brush but it's always in my brewing cabinet when I need it. I don't think the bristles would scratch the bucket as long as you don't scrub to the point the twisted metal is touching the bucket. I'd avoid nesting multiple buckets as well.

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[Foosier]

I use hot water dish soap and a paper towel in my buckets. Usually the krausen comes off pretty quickly. I think the key is to clean it a soon as you empty it. If you wait it could dry in place and that would be harder to get off. But as bstacy said, a soak of hot water and oxyclean will get the gunk off pretty well too.

 

[kh54s10]

Oxyclean soak overnight then rinse well and use a dishcloth if needed.

 

[boscobeans]

Question for the more experienced brewers here: when using a plastic "bucket" fermenter, thought I read somewhere to not use abrasive cleaners? Something about allowing little crevices to form that are harder to sanitze?

What exactly counts as "abrasive"? I get that it means "no brillo pads", but what about plastic bristle brushes?

If that's out of bounds as well, what do you clean the krausen "ring" off with? With my first 2 batches I've had quite a bit of gunk and needed a fair bit of elbow grease to get it clean, but I don't want to damage my equipment....

Some buckets will fit in a dishwasher, with the top rack taken out.. DO NOT LET IT GO THROUGH THE DRY CYCLE.

Get to cleaning it as soon as you rack to your bottling bucket. The sooner the better. A good spray with HOT water should clean out the trub and soften if not wash away the krausen ring. Wash cloth NO scrubby pads if needed. Fill and soak with oxy. Rinse and let dry .

bosco

 

[zarfus]

Oxyclean soak overnight then rinse well and use a dishcloth if needed.

This. I just keep my buckets/carboys filled with oxyclean water all the time, empty and rinse the hell out of them when I need it.

 

[Braufessor]

As mentioned - hot water, soaking, etc.

When I drain a bucket, I immediately hose it out with hot water ( I have a big double washbasin sink in my brewroom). I then soak it in hot PBW water for a few hours and use a paper towel to wipe where the kraeusen ring was. At that point, everything has pretty much dropped off already, or comes right off. Rinse thoroughly and it is ready to go next time.

 

[LordUlrich]

I soak in pbw and use a fairly new sponge.

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[theck]

Oxiclean and no scratch sponge.

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