Cleaning Glass Carboy

[Rogy]

Trying to start up 5gal hard cider project. Last time I fermented was 5yrs ago. Gave my carboy a good cleaning and sat in Star sans overnight but I still have small remnants tucked into the grooves at the bottom. Do you think it’s safe?

 

[balrog]

if you have PBW, or oxyclean free, i would let that sit in warm, not hot, water to try to remove it.
I personally like the clean of the squeaky variety.

 

[pvpeacock]

I second PBW and good long soak in warm water. Works miracles with no scrubbing!

 

[nekrowizard]

Any speck of dirt could have spoilage microbes on it. You can't see microbes, so it's safe to assume that any dirt you see can contaminate your cider. PBW and multiple hot rinses are never a bad idea. Carboy brushes are great at scrubbing all the detritus you get on the bottom.

 

[Ayzala]

Are those not scratches on the outside you are seeing through the glass?

 

[balrog]

Didn't think of that, if they are on the outside, scrub them off to verify, but outside dirt is much less offensive to me.

 

[Rogy]

Thanks for all the feedback, I wasn’t sure either what side of the glass it was on. Either side scrubbing didn’t produce results to remove it. I’ll have to try PBW just isn’t readily available and I got my sweet cider lined up.

 

[Transamguy77]

I would clean it by just throwing it away, glass just scares me. You could just replace it for less than $20 with a brand new safe bucket.

 

[Ragman]

if you have PBW, or oxyclean free, i would let that sit in warm, not hot, water to try to remove it.
I personally like the clean of the squeaky variety.

I second the oxy - works like a charm. Why not HOT water?

 

[balrog]

I second the oxy - works like a charm. Why not HOT water?

Overly hot water will stress carboy glass. The results can be dangerous.

 

[ThomasDiSantare]

Vinegar
Table vinegar will help to wash the bottle. The essence is mixed with water and poured inside. The acid contained in the liquid not only washes away dirt, but also gives a shine to the product.