Pbw

[toneyc]

Got some PBW at AHS today. $4 for 8oz. OK, but the directions say 3/4 oz per gallon for fermentors, which works out to... 3.75oz per five gallons, almost half the package!!! Am I reading this wrong? Am I doing this wrong? I'm sorry, but $2 a batch for cleaning is not reasonable.

:eek:
Toney.

[DreamWeaver]

I feel your pain! I have been using Oxy-clean for the cleaning and resently switched from bleach to a sanitizer that is quite expensive. I usually clean the first carboy/vessel then add a little to the next and throw in some smaller pieces/parts to clean so as to not use too much cleaner $$$. What I'm worried about is that someone is going to make issue of high Homebrewing costs & stuff in the future and the Gov't will get involved with ingredient controls and hops being what they are supposed to be and fresh dates, & so on. I see it coming! Greedy LHBS's and everyone getting into the business end of it. I dunno.

-DRWeaver-

[wholehogbrew]

Check out Straight A. Their url is http://www.ecologiccleansers.com . Much cheaper and it is a cleanser and sanitizer.

John

[Fast_Eddy]

I've found PBW to be a very effective cleaner at significantly lower concentrations - around 1 oz/5 gallons.

[Moondoggy]

I just use powdered TSP. It takes 2-tsp per gallon and it cost me $6.99 for 4 lbs from my local hardware store.

I add a couple of gallons of the proper concentration to my carboy and slosh it around and watch the crud melt away in seconds. No kidding!

After that I use iodophor to sanitize.


Red Devil
Phosphate Free
TSP\90
Heavy duty cleaner
Industrial strength cleaner removes grime, oil & smoke film

[mmmBeer...]

After you had suggested this in another thread, I decided to give it a try. I couldn't believe how it melted away the gunk in the carboy. Didn't even take a brush to it!

[brewmonkey]

Like Eddy pointed out, it works well in a much lower concentration. The direction that you have are for when it is put into a CIP loop where there is no action on it other then being pumped through the sprayball. When hand scrubbing or using a brush a little will go along way.

[Tweek]

I used to use this stuff and like the others are saying it is still very usefull at lower concentrations. I used to just put a "little" in the carboy when I would clean it. like maybe 1/4 or 1/8 teaspoon. Then I would fill with water and let is soak for a few. Usually there was very little or no scrubbing that needed to be done afterwards. I stopped using it because I didnt like the slimy film that it left on things. I switched to PLC which is just as effective with no slimy film. I buy it in huge canisters.

The one thing I can reccomend to eeryone using these chemicals is if you can wear gloves. For some reason I never do and strange things happen to me when I brew a lot. I can alwasy tell when I have had too much exposure to those cleaners because I will get sensitive to certain textures. LOL sounds wierd but its true. Like I wont be able to handle drywall, lol this is getting more bizarre as I type it I know, but just thought I would give you guys a heads up. The sensitivity goes away a few days after the exposure but it is a definate correlation.

Cheers.

[brewmonkey]

Tweek-

Good point, gloves should be used and they should be a good pair of kitchen gloves. When I first started working in the brewery I was exposed to all kinds of chemicals and I ended up having to go to a dermatologist to get my hands taken care of due to the chemicals screwing them up.

[Moondoggy]

Tweak,

What is PLC and where do I get it? I am assuming you meant that TSP is the culprit in leaving behind a slimy film?

[Tweek]

PLC is powdered line cleaner and is carried by most homebrew supply places. And yeah TSP was the one. :)

[Goat]

I know exactly what you are talking about, Tweek. I used too much Straight-A cleaner one time and my hands felt funky for three or four days afterwards. Almost like they were too dry even though they weren't. I switched to iodophor after that ;)

[fretlessman71]

Originally posted by toneyc
Got some PBW .....
Toney.

PBW? You got some Pabst Bwue Wibbon? Wow! That's wike my FAV-O-WIT beeyoh! Dere ain't NUFFIN' wike a good PBW, ya know.... :D

Sorry... couldn't "wesist"....

[danno]

well, I can't resist either....

remember "The Princess Bride"?

"Mawage. Mawage is wot bwings us togeder tooday. Mawage, that bwessed awangment, that dweam wifin a dweam... And wuv, twu wuv, wiw fowow you foweva... So tweasure your wuv..."

[barley ben]

Oh man, that's a great blast from the past!!!!

[chris1kanobi]

I use about an ounce per 5 gallons. PBW can be re-used many, many times. I keep a 5 gallon bucket of it under the sink and run it through everything several times before dumping it and making some more. I use the old stuff to clean the car, or garage floor, or in the washing machine with brewing towels. It does make things slippery though.

[Tweek]

Originally posted by chris1kanobi
I use about an ounce per 5 gallons. PBW can be re-used many, many times. I keep a 5 gallon bucket of it under the sink and run it through everything several times before dumping it and making some more. I use the old stuff to clean the car, or garage floor, or in the washing machine with brewing towels. It does make things slippery though.


you must have a big sink. you have 5 gallons of pbw and 5 gallons of star san under there. I wish I had that much room under mine.