using a blow off tube

[bazooka]

I am currently using a blow off tube with a rubber bung on my fermenter, and due to the rapid fermenting, a lot of the foam and particles have made their way through the tube. I can't remove it untill it's time to transfer over to my carboy, at which point all the "stuff" in the tube will be dry and caked on. I was wondering if this tube will still be ok to use, even if I can't get it 100% clean.

[blzrfn]

I have had this happen to two of my airlocks, which are impossible to clean. I soaked them in a strong bleach and hot water mix for about a half hour than rinsed thoroughly. It came out like new and I haven't had any problems reusing them. I have seen hose brushes at my homebrew store, but I have never used one.

I figure if you get it clean and sanitized before next use you are okay.

[Dave A]

Get a spare tube, a buck or 2, and you can swap 'em before they dry. Makes cleaning alot easier.;)

[paul84043]

The hose brushes are really the only way to get some of that stuff out.
Also, I did this at another members recomendation, ask at your homebrew shop for a 1" blowoff tube for your carboy, it fits right in the mouth of the carboy, no more clogged blowoff tubes, ever...

[Tweek]

the bigger blowoffs are the way to go. All your tubing can be cleaned by boiling it though, it will make it turn white, and not so see through, but at least it will be clean.

[b3s]

since i don't like brushes on plastic (causes scratches...great places for nasty stuff to stay) what i do is:


first soak the hose in hot water for about 20 minutes. it's a pain to get it complete submerged with no air bubbles.
take my long gun cleaning rod and a gun barrel cleaning swab (cloth) with a touch of anti-bacterial soap on it and pull the swab thru a couple of times (this only works if your tube is shorter than the cleaning rod...but i suppose a heavy test fishing line could be fed through a longer tube).
then i remove the hose adapter from my wort chiller, attach it to my blow off tube, hook the rig up to my kitchen sink, and run hot water through it for about 10 minutes at a very fast flow to blow the chunks out and rinse the soap off.

[mmmBeer...]

I usually switch the hose out for a fermentation lock (leaving the bung in place) once the fermenting has settled enough that the beer is no longer blowing off foam (usually about 3 days after pitching the yeast). This way the gunk inside the hose hasn’t yet had a chance to dry. Then I stick one end of the hose over my bottle washer and blast it out with hot water. Next, I submerge the hose in a glass carboy with bleach and water in it that is getting ready for secondary. This way there is no air bubbles and I get bleach-water inside the hose. I let it soak for a day or two then blast it out with the bottle washer again and hang to dry.