Clean / sanitize tubing

[MattHudds]

Hi all,

I'm planning to bottle my fourth brew writing the next week. I usually siphon to a bottling bucket that has a tap and bottling wand.

I always find it a pain to clean/sanitize the short plastic tubing that I have for this though, and I use sodium percarbonate only, which days it needs 15 mins contact time.

Last time I finished, I ran some water through it and gave it s good whirl in the garden. But there were inevitably bits of moisture in there. I stored inside the bottling bucket in the garage.

Now I'm ready to reuse, I want to ensure it's ready to go. Does anyone have any tips, best practise?

Cheers

 

[Drunkula]

I've used oxiclean and bleach in the past, now use Star San. If a pipe looks really manky I pull a needle and string through the pipe with a magnet, then tie a bit of kitchen roll or sponge into the string, soak in cleaner and then pull it through and back again - almost like I'm flossing the pipe. So don't tie the rag to the end, leave enough so you can pull it back through from either end.

If you've got a really long tube it makes this rad sound like it's phasing.

 

[gb0wers]

I clean and sterilise with VWP and use mechanical methods when needed, followed by rinsing. My normal practice is to clean and sterilise immediately after use, and then again immediately before use in order to deal with any fresh contamination off.

 

[Hoppyland]

To prepare my tube before siphoning beer, I use boiling water. I've a v small funnel, which fits inside my 10mm siphon tube, and a small washing-up bowl that I use only for cleaning brewing stuff. I boil a kettle of water, then slowly pour it down the funnel into the siphon tube, with the tube in the bowl. This makes the tube v flexible, so I then drop it into the bowl of near-boiling water & leave it there for 10mins or so. After that, I reckon it's as sterile as makes no matter, and I proceed to siphon the beer.
After siphoning, I immediately stick the end of the tube up my cold tap (it's a pretty perfect fit) and leave the tap on low for a few mins to flush everything out (I've also got a SS "shrimp filter" on the end of the siphon tube, so I make sure this is clean also).
To store the tube, I spray it with Starsan, letting a good squirt or 2 dribble into the tube, and then hang it over a coat hook in our spare bedroom, open sides down. After a few days it is dry as a bone inside, so I curl it up & put it into a storage box to keep it relatively dust-free. Maybe a little overkill, but it works and I'm happy with it.

 

[MattHudds]

Great, thanks everyone. I did notice the tube much more flexible when using hot water. It's pretty clean I think, so won't resort to a rag this time but will keep in mind the magnet thing :)

 

[kodak79]

I've used oxiclean and bleach in the past, now use Star San. If a pipe looks really manky I pull a needle and string through the pipe with a magnet, then tie a bit of kitchen roll or sponge into the string, soak in cleaner and then pull it through and back again - almost like I'm flossing the pipe. So don't tie the rag to the end, leave enough so you can pull it back through from either end.

If you've got a really long tube it makes this rad sound like it's phasing.

This sounds perfect for an issue I have now. I left my hose in the turn for a day before cleaning and now can't get it clean - despite soaking in star san for weeks. Might still try pouring oxi granuals and then water into it and go for your plan after to clear any little particles.

 

[Clint]

Mine get rinsed under the hot tap after use,oxi then stored in a bucket of starsan. My transfer tubes from kettle to fv are platinum cured silicon...whatever that is.

 

[foxy]

Hi all,

I'm planning to bottle my fourth brew writing the next week. I usually siphon to a bottling bucket that has a tap and bottling wand.

I always find it a pain to clean/sanitize the short plastic tubing that I have for this though, and I use sodium percarbonate only, which days it needs 15 mins contact time.

Last time I finished, I ran some water through it and gave it s good whirl in the garden. But there were inevitably bits of moisture in there. I stored inside the bottling bucket in the garage.

Now I'm ready to reuse, I want to ensure it's ready to go. Does anyone have any tips, best practise?

Cheers

Sodium perc is an alkaline cleaner, use that and then proxitane or any other acid sanitiser, only needs short contact time.

 

[Deathstar]

I use my siphon tube to fill my bottles with cleaner then chemsan. That way I am drawing the cleaner then sanitiser through the tubing before a rack off the beer or wine.

 

[kodak79]

This sounds perfect for an issue I have now. I left my hose in the turn for a day before cleaning and now can't get it clean - despite soaking in star san for weeks. Might still try pouring oxi granuals and then water into it and go for your plan after to clear any little particles.

Oxi did the trick. No need to get the no need to get the sewing kit and fridge magnets out.