PBW Alternative

[gyurmaember]

Even plastic bucket fermenters?

Typically how many tablets per litres of water?

My kegwasher made of a plastic fermentation bucket, and it's 33litres, I use 1 tablet.

 

[gyurmaember]

Yes. basically the same as PBW.

I've recently been using Malt Miller sodium per carbonate which is pretty cheap and works a treat, but at 1tsp per litre of water you use quite alot so not worked out if it is cheaper than PBW/Stellarclean in the long run.

I didn't use that much of the malt miller stuff, i think 3-4 tsp per 25 litre works well.

 

[scrap iron]

Unlike organic by-products of brewing, proteins, hops, etc.; beerstone doesn't clean easily with alkaline chemicals (soap, detergent, caustic, PBW). After a light scrub to remove organic residue, the cleaning agent of choice is an acid wash.
"Clean that Kettle - Beerstone"
You need acid to do a good job at removing beerstone.
I use citric acid, it's relatively cheap and can be found with canning supplies in the US.
I also sometimes use star-san that I have used for a batch. Instead of dumping it out I sweeten it, that is I dose it again making it double strength, and soak the FV or keg.

 

[RoomWithABrew]

Brewers friend has Oxalic acid in it. So do iceberg lettuce but I'd try the Brewers friend.

 

[foxy]

I use sodium perborate, only because I buy in bulk, safer to store than percarbonate which is unstable. Been a few near misses with home brewers in Australia with bulk percarbonate, can self ignite at higher temperature or if damp. (Chemical stability. May cause fire or explosion; strong oxidizer.)

 

[scrap iron]

Brewers friend has Oxalic acid in it. So do iceberg lettuce but I'd try the Brewers friend.

I think you mean Bar Keepers Friend, but it's a brewer's friend too.
The liquid version also has Citric acid along with Oxalic acid.

 

[peebee]

Brewers friend has Oxalic acid in it. So do iceberg lettuce but I'd try the Brewers friend.

Yeap. So does rhubarb (don't eat the leaves!), Sorrel, and there is an LD50 for strawberries because of it!

Oxalic Acid is a lethal poison, but you'd have to eat a lot to stand any chance of committing suicide by eating strawberries!

 

[Cwrw666]

I use soda crystals. Less than quid for a kilo from Tesco's. Great for getting yeast deposits out of bottles without scrubbing and harmless to stainless steel. Softens beer stone too but doesn't dissolve it.

 

[Jordang]

I use VWP for everything except beer lines.

 

[RoomWithABrew]

I think you mean Bar Keepers Friend, but it's a brewer's friend too.
The liquid version also has Citric acid along with Oxalic acid.

You are correct thanks for spotting.

 

[White Rose Al]

Chemipro for cleaning kegs and FV's (good soak and then a hose pipe to clean)

Chemsan for sanitising

Pipeline original (purple) for all lines, beer engine and fawcets

All those are readily available and produce good results