I recently visited a different home brew shop to my usual one & he recommended that you change your plastic FV every 2 years, what’s your thoughts
Replacing FV
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Cheshire Cat
Landlord.
Soak it in oxi cleaner or drill holes in the bottom and use it a a planter for spuds. If it’s only brownish then soak if badly scratched then dump.
Agentgonzo
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I used the same plastic one for almost 20 years. It went brown, but I sanitised it well before each brew and never had any problems. In theory or could be putting "more beer flavours back into my beer from previous batches" but tbh it still tasted like beer and I'm sure the difference would be negligible!
I reckon he's just trying to sell your more kit!
I reckon he's just trying to sell your more kit!
I changed mine at 8 years as it was looking a bit tired and it had a lot of scratches inside, I think changing every 2 years is not necessary.
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Amen to this. I just clean mine with sodium percarbonate after each brew and it’s fine. Maybe it depends on what you’re trying to brew, but I can’t imagine all those 17th century monks sterilising their open fermenters very often. Best way is just to keep it full of good honest beer :-)
Thanks for your replies, I thought it was more of a sales pitch, he went on about the sterilisation won’t get into the scratches.
Had the 1st tasting of the last brew last night & more than happy
Had the 1st tasting of the last brew last night & more than happy
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I'm still using a Boots FV I bought in 1992, just thinking about retiring it now !
Will probably keep it for washing bottles etc.
I think the lids need replacing before the FV as the rims eventually split.
Will probably keep it for washing bottles etc.
I think the lids need replacing before the FV as the rims eventually split.
Well truth be told he’s probably not too far wrong about that; but at the end of the day we’re not brewing in a sterile environment anyhow. Sensible precautions are definitely worthwhile, but so long as you are pitching a decent quantity of vigorous yeast it will rapidly out-compete any other organisms that might sneak in.
Cheshire Cat
Landlord.
The trick is not to scratch your plastic fermenter, do not use anything the with cause a scratch when cleaning. I use a sponge.
Dutto
Landlord.
Just retired my own as the lid wouldn’t seal!
Liked the @Cheshire Cat suggestion for the old one (bought circa 2016) as I have some chillies that would benefit from planting out - assuming that the frosts have finished.
Liked the @Cheshire Cat suggestion for the old one (bought circa 2016) as I have some chillies that would benefit from planting out - assuming that the frosts have finished.
I'm guessing the two year limit may have come from the pressurisation two yearly check you are supposed to perform with the Fermetasaurus/Fermzilla pressuresed FVs. Just a hunch?
Sadfield
Landlord.
I'm still using 8 year old wide neck fv's. Cleaned with oxy and stored with starsan in them. Still white, as there's no risk of stacking or storing other things into them, and wort can be shaken, not stirred in them, so they remain scratch free on the inside.
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I think most of mine were caused by the round ended long spoon i used to mix everything up i now have a flat bottomed one and it seems better.
Dutto
Landlord.
Doh!
Just realised:
- I had a plastic paddle that I used when I was brewing kits.
- Moving to AG the plastic paddle bent so I bought a long stainless steel paddle to use in a stainless steel boiler when I was boiling up the wort!
- Moving back to kits (I’m older and the kits have improved) I’m still using the SS paddle; but this time in a plastic FV and undoubtedly scratching it!
:hat:
I've had the same experience as most--no need to replace FV unless damaged. I don't even know how old some of my FV and lids are but they all work perfectly. I use strong bleach solution and unscented liquid dish soap before rinsing well. There is very minor discoloration.
As mentioned, keeping away tools that can scratch is vital.
As mentioned, keeping away tools that can scratch is vital.
Go on,spoil yourself!
Bernie
Landlord.
True. Cleaning straight after use is good as the krausen is soft(er) and easily removed. I sterilise before a brew, with a couple of teaspoons of bisulphite dissolved in a pint of water and then leave it in a sealed vessel for a day. It seems to create a pungent atmosphere of SO2. I think an ancient practice was to burn some sulphur in barrels to sterilise them and, as the Engineer writes, 17th monks didn't worry about the surface of their wooden barrels?
Sadfield
Landlord.
But they would have known how their beer changed in them, much as it does with surviving styles like Oud Bruin and Flemish Red Ales. I wouldn't assume that beer then tasted as it does now.
