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
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 :-)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!
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.he went on about the sterilisation won’t get into the scratches.
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.The trick is not to scratch your plastic fermenter, do not use anything the with cause a scratch when cleaning. I use a sponge.
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.
Go on,spoil yourself!Doh!
Just realised:
Time to invest in a new PLASTIC paddle methinks!
- 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:
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?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 :-)
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.17th monks didn't worry about the surface of their wooden barrels?
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