Reviving old mouldy Brew Bucket and Pressure Barrel.. (First time brewer)

[Wolfsbane2k]

Hi. First time brewer here.

I've just been given a 2nd hand brew kit, I think it's a Wilkinsons' Brew Bucket and a Wilkinson's Pressure Barrell, along with 48 flip top bottles, thermometer, hydrometer and spoon.

In haste, and excitement, I popped along to wilco and grabbed a load of ingredients ( 3 cans , plus sugars etc) , including their "Bruclear", before I even looked at the kit, and thought I'd spend an afternoon prepping for a brew.

However, upon having a good look, it appears that the BV and keg were never cleared out after the last brew, so it's gone really mouldy in places - the transparent siphon tube that was left in the BV is absolutely caked in mould, and is now no longer transparent...

So, before I spend loads of time trying to clean it all out, what is the general opinion on actually being able to end up with a BV/Keg that's clean enough to use following liberal application of a little elbow grease?

I'd rather not throw them away if they are cleanable, however equally I'd rather not waste 21 days on a brew only to find it spoilt...

Ta!

 

[Dutto]

Forget "elbow grease" and use your head instead!

Syphons and tubes are so cheap and so difficult to clean that you may as well bin them.

Check the seals pressure releases (if fitted) and purchase new if required.

Nip down to Tesco or Morrisons and buy three bottles of their Thin Bleach. Pour a bottle of Thin Bleach into each vessel, fill the vessel up with warm water, give it a bit of a shake and leave it overnight.

Rig up something similar to the cleaner sticking out of the end of the drill in the photograph. (I used a bicycle spoke, some tie-wraps and a bit of an old chamois leather.)

This is the first version ...

The next morning, empty two-thirds of the water/bleach mixture out of the vessels and start the cleaning process making sure that the tie-wraps and chamois hit the sides of the vessels.

When they are cleaned, re-fill them with water to rinse them out and again check for cleanliness. If they still look clean then pour half a bottle of bleach into each one and re-fill with water. Leave them overnight again.

The next morning, empty the vessels and rinse them out with at least three re-fills of cold water (more if you can still smell bleach) and then empty them.

At this stage, unscrew any taps that are fitted, dismantle and clean them and then reassemble them with a smear of Vaseline between each sealing surface. If they are in any way damaged or leak buy replacements.

At this stage you will have two clean vessels that are ready to be used for brewing. That bit of effort will have cost you about £10 (including new taps and seals) and saved you about £50 compared to buying them new!

Enjoy!

NOTES:

1. Bleach can be dangerous. I suggest that you wear gloves and eye protection when handling it.
2. Ensure that the bleach is completely rinsed out before using it for brewing. It may leave an "off-taste".