# How to clean Carboy's as you go



## thesnow (Dec 30, 2012)

I make from fresh grapes and need to transfer to another carboy to remove segments in each carboy. My question is this, I have one empty 6g carboy and need to remove segments on 12 6g Carboy's. How can I go about doing this all in one day, transferring continuously from one carboy to the next like a domino effect. What would be the best method in doing this? My first carboy is clean, once I make the transfer, I'm left with the dirty carboy. I was thinking of rinsing it it several times, making it clean as possible. Then spray the interior with right quantity of Meta Potassium solution, place carboy upside down drip out as much as possible for five minutes and then continue on.


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## GreginND (Dec 30, 2012)

I just use a carboy/bottle washer sprayer attached to my sink and rinse it out really good. Let it drip dry for a few minutes and refill. You could rinse with sanitizer again but presumably sanitary wine just came out of it.


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## Julie (Dec 30, 2012)

I do like Greg does.


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## thesnow (Dec 30, 2012)

GreginND said:


> I just use a carboy/bottle washer sprayer attached to my sink and rinse it out really good. Let it drip dry for a few minutes and refill. You could rinse with sanitizer again but presumably sanitary wine just came out of it.



Got a spray attachment, will be using it, question is ? , can the remaining water in the carboy spoil my wine? maybe i should add a little potassium sulfite..


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## Pumpkinman (Dec 30, 2012)

I had the same problem, I transferred 8 like this, using the "domino" effect, never again! I bought a few more carboys and a *Carboy Cleaner,* attach to a drill and in seconds, the carboy is clean, I then rinse with meta, its all done in a min or two.


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## thesnow (Dec 30, 2012)

Pumpkinman said:


> I had the same problem, I transferred 8 like this, using the "domino" effect, never again! I bought a few more carboys and a Carboy Cleaner, attach to a drill and in seconds, the carboy is clean, I then rinse with meta, its all done in a min or two.


Hmmm..let me understand, you wouldn't do again the "domino effect", Spray Rinse several times carboy, and then use the carboy cleaner (carboycleaner.com) with some cold water for a minute; and then again spray rinse cold water in the sink. You prefer having ex three empty carboys. do 3 per day let carboys completely dry


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## Pumpkinman (Dec 30, 2012)

Thesnow, it was a real pain in the arse, plus, I am a clean freak when it comes to making wine, so much can happen without us taking a few shortcuts.
I rinse the carboy (which isn't really necessary with the carboy cleaner, as per their website), add a little B-Brite, water and clean with the carboy cleaner for a min, rinse, and I rinse again with meta.
This literally takes all of 3 to 4 mins. I've used the carboy brushes, I think they are horrible and inefficient.
I've racked 5 batches of wine recently, and cleaning the carboy on the fly was soooo much easier this way.


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## thesnow (Dec 30, 2012)

Thanks for the tip much appreciated.


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## thesnow (Dec 30, 2012)

Here's a tip to anyone that's interested call it whatever, got tired trying angle my carboys to dry. So I made this


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## Ricky (Dec 30, 2012)

I use ..mark II Keg and carboy cleaner... Check it out...


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## Runningwolf (Dec 30, 2012)

Back in the day when I worried about drying my carboys I made the exact same thing but used 6" pvc couplings from Lowes with 1/2" holes drilled in them. 
Today I leave an inch or two of meta in my carboys with a solid bung.


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## Ricky (Dec 30, 2012)

I do the same Runningwolf,with the inch or so of k-meta.... But I use, not to my liking... Na-meta... (Sodium meta)... I bought it before I knew any better....lol.. marks ll keg and carboy cleaner, is a lazy persons carboy cleaner.... I learned that quickly ... It gets old shackin a 6 gallon carboy... Cleaning , rinsing,drying, Ect...


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## thesnow (Dec 30, 2012)

Runningwolf said:


> Today I leave an inch or two of meta in my carboys with a solid bung.



Runningwolf, when you say 1-2 inch of Meta is that powder only without any water? If its only powder, I assuming when your ready to use your carboy you only spray rinse the carboy and your ready to go? also why so much meta in your carboy.
I like your idea ..


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## tonyt (Dec 30, 2012)

Ricky said:


> But I use, not to my liking... Na-meta... (Sodium meta)... I bought it before I knew any better....lol..


Whoa.....I thought we were supposed to use Na Meta to sanitize and K Meta for ageing. Whats bad about Na Meta?


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## vacuumpumpman (Dec 30, 2012)

As soon as I am vacuum transferring carboy to carboy , I take the previous empty one and flush it out immediately and take the carboy cleaner to it and flush it out again. I then add some sulfite solution and swirl it all around and dump it all before the carboy is transferred – which is less than 5 minutes.
 I then take a sulfite solution and run it thru my racking tube and hose and put a vacuum on the carboy that needs to be cleaned.


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## RegionRat (Dec 30, 2012)

thesnow said:


> Here's a tip to anyone that's interested call it whatever, got tired trying angle my carboys to dry. So I made this
> 
> View attachment 6501
> 
> ...




Good, simple idea. I will make one tonight.

RR


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