# cleaning stains from fermenting bucket



## BernardSmith (Dec 8, 2013)

I just racked a small batch of carrot wine from a plastic primary to a glass carboy and the plastic bucket has noticeable beta carotene stains. I tried cleaning with my regular cleaner - One Step but there are still signs of this color. Is there any effective way to remove the stains without using a harsh abrasive? Is this fermenter now finished? (it is not asking for rent. I have had it for many years, but I really would prefer to salvage it if I can). 
PS I refuse to use chlorine bleach anywhere near my wines.


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## LoveTheWine (Dec 8, 2013)

OXY CLEAN should be about as good as anything to get rid of stubborn stains


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## ibglowin (Dec 8, 2013)

Agree. Oxyclean is pretty amazing stuff. I rinsed out my fermenters well after last years crush. This year when I was getting them ready I hit them with a solution of oxyclean and the purple stains disappeared in a matter of seconds. They looked brand new in no time at all.


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## Runningwolf (Dec 8, 2013)

Let the oxy clean sit in it over night.


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## BernardSmith (Dec 8, 2013)

Thanks for your suggestion about using Oxyclean. If One Step isn't a version of Oxyclean I will get some Monday.


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## jamesngalveston (Dec 8, 2013)

god forbid...bleach. the stains will disappear..and you can rinse the bleach out after about 5 times.....but it saves the vessel.


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## LoveTheWine (Dec 8, 2013)

OXI CLEAN is made with sodium percarbonate and when mixed with water creates kind of a carbonation which tends to work at organic matter and eats it effortlessly.

You want to get OXI CLEAN FREE if you can which contains no scents.
http://oxiclean.ca/Products/oxiclean®-free-versatile-stain-remover/


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## tingo (Dec 8, 2013)

Oh so this is the same oxiclean billie mays used to sell? I wasnt sure but I kept seeing you guys post oxiclean over and over and I didnt know if they were the same things. I use Sal soda but recently ran out. What is the process for rinsing afterwards??


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## BernardSmith (Dec 9, 2013)

Runningwolf said:


> Let the oxy clean sit in it over night.


 
Overnight soaking worked like magic. Thanks for the advice.


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## JohnT (Dec 12, 2013)

jamesngalveston said:


> god forbid...bleach. the stains will disappear..and you can rinse the bleach out after about 5 times.....but it saves the vessel.


 
James, 

I am surprised at you!


I strongly suggest that you try a simple solution of water and the liquid form of automatic dish washing detergent. You can get this in ANY grocery store. It works just as good as oxyclean and is also designed to rinse clean. It is good enough to wash you dishes, so it should be good enough to wash your fermentor.


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## LoveTheWine (Dec 12, 2013)

JohnT said:


> James,
> 
> I am surprised at you!
> 
> ...



John @ $7.52 for 3lb, Oxiclean is not really that expensive an option.


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## BernardSmith (Dec 12, 2013)

I suspect that beer-makers tout the use of chlorine but they don't use corks, and chlorine and corks don't mix or rather when they do that mix can contaminate your "winery" and like blood in those CSI TV programs, you think you have eliminated all the chlorine (because you can't smell it?) .. but the corks can find it even if there was a trace left in a racking tube or hose or bottling wand. 
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cork_taint
So, sure you can use chlorine.. but in my book the COST of the risk far outweighs the benefit of the price of bleach


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## barryjo (Dec 13, 2013)

LoveTheWine said:


> OXI CLEAN is made with sodium percarbonate and when mixed with water creates kind of a carbonation which tends to work at organic matter and eats it effortlessly.
> 
> You want to get OXI CLEAN FREE if you can which contains no scents.
> http://oxiclean.ca/Products/oxiclean®-free-versatile-stain-remover/


 OXYCLEAN Green with the green lid is what to look for.
No dyes and no perfumes.


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## richmke (Dec 13, 2013)

> http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cork_taint



I heard that TCA is a problem with natural cork, and not a problem with synthetic corks (maybe a problem with the agglomerated corks since they contain natural cork).

Assuming that you are using all synthetic corks (nomacorc), is chlorine still a problem?


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## LoveTheWine (Dec 13, 2013)

brewers mostly use a one step, no rinse sanitizer now and don't mess with chlorine. (ex. san-star, iodine, one-step)

I wouldn't introduce chlorine into your wine making area at all, especially near anything made of wood. It is probably safe to use to wash out carboys and plastic pails/utensils in a tub away from the winemaking area as long as you rinse super well. For example: I use sani-brew (chlorine based cleaner/sanitizer) to clean and scrub fermentors and carboys in my bathtub and then rinse really well after.

To sanitize however, I use only KMETA/water mix or san-star


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## ibglowin (Dec 13, 2013)

You can get TCA to form and grow in a screw cap wine if you really efff up bad enough. Cork is just a nice place for it to grow since its a natural product like oak. 
So keep the chlorine out of the winery folks. It has NO purpose and is not needed. Plenty of other products that are chlorine free that work just as well if not better.



richmke said:


> I heard that TCA is a problem with natural cork, and not a problem with synthetic corks (maybe a problem with the agglomerated corks since they contain natural cork).
> 
> Assuming that you are using all synthetic corks (nomacorc), is chlorine still a problem?


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