# cleaning your carboy



## cr1mson (Dec 19, 2007)

I just finished my first kit, and I am having a problem getting down into the carboy to clean the sediment off of the sides. Anyone have any suggestions?


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## Wade E (Dec 19, 2007)

I have a carboy brush that I bend into different configurations to get all the spots.


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## NorthernWinos (Dec 19, 2007)

A faucet jet washer is the best, as well as the carboy brush.


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## cr1mson (Dec 19, 2007)

I have a carboy brush, but it really isn't long enough.


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## Wade E (Dec 19, 2007)

Are you sure you have the big 1 as mine reaches the bottom of mu 6 gallon carboy.


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## cr1mson (Dec 19, 2007)

I must not. I will have to buy one. Thanks.


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## laneygirl (Dec 19, 2007)

This might be an obvious question, but have you let it soak with some sort of chlorine based cleaner, even bleach would do diluted with water. I do just a splash of bleach and fill up the carboy with water, let it sit over night or more and a lot of times that will help to loosen the sediment to point that it just rinses out with jet rinser. There are times, though that a big carboy brush is necessary.
This is the bigger carboy brush: http://www.finevinewines.com/ProdDetA.asp?PartNumber=4780


I also have the smaller brush like this and it's more of a bottle brush and I hardly ever use it.
http://www.finevinewines.com/ProdDetA.asp?PartNumber=4776


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## cr1mson (Dec 20, 2007)

Thanks. I am going to order the bigger brush. I am letting it soak for a couple of days, then hoping for an easy cleaning. I had a lot of fun with my first batch. It tasted pretty good (merlot) at bottling, and I am sure it will only be better with aging. I tried about half a glass about halfway through bottling. I am ready to start my second, a cabernet.


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## smurfe (Dec 20, 2007)

I use a tool George used to sell but discontinued. It is chamois stripson a stainless rod that goes in my drill. I put some cleaner in the carboy, put the tool in the drill and let 'er rip. Works great. Much faster than the carboy brush. I clean them as soon as empty while still moist so I have never had any issues with dried crud in them.


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## myway22 (Jan 2, 2008)

Quick question. Right now the two carboys I have are full, as well as my primary. I ordered another, but in the meantime, can I rack into a plastic carboy from a water cooler as long as it is cleaned and sanitized? It would not be for long, just long enough to clean out the carboy and transfer it back. I know its okay to rack into the primary, but I'm not sure about the plastic bottle.


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## kaluba (Jan 2, 2008)

Sure you can!


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## masta (Jan 2, 2008)

Yes...not a problem.


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## myway22 (Jan 2, 2008)

Thanks guys.


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## Coaster (Jan 9, 2008)

I clean mine right after I rack using the kitchen faucet spray gun to keep the gunk from drying. Some times I have residual on the shoulder area (especially after completing fermentation in the carboy)but the carboy brush works well in that area. After it's rinsed out I use cleaner and about 2 gals of water, use a solid bung and shake it all about (a little bit of a work out). Once clean I run bit of sanitizer in it and store upside down.


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## NorthernWinos (Jan 9, 2008)

My carboys are starting to show a calcium build up from our water...I hesitate to use any chemicals to strip the hard water build up....but think I will soon have too. 


We rinse them with the faucet washer and when there is a wine residue we use a carboy brush...I have given them a good scrubbing with the brush, but what we have is just a over all film beginning to form.


I use Iron Out and other products on the dishes in the dishwasher and they come out sparkling as well as the dishwasher is gleaming white...maybe one day I will bite the bullet and try some on a carboy and then rinse really really really well.


Has anyone elsehad the hardwater problem??? The water tastes really good and make great wine....it just has calcium in it...no iron.*Edited by: Northern Winos *


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## uavwmn (Jan 10, 2008)

I take mine outside and jet spray water from the garden hose in there. Works like a charm.


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## Jack on Rainy (Jan 10, 2008)

Northern Winos said:


> My carboys are starting to show a calcium build up from our water...I hesitate to use any chemicals to strip the hard water build up....but think I will soon have too.
> 
> 
> We rinse them with the faucet washer and when there is a wine residue we use a carboy brush...I have given them a good scrubbing with the brush, but what we have is just a over all film beginning to form.
> ...




I think I'd try the iron out or vinegar then quadruple rinse with distilled or RO water. Do you dry your carboys inverted so they drain out?


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## grapeman (Jan 10, 2008)

Jack on Rainy said:


> I think I'd try the iron out or vinegar then quadruple rinse with distilled or RO water. Do you dry your carboys inverted so they drain out?




I was going to suggest vinegar too, but I have a mental hangup about using anything to do with vinegar around my wine equipment. I don't want acetobacter anywhere near my wine. I know if it was rinsed and sulfited after, it would be ok, but I hate to even make wine in the kitchen where wine vinegar is used.




*Edited by: appleman *


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## NorthernWinos (Jan 10, 2008)

Our carboys are rarely empty....when they are it is just for a few days while something is in the primary. When they are sitting we usually have about an inch or less of Sulfite Solution in them.


Next time we have an empty one I will try the Iron Out and the brush, it should work...It makes our drinking glasses sparkle like new when I run it through the dishwasher....Also I have ceramic dinner plates that are black on the back, they get kind of grey and drab...it makes them shine like new. So, will give that a try, and then rinse, rinse, rinse.


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## joeswine (Jan 15, 2008)

NW/////Once in a while I get a bottle that has muck stuck to the sides or a plastic bucket to have to reuse,I put into it 5 /6 table spoons of B-BRITE and let the fomming action take place,let it set overnight,then brush it, if you have to,some of the hardest stains will either loosen or desolve in B-BRITE



*Edited by: joeswine *


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## bmckee56 (Aug 9, 2008)

As long as they container has been properly sanitized, you should have no problems. I save the 23l kit bags and cap just in case something like this happens to me. I rinse out then sanitize the bag and cap. I put a small amount of K-Meta solution inside the bag a seal it up until I need to use it.


They hold a good deal of liquid and if you have a few laying around, you can always use them as temporary storage.


Salute!


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## uavwmn (Aug 10, 2008)

crimson,


I usually take the carboy out in the yard and jet rinse the heck out of it.
If you do this right after emptying the carboy, it is much easier to clean.
The sediment I usually get is up around the top of the carboy which is easier to get off with the bottle brush.


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## termini (Sep 30, 2008)

A little saftey note on using the carboy brush......I was feeling pretty good about myself for scoring a really good deal on Craigs list and picked up 2 6.5 carboys for 35.00 total.
I got a little carried away and too vigorous with the brush, and the very tip of it ( on the 90 degree bend) banged the side too hard and broke one of them!
so now, I make sure that the twisted end of the brush does not have too much of the twisted metal showing, or protruding out from the bristles............


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## Wade E (Sep 30, 2008)

Sorry to hear about your loss.


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## joeswine (Oct 1, 2008)

you must be really strong to poke a hole in a carboy with a brush,or did i read that wrong,i to feelgrief for your lost and morn the passing of a Devinne object.............oh,s me







http://www.sweetim.com/s.asp?im=gen&amp;ref=12


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## termini (Oct 1, 2008)

I think that I whipped it around too much and it lined up just right where the end of the brush hit the side wall straight on, and it was like a ball peen hammer hitting it------maybe I should do a video!
I'll take my frustrations out on shooting my buddy's decoys this duck opener, or if luck flys my way, maybe harvest some real ducks.


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## joeswine (Oct 2, 2008)

i like duck breast do natural duck have a stringing texture to them?


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## termini (Oct 15, 2008)

Sorry, have been gone for a while on a family emergency.. 
We breast out our ducks also, and if you remember to only cook wild game until it is pink and not brown, it should be good. I have never had bad wild game, knock on wood. Me wifey likes to marinate the duck breast in those zip lock self contained marinades that have come out recently. 
I have a Game Warden's Cookbook that me wifey has modified a slow cook venison steak recipie that will knok any ones socks off . If you're interested, e-mail me, or private message me and I'll get it to you.You will not be disapointed. It is in a crock pot and makes it's own gravey.*Edited by: termini *


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## Boyd (Jan 22, 2009)

You might try to mainate with onion wine.

Made a gollon a 2 years ago to see what it would taste like. (yuky) after 2 years.

Anyway I gave it to my brother. He uses it for pheasant. Puts in a crock pot in the morning, cooks it on low.Tells me it is good.

But he like Mic lite so who knows!!


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## termini (Jan 22, 2009)

I have been "off the grid" for a couple months dealing with my little sis's passing (31) But that marinade sounds like something I will try on my goose.
And WADE----I have not forgot about getting you that recipie for the slow cook Venison steak and the venison chops' marinade.........I owe you.


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## Rube-a-Billy (Nov 12, 2010)

I've introduced an old waiter trick that works great for for cleaning burnt coffee out of coffee pots to cleaning carboys. 
throw some ice cubes into your carboy crushed will work if your ice is too big to fit in the top, get a good amount of ice in there, enough to cover the side of the carboy once it is layed on it's side. lay it on something slick, I have used a block of ice, or some kind of rollers like an old roller skate turned upside down and fastened to a work bench (works great) etc.. and just start turning. empty the water as the ice melts so the ice stays in contact with the glass. if you have something real stubborn you could add some salt or sugar to make it a little more abbrassive. I have yet to notice any scratching or scarring of the glass. 
If anyone thinks the ice could scratch the glass please advise and i will stop doing this myself and delete this QUICKLY!!!


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## smurfe (Nov 12, 2010)

I don't really think ice would scratch the glass personally. I have heard about that trick as well as the salt trick. So far I have used the easy way and just soak the carboys overnight with a good dose of Oxy Clean in them. So far everything I have threw the Oxy at has cleaned it up just fine. I scorched DME in a flask once making a wort for a starter while boiling the flask right on the stove. It was a solid chunk of burnt sugar on the bottom of the flask. I dumped in a scoop of Oxy in the 1000ml flask and filled it with hot water and let it sit overnight. The next morning it was crystal clear clean. I have soaked my boil kettles overnight with Oxy and it has removed any burnt residue that was submerged in the liquid. I have soaked my stainless steel coffee carafe overnight and it looked brand new the next day. Percarbonate cleaners are fantastic in every use I have thrown them at.


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## Randoneur (Nov 13, 2010)

I usually just clean with hand dish soap, the green cleaner kind that has no scent or color added. If the carboy is really dirty, I first us automatic dish washer cleaner and hot water and quickly follow that with the hand dish soap. I would never let automatic dish soap soak in the carboy. A jet cleaner or garden hose nozzle is a must. I do have a brush, but seldom use it. As long as I make the carboy the first item I clean as soon as it is emptied, I've never had too much problem getting it clean. I've found the residue from kits to be harder to clean than when working with fresh grapes.


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## xanxer82 (Dec 9, 2010)

I like to take them outside and use the pressure nozzle on the garden hose. Works wonders.. then get at the bits off with the long carboy brush if any are left.


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## Runningwolf (Dec 9, 2010)

Hey xanxer been a while since I've seen you, good to see you again. The only thing I use is the Buon Vino spray wand. My carboys are always cleaned within 5 minutes of emptying them so nothing crusts on. As a matter of fact this is one of the cheapest tools I have and the most used. I also use it to fill all of my bottles with water in the laundry tray when I'm going to soak them standing up, and then again to rinse them off after I pull the plug.


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## AlFulchino (Dec 9, 2010)

clean your carboys???? 


dont you take one wine out.....tip the carboy upside down and then put in new wine?


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## Runningwolf (Dec 9, 2010)

Al Fulchino said:


> clean your carboys????
> 
> 
> dont you take one wine out.....tip the carboy upside down and then put in new wine?





I tried that once Al but I had trouble keeping the wine in it with the bottle tipped upside down.


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## AlFulchino (Dec 9, 2010)

good catch..i never was good at shorthand


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