Clear tubing maintenance protocol

[Bmd2k1]

I'm curious what folks are doing to clean/maintain their clear tubing used in your wine making operation.

My current protocol: Prior to use I rinse with a Star San solution -- then after use, rinse with hot water -- "fling" it a couple times to remove excess water then just store horizontally.

I do notice that the clear tubing has gotten cloudy over the months.


Cheers!

 

[Ohio Bob]

I try not to let the tubing sit around uncleared for more than an hour, especially for reds. I have a jet blaster attached to my sink faucet. It’s meant for cleaning bottles but it works on tubing as well. Then hang it on 2 hooks so it drains.

When I have several carboys to clean, I get out the sump pump cleaner (you can search here for a pic). I’ll coil the tubing and submerge it in the cleanser. My tubing is also cloudy. After about 5 years of use I splurge for new tubing.

 

[Rice_Guy]

1) rinse with hot water
2) if part of equipment run a cleaner through like Straight A or PBW
3) rinse with water
4) hang it from a nail in the ceiling
5) most tubing is replaced at the start of the year, ,,, or when a film exists. Tubing is cheap

 

[jumby]

Rinse with hot water. Done! I've been doing that for decades with no ill effects
.

 

[BarrelMonkey]

Same as my general equipment cleaning protocol -
- Soak in peroxy (at least 10-15 minutes, longer if stubborn stains)
- Rinse in citric or tartaric acid. Citric is cheaper but I don't want it in my (grape) wine, so I'll usually do a water rinse after.
- Optional tartaric + KMBS/K-meta rinse if I want it squeaky clean/sanitized.

For tubing I will typically use my pump to circulate the various solutions through. If it's a gravity racking cane/tube, I'll just 'rack' an appropriate amount of each cleaning solution.

 

[BarrelMonkey]

"fling" it a couple times to remove excess water then just store horizontally.

ah yes the good ol' hose lasso technique! Channel your inner cowboy!

(Not making fun... I do this too!)

 

[wineview]

ah yes the good ol' hose lasso technique! Channel your inner cowboy!

(Not making fun... I do this too!)

I’ve been doing that for decades after soaking in PBW and rinsing.

 

[bstnh1]

Run some One Step through it soon after use, rinse with hot water, whip it around to remove excess water, hang it over a hook to dry.

 

[winemaker81]

Run some One Step through it soon after use, rinse with hot water, whip it around to remove excess water, hang it over a hook to dry.

This is what I do. I will rack One Step from container to container so it's passing through the tubing + racking cane repeatedly.

@Johnd posted a tip a few years back -- using a weight to pull a string through the tubing, tie cloth (like a piece of old t-shirt) to the other end, and pull it through the tube.

Note that the tubing will darken over time. As long as it's flexible, it's still fine.

 

[Sage]

Use the electricians trick for pulling wire. Use a vacuum and suck the string through. Then use the string to pull a cleaning cloth through.
I have an air compressor right next to my wine stuff. I hit tubes with air.