Cleaning
This is a pretty important part of brewing that often gets overlooked. If not done well can cause off flavors that you will never quite be able to put your finger on and drive you nuts. First rule of brewing cleaning OXICLEAN IS YOUR FRIEND. Second rule is Star San is not a cleaner. Now that that's said let's get into details.
First step, go buy a tub of the magic Oxiclean. Be sure to get the 'free' version with the green lid. $10 at Walmart. You hardly need any to get effective cleaning. Fill carboys, kegs, pots, etc... with water, add a partial to half scoop of Oxiclean and soak overnight. Rinse 3 times with water and you're done. A non scratch scrub pad or bottle brush can be used on surfaces for tough crud but watch for scratching on plastic carboys or buckets.
First step, go buy a tub of the magic Oxiclean. Be sure to get the 'free' version with the green lid. $10 at Walmart. You hardly need any to get effective cleaning. Fill carboys, kegs, pots, etc... with water, add a partial to half scoop of Oxiclean and soak overnight. Rinse 3 times with water and you're done. A non scratch scrub pad or bottle brush can be used on surfaces for tough crud but watch for scratching on plastic carboys or buckets.
You can actually get by with just the magic oxiclean, but here are a few other acceptable cleaners you might need/want.
PBW This stuff is a bit more potent and is nice to shine up your copper immersion chiller or stainless steel pot every once and a while. DO NOT USE ON ALUMINUM.
PBW This stuff is a bit more potent and is nice to shine up your copper immersion chiller or stainless steel pot every once and a while. DO NOT USE ON ALUMINUM.
Beer Line Cleaner If you've got a keg fridge, this is what you need to get the nasties out of your lines every so often. The powdered stuff from OBK is the best. Put an ounce in a gallon or so of hot water in a spare keg and run through the lines. I let them soak for an hour or two and keep flushing until it comes out clear. I usually leave Star San in my lines between beers.
That's it. Now for the cleaners and stuff you should not use at all.
AVOID THESE
AVOID THESE
BLEACH Do not use any chlorine product period. Chlorine causes all kinds of nasty off flavors and is almost impossible to rinse out completely.
SOAP Soap leaves a residue on everything even after rinsing and is especially bad if you put it in your pot or carboy with a large surface area. That said, I use it to clean my pot that I boil starter media with with no ill effects.
DISHWASHER Dishwasher detergent is the same as soap, avoid using due to residues. Beer glasses are the only things that go in here.
SOAP Soap leaves a residue on everything even after rinsing and is especially bad if you put it in your pot or carboy with a large surface area. That said, I use it to clean my pot that I boil starter media with with no ill effects.
DISHWASHER Dishwasher detergent is the same as soap, avoid using due to residues. Beer glasses are the only things that go in here.
IO Star Not a cleaner but thought I'd mention. This one is only for storing counter flow chillers between uses since Iodine could cause issues if not made properly. Made properly can be used as a no rinse sanitizer. Use Star San for sanitizing.
Tips and Tricks
Bottles Put all your bottles to be cleaned in the sink, go around and add a shake of oxiclean to all, then fill all with hot water. I use a hose attachment on my laundry sink to fill. Rinse with bottle blaster tap attachment for maximum crud removal. Dry upside down in a fast rack.
Bottles Put all your bottles to be cleaned in the sink, go around and add a shake of oxiclean to all, then fill all with hot water. I use a hose attachment on my laundry sink to fill. Rinse with bottle blaster tap attachment for maximum crud removal. Dry upside down in a fast rack.
Carboys Fill with hot water, add quarter scoop of oxiclean, soak overnight. Rinse three times and dry upside down like your bottles.
Kegs Same as carboys, water, oxi, soak, rinse. Every once and a while, disassemble and clean dip tube with a dip tube brush and check that crud isn't lodged in the poppets. Store with a gallon or so of Star San inside and push some through the dip tubes with CO2 to cover all surfaces before filling.
Pots Pots are the same mostly, except crud tends to get cooked on at the bottom of the pot if you use propane and on the element if you are electric. Every so often PBW will get that right off with a soak and a little scrubbing. Rest of the time same as carboys and kegs with the oxi.
Immersion Chillers Soak in the pot while it's being cleaned. Again the PBW will give it a like new shine. Rinse well and store dry.
Counter Flow Chillers Usually before brewing I run Star San through, then boiling wort for a minute before turning the chilling water on. After chilling wort, back flush full blast with tap water from the sink, then store wet, full of Iodine sanitizer so there's no corrosion of the copper over long storage periods that might happen with the acidity of the Star San. Clean periodically with PBW or oxi.
Conclusion
That's it, all you need to do before using all this nice clean equipment is Star San the hell out of it (pots excepted) and not get your dirty fingers in anything. Happy brewing!