[EHall]

kegging made my bottling process easier...

[richardt]

Don't leave them in the oxyclean too long.  A scale builds up on things that soak too long.

Like Denny said, it totally depends on your water.  I had horrific scale/film develop on my bottles and the inside of my 5 gallon corny when I left oxyclean in there for days (maybe even weeks).  I have water with high alkalinity and high bicarbonate and sulfate levels.  Perhaps, that won't occur if your water alkalinity is much lower. 
A water expert might be able to explain why.  I just know that I won't be doing it again--removing the film and scale requires mechanical scrubbing--it does not come off the inside of a SS corny keg easily.

[hopfenundmalz]

Don't leave them in the oxyclean too long.  A scale builds up on things that soak too long.

Like Denny said, it totally depends on your water.  I had horrific scale/film develop on my bottles and the inside of my 5 gallon corny when I left oxyclean in there for days (maybe even weeks).  I have water with high alkalinity and high bicarbonate and sulfate levels.  Perhaps, that won't occur if your water alkalinity is much lower. 
A water expert might be able to explain why.  I just know that I won't be doing it again--removing the film and scale requires mechanical scrubbing--it does not come off the inside of a SS corny keg easily.

This is my experience with my highly alkaline water.

[punatic]

I just know that I won't be doing it again--removing the film and scale requires mechanical scrubbing--it does not come off the inside of a SS corny keg easily.

Next time try soaking the film and scale away with a vinegar and water solution.

[alan_marks59]

StarSan works for me to remove any scale buildup from soaking in oxyclean, the acid dissoves any buildup.

Alan

[SpanishCastleAle]

^^^+1.  The combination of soaking in PBW (or Oxiclean free) followed by a Starsan soak works very well for a lot of the things we soak.  Left a beer glass sitting half-full and it has a 'ring'...PBW followed by Starsan (mainly the Starsan).  Carboy has a ring from Oxiclean/PBW...use Starsan.  Brown-ish film on bottom of your kettle?...PBW followed by Starsan and it's bright shiny new stainless again.  Just don't soak plastic tubing too long (mainly in Starsan) or it will get tacky.

I never throw away PBW or Starsan solutions after one use (Starsan gets used for weeks), there's always something that will need a soak soon enough.

[brewmonk]

i knew i probably wasn't the first to try this, just got excited to discover it worked.  i'm actually surprised i hadn't though of it sooner.  way better than sticking my hands in ammonia.

"Eureka moments" are awesome as I am learning brewing.  Sometimes the simpler the realization the better, since they usually help your process immensely.  Plus, even if others have realized it, the fact that you didn't realize it for a while means others of us also haven't.  So, all information shared is appreciated. 

[majorvices]

Oxyclean, cut one-third with TSP substitute, is what I use to clean all my brewing equipment. Not quite as effective as PBW, but at a fraction of the cost, it's close enough.

This is exactly what I do. Works great.

[ccarlson]

I always used 50:50 Oxiclean and TSP. I take it 70:30 works well?

[Mark G]

I always used 50:50 Oxiclean and TSP. I take it 70:30 works well?

Supposedly (and I can't remember my source for this info, so take it with a grain of salt), the 2:1 Oxyclean/TSP substitute ratio mirrors PBW's composition pretty closely. In addition, the Oxyclean containers I buy are about twice the size of the TSP containers, so this ratio works perfectly for mixing. I'm very satisfied with the results.

[ccarlson]

I always used 50:50 Oxiclean and TSP. I take it 70:30 works well?

Supposedly (and I can't remember my source for this info, so take it with a grain of salt), the 2:1 Oxyclean/TSP substitute ratio mirrors PBW's composition pretty closely. In addition, the Oxyclean containers I buy are about twice the size of the TSP containers, so this ratio works perfectly for mixing. I'm very satisfied with the results.

I'll give that a try next time. TSP isn't cheap.

[ibru]

OK, dumb question...

What is TSP??

[theDarkSide]

OK, dumb question...

What is TSP??

Trisodium Phosphate ( or teaspoon or Thrift Savings Plan )
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Trisodium_phosphate

[majorvices]

Make sure you use the TSP Substitute. The only place I have found it is Lowes. And, yes, the 2:1 ration oxyclean/TSP sub is what I have heard is the right ratio. As was mentioned, TSP sub ain't cheap.

[bluesman]

Make sure you use the TSP Substitute. The only place I have found it is Lowes. And, yes, the 2:1 ration oxyclean/TSP sub is what I have heard is the right ratio. As was mentioned, TSP sub ain't cheap.

This is good info Keith...I'll keep this in mind for the future as PBW is fairly expensive these days.