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You are here: Home --> Forum Home --> Brewing Forum --> Brewing Discussion --> PBW usage rate

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testingapril
Charter Member
Atlanta, GA
595 Posts


I've recently started using a very specific ratio of PBW to water for all my PBW cleaning tasks and I think that it is vastly superior to any other usage rate, including the manufacturer's suggested rate, for all purposes, plus I find it to be easier rinsing.

10 grams per gallon of water.

That's it. It's really simple, and it's way below the suggested usage rate. I've found that with the mfg suggested rate, that a lot of the powder does not dissolve and that makes it basically ineffective, and it also presents a hazard to better bottles because concentrated PBW can damage the plastic, and it could create a highly concentrated solution around the undissolved powder.

I use this for hot side and cold side cleaning. I clean growlers, bottles, yeast starter flasks, better bottles, gallon jugs, utensils, everything with this dilution and I've found it works at least as good as the standard dilution.

I have some particular use strategies that are a little odd, and I want to share them, but I want to know if it works with a broad array of strategies before I share them.

Anyone else using a similar rate, or willing to test my suggested rate and report back? Please report your exact usage steps with this dilution rate. If I get some good feedback, I'll turn it into a blog post.




Posted 34 days ago.

homebrewdad
Charter Member
Birmingham, AL
2480 Posts


I've noticed that I don't get full dissolving at the recommended rate.  I admit, though, I tend to play fast and loose with PBW - I just shake some in via eyeballing.  I'm probably wasting some.

I'll try your 10g/gallon ratio and see how it goes.

Do you use this for label removal, as well?



Posted 34 days ago.

testingapril
Charter Member
Atlanta, GA
595 Posts


I meant to mention that I have NOT tried it for label removal yet.

I'd really like to know if it works as well for that task as historically it has seemed a more PBW is faster approach applies to label removal, but previously I also would have also said the full dilution rate works faster on carboys, and I'm not sure that's the case anymore.




Posted 34 days ago.
Edited 34 days ago by testingapril

uberg33k
Charter Member
The Internet
314 Posts


I add approximately the same amount of OxyClean Free (10g/gal), but then add 10g/gal of 7th Gen Dishwasher Powder.  It also contains some percarbonate, but it also has some chelators and some enzymes to help break down junk.



Posted 34 days ago.

testingapril
Charter Member
Atlanta, GA
595 Posts


I switched to PBW when I found a bucket of it for about $150. $3/pound is cheaper than oxiclean free and it is FAR more effective, and I need the low foaming for my keg cleaner and in my boil kettle for recirc cleaning.




Posted 34 days ago.

chino_brews
Charter Member
Eden Prairie, MN
301 Posts


How are we testing for effectiveness, and what is the method of cleaning?

I've been cleaning my buckets with hot tap water and elbow grease only, and my Better Bottles with (1) fill a few pints and splash and dump a few times, (2) soak in hot tap water, (3) around 2 tsp of PBW + 1/2 gallon hot tap water + washcloth, swirled immediately with no soak, (4) rinse with hot tap water, and (5) visual inspection and repeat any steps as may be necessary.

For delabeling, I use 1 to 1-1/2 Tbsp of PBW per gallon.




Posted 34 days ago.

uberg33k
Charter Member
The Internet
314 Posts


Where are you getting OxyFree?  I can get a 3lbs tub for $5.99 and the 7th Gen is about $3.89 per box (4.5lbs).  They run out at about the same time with my usage.  That's ~$10 for 7.5 lbs of cleaner.  I don't know of the effectiveness vs. PBW, but it's no where near the price you're quoting.  It gets the grime off my better bottles and speidel fermenters without the need to use the washcloth trick, so I call it good enough for now.



Posted 34 days ago.

testingapril
Charter Member
Atlanta, GA
595 Posts


> Where are you getting OxyFree?

Walmart.

You're also using twice as much of your mixture as I use for mine. so 7.5#'s of your mix is as good as 15# of PBW at the usage rate I'm using.

$3/pound isn't much cheaper than oxiclean, maybe a few cents. I've just found PBW to be much more effective, so my usage rate is much less. It also foams A LOT less, which is critical in my ciric'ed applications like my BK/pump/plate chiller and in particular my keg washer.

Possibly with the 7th gen stuff it would be similarly effective, but then we're doubling the price/usage.

I even mathed out the cost of buying the raw ingredients for a homemade PBW and couldn't come out cheaper than what I bought the bucket for.

Chino, I only soak. The only thing that gets elbow grease in my brewery is my BK, and maybe the mash tun if it needs it.




Posted 34 days ago.

homebrewdad
Charter Member
Birmingham, AL
2480 Posts


I only soak, myself, save the brew kettle... and every rare now and then, superdried krausen in a glass carboy might need the rag trick applied. 



Posted 34 days ago.

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