When To Change Your Fv ?

[Greg2013]

I have only being at home brewing since January 2013 (shocking i know) but damn if two of my 33lt buckets don't hum. I have only done about 6 brews total in them so they have seen practically no use. I always clean with W5 regardless of how dirty or not they were. Have tried leaving them open and smell still there, tried starsan and no good either. 

Best way i can describe it is the smell is like a brew gone bad, which is why i cant figure it out since this has not happened recently, in fact it only happened once a couple of months back. It is only since i got the new FV off HBW with my BB kit that i am really noticing the difference.

Which brings me to my question. How do you know its time to recycle your FV's? Also if your FV is hummin is there any way to get rid of the stink?

[Ciderhead]

Brewbuckets are not chamber pots its what you are brewing is causing the issue

Its why I use only glass now.

Put your W5 in a warm mild solution and fill your bucket to the brim and leave 48-72 hours

Failing that Fabreeze, (Only joking on the Fabreeze)

[delzep]

Have mine about 4 years and they're grand

[Greg2013]

Brewbuckets are not chamber pots its what you are brewing is causing the issue

My FVs have only been used for kit brews, all my experiments are done in glass demijohns or gallon water bottles. I thought you couldn't do primary in a carboy?

Then again we can't all afford BMW 520's either 

[Ciderhead]

Brewbuckets are not chamber pots its what you are brewing is causing the issue

My FVs have only been used for kit brews, all my experiments are done in glass demijohns or gallon water bottles. I thought you couldn't do primary in a carboy?

Then again we can't all afford BMW 520's either 

Who told you that, as long as you have sufficient head space or blow off tube if you are expecting a monster no probs.

I am not even going to rise to that other comment

[Greg2013]

Brewbuckets are not chamber pots its what you are brewing is causing the issue

My FVs have only been used for kit brews, all my experiments are done in glass demijohns or gallon water bottles. I thought you couldn't do primary in a carboy?

Then again we can't all afford BMW 520's either 

Who told you that, as long as you have sufficient head space or blow off tube if you are expecting a monster no probs.

I am not even going to rise to that other comment

Sorry couldn't resist CH. Have you had any issues using the big glass carboys?

[Ciderhead]

Nope, I have a carboy cleaner on a pole http://www.carboycleaner.com/ (they also have a keg cleaner) but rarely use it as I half fill with oxi leave 24 hours and then invert with a bung for another 24 and that removes everything.
A good rinse out inverted with the hose and and store with a mist of SS.
My wine degasser for oxygenating my wort is also now redundant as I use Oxi Turbo.

[Greg2013]

Nope, I have a carboy cleaner on a pole http://www.carboycleaner.com/ (they also have a keg cleaner) but rarely use it as I half fill with oxi leave 24 hours and then invert with a bung for another 24 and that removes everything.
A good rinse out inverted with the hose and and store with a mist of SS.
My wine degasser for oxygenating my wort is also now redundant as I use Oxi Turbo.

Another few items for the wish list, cheers CH.

[fizzypish]

My FVs have only been used for kit brews, all my experiments are done in glass demijohns or gallon water bottles. I thought you couldn't do primary in a carboy?

Then again we can't all afford BMW 520's either 
[/quote]

Who told you that, as long as you have sufficient head space or blow off tube if you are expecting a monster no probs.

I am not even going to rise to that other comment
[/quote]


Lol. Did my first ferment in a glass carboy last week. Didn't use a blow off tube. Destroyed my room. Twas like an angry krausten volcano!

[Ciderhead]

Lol. Did my first ferment in a glass carboy last week. Didn't use a blow off tube. Destroyed my room. Twas like an angry krausten volcano!

The worst I have even seen, a big beer, a big starter, and high temps will get you...
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UgfubawsrcM

[Shane Phelan]

Which brings me to my question. How do you know its time to recycle your FV's? Also if your FV is hummin is there any way to get rid of the stink?

Depends on your definition of 'hummin'. All my fermenter's have a smell kinda like stale hops/beer/ginger and I pretty much ignore it at this stage. Occasionally I will give everything a soak in W5/PBW but the smell generally remains the same. I don't find it affects the beer to be honest and I wouldn't be changing any of my fermenter's unless I got an infection.

[Greg2013]

Which brings me to my question. How do you know its time to recycle your FV's? Also if your FV is hummin is there any way to get rid of the stink?

Depends on your definition of 'hummin'. All my fermenter's have a smell kinda like stale hops/beer/ginger and I pretty much ignore it at this stage. Occasionally I will give everything a soak in W5/PBW but the smell generally remains the same. I don't find it affects the beer to be honest and I wouldn't be changing any of my fermenter's unless I got an infection.

Cheers Shiny i reckon that's the way to go for me. I am going to give them both a good soaking with Milton/Vinegar overnight and leave it at that for now(no i wont mix them together CH). I do plan with my next order on getting some sodium metabisulphite to try that as a sterilizer and it was suggested to me elsewhere that it can be quite good at removing smells as well?


As for a definition of "hummin" it means stink, but in my case its exactly what you described above.

[fizzypish]

Lol. Did my first ferment in a glass carboy last week. Didn't use a blow off tube. Destroyed my room. Twas like an angry krausten volcano!

The worst I have even seen, a big beer, a big starter, and high temps will get you...
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UgfubawsrcM

I wonder did he drink it.....

[Hop Bomb]

The worst I have even seen, a big beer, a big starter, and high temps will get you...
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UgfubawsrcM

HAHAHAHA Im actually loling!  Ive had krausen flowing from my airlocks before but that is a sight to behold.

[Shane Phelan]

Lol. Did my first ferment in a glass carboy last week. Didn't use a blow off tube. Destroyed my room. Twas like an angry krausten volcano!

The worst I have even seen, a big beer, a big starter, and high temps will get you...
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UgfubawsrcM

I wonder did he drink it.....

I would have! An active yeast is a happy yeast!