[flbrewer]

Planning ahead to cleaning my carboy, how necessary is a cleaner like PBW? Save a lot of time and scrubbing? How different is PBW vs Oxiclean?

I've read PBW does most of the work for you, just fill up the carboy and let it sit, true?

[denny]

PBW contains a sufactant that makes it a bit more effective than Oxiclean IMO.  But Oxi works very well.  I find that filling with a couple Tbsp. of either along with hot water (DO NOT use hot water in carboys!) and letting it soak for a couple hours is all it takes.

[flbrewer]

So no hot water in a glass carboy?

[denny]

So no hot water in a glass carboy?

Nope, not recommended.  Nothing more than warm.

[flbrewer]

Shatter issue?

[Joe Sr.]

So no hot water in a glass carboy?

Nope, not recommended.  Nothing more than warm.

Never heard that before.  I've gotten rid of all my glass, but I'm pretty sure I used hot water in them for years.  Maybe not HOT, but hot enough.

With Better Bottles I definitely don't use hot water.

As far as cleaning, I've never used PBW.  I use Oxi Clean and unscented dishwasher detergent (Cascade or generic).  Sometimes together, sometimes not. A good soak with either removes everything.

[beersk]

Hot tap water is fine for carboys. My tap water is 110F or so and that worked great when I used carboys. I'd call that hot.

You can make your own PBW mix with a 70/30 blend of Oxiclean and TSP/90 (The Red Devil kind found at Ace Hardware). Much cheaper and just as effective.

[denny]

Shatter issue?

Yep.  Every carboy I have has something like "not for hot liquids" stamped on the bottom.

[denny]

Hot tap water is fine for carboys. My tap water is 110F or so and that worked great when I used carboys. I'd call that hot.

Couple things to consider...

http://www.homebrewersassociation.org/forum/index.php?topic=10052.5;wap2

[Joe Sr.]

Ultimately it was cracking one on the concrete floor that did it for me.  More accurately, the proximity of one of my children when I cracked the carboy.

I'll take risks with myself, but not with my kids.

Better Bottles and buckets will not shatter.

[tcanova]

I found out the hard way that my tap water was >140 when it melted one of my Better Bottles.  That being said, I love PBW with warm water and let soak for about 30 minutes.

[corkybstewart]

flbrewer, you're gona learn that there are as many ways to do anything as there are homebrewers trying to do it, but one thing we all agree on is that glass is very dangerous and you cannot be too careful around it.

[flbrewer]

Well said corky. Good reminder that big shards of flying glass is not good.

[Jeff M]

Ive always soaked my carboys with a little bleach and cool water when i want to get them super clean.  Id also suggest something like
http://www.midwestsupplies.com/carboy-cleaner.html

IT works the balls and is leaps and bounds ahead of a carboy brush.

[rjharper]

Better Bottles ... will not shatter.

No but they will stress and crack at the most inopportune times spilling precious homebrew everywhere.  If I do plastic, its a nice thick walled bucket...