[klickitat jim]

Smegma?!

"noun: smegma: a sebaceous secretion in the folds of the skin, especially under a man's foreskin."

Using full bio-hazard gear, deposit it in the trash.  The out-of-doors trash.

Or you could use them for sour beers. Some folks think that added goop gives the beer complexity. Frankly I prefer not having that kind of complexity, so warn me in advance please.

[a10t2]

I'm fairly sure the only penis I've had in beer is raccoon penis.

[klickitat jim]

I'm fairly sure the only penis I've had in beer is raccoon penis.

Awkward silence

[pete b]

I use one step which is similar to oxyclean. I often have carboys and bottles that are completely opaque from containing dark melomels for years and it removes it like nothing, often without a soak.

[ynotbrusum]

You can use the standard brewing cleaning products, but be sure to use the stated dilutions and rinse thoroughly.  Lastly don't leave a Better Bottle in contact with dried sanitizer - supposedly that can lead to microcracks over time.

[bigchicken]

Gross.

I always though smegma was just generic for gunk or grime.

Nope. I always do a 24 hour soak with Oxiclean Free in the garage.  After that, I've never seen anything a swish and swirl with a microfiber wash cloth wouldn't get out.  Maybe you're not soaking long enough.

I do that with glass.

But I'm pretty sure the better bottle website says not to soak them for long periods of time in caustic cleaners. I think they specifically mention PBW.

That's why I use a small amount of antibacterial or scent free dish soap with warm water. Let them soak, rinse, and throw in a soft cloth with a little water to shake around and remove any other leftovers. I save PBW for buckets.

[beersk]

Smegma?!

"noun: smegma: a sebaceous secretion in the folds of the skin, especially under a man's foreskin."

Using full bio-hazard gear, deposit it in the trash.  The out-of-doors trash.

Ha, right, I was reminded of Red Dwarf. Smegma is definitely NOT what the OP is trying to clean from his better bottle.

[johnnyb]

I don't even know what sebaceous means and I'm NOT going to look it up. If everybody could pretend the subject says "gunk" or "grime" we could just move along... 

Anyway, took 2 soaks in PBW, 1 soak in StarSan, then a soak in C-Brite with the dishcloth swishing, then one more soak in PBW with the dishcloth swishing, and finally it is sme..... I mean gunk free.

Next time I will give it a long soak just in water first. My first couple of times cleaning the better bottle were nowhere near this difficult. I blame it on Denny's 50.

[a10t2]

I don't even know what sebaceous means

"Fatty"!

[AmandaK]

Gross.

I always though smegma was just generic for gunk or grime.

Aaaaannnd now you know why the rest of us are cringing.

I'm fairly sure the only penis I've had in beer is raccoon penis.

Was that Al's coon pecker beer??

[a10t2]

I'm fairly sure the only penis I've had in beer is raccoon penis.

Was that Al's coon pecker beer??

It was at NHC, so probably?

[Rhoobarb]

I take a bottle brush, invert a clean tube sock over it so that the nubby part is facing out, pull that over the brush and use it like I would in a glass carboy.  Just using an uncovered bottle brush will scratch the plastic inside.

[denny]

Craftmeister alkaline cleaner.  It cleans better in cold water than PBW does in hot water.

[johnnyb]

Craftmeister alkaline cleaner.  It cleans better in cold water than PBW does in hot water.

Thanks -- I've got it in my brewlist at Northern Brewer for the next time I place an order.

I'm also going to try the sock over a bottle brush trick later this week when I move my gose into the keg.

[narvin]

So, if the krausen gunk is mostly around the fore... er, top of the carboy, a concentrated soak with the bottle upside-down for a half hour will remove it. I usually add the amount of PBW I'd use for 5 gallons (3 tbsp, give or take) and only 1/4 of the water and do the upside soak with a solid stopper.  Then I flip it and fill it up the rest of the way with hot water and let soak overnight.