[coolman26]

I've never used it. I've been making my own pbwish cleaner 20# at a time. If it works better, I need to try it. I almost never soak anything.


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[Ellismr]

I used their craftmeister carboy cleaning tabs (1 per 3 gallons) and they were a waste of time on stuck on krausen.  It sat for an hour as directed and didn't get it all off.  I use PET carboys so I cannot use a brush.  But when I use PBW and hot water and let it soak for 30-60 minutes it always works. 


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[BrewBama]

I use nothing but Craftmeister.  The alkaline cleaner works better with cold water than PBW works with hot water.  Here's a comparison we did, complete with pics...https://www.experimentalbrew.com/blogs/drew/craftmeister-cleaners-picturing-carboy-test .  Not only does it clean better, but it rinses more easily than PBW or Oxiclean.

...but do you pay for it or is it a gift from a sponsor of your show?  I am not questioning your integrity, just need to be clear if the cost to a regular Joe is worth the improvement. If the cost is free then there's no comparison. But if you've bought and used both and choose the expense for the improvement then that means more.


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[narvin]

I might have to try some kind of CIP.  I may not have used enough, given that my fermenter is 15 gal.

[denny]

I use nothing but Craftmeister.  The alkaline cleaner works better with cold water than PBW works with hot water.  Here's a comparison we did, complete with pics...https://www.experimentalbrew.com/blogs/drew/craftmeister-cleaners-picturing-carboy-test .  Not only does it clean better, but it rinses more easily than PBW or Oxiclean.

...but do you pay for it or is it a gift from a sponsor of your show?  I am not questioning your integrity, just need to be clear if the cost to a regular Joe is worth the improvement. If the cost is free then there's no comparison. But if you've bought and used both and choose the expense for the improvement then that means more.


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Yes, they do supply me.  But before that I bought PBW.  Craftmeister cleaners are more effective for a
ittle bit less money.  One cool thing about Craftmeister is their refill program, where you can get a discount on a refill at your LHBS.  AFAIK, PBW doesn't do that.

[Steve Ruch]

How do the two different Craftmeister products compare?

The Oxygen is pretty much like PBW or Oxiclean, but it dissolves better than either.  The alkaline is really strong and works great even with cold water.  In hot water it's amazing.

If you had to pick only one to use which one would you choose?

[denny]

How do the two different Craftmeister products compare?

The Oxygen is pretty much like PBW or Oxiclean, but it dissolves better than either.  The alkaline is really strong and works great even with cold water.  In hot water it's amazing.

If you had to pick only one to use which one would you choose?

alkaline..it works so much better

[denny]

I used their craftmeister carboy cleaning tabs (1 per 3 gallons) and they were a waste of time on stuck on krausen.  It sat for an hour as directed and didn't get it all off.  I use PET carboys so I cannot use a brush.  But when I use PBW and hot water and let it soak for 30-60 minutes it always works. 


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I use the tabs also and they work well for me, but for some reason I find the powder works better.

[Stevie]

Refills are a shop to shop policy from my experience. I've seen plenty of shops refill PBW for $5 per lb and haven't seen a single shop sell craftmeister products other than iodophor and tabs.

[denny]

Refills are a shop to shop policy from my experience. I've seen plenty of shops refill PBW for $5 per lb and haven't seen a single shop sell craftmeister products other than iodophor and tabs.

Yeah, it is.  BTW, it may have changed, but in the past if the makers of PBW found out that a shop was repackaging it, they'd pull it from them.

[Stevie]

Lame, but it's business.

[BrewBama]

I use nothing but Craftmeister.  The alkaline cleaner works better with cold water than PBW works with hot water.  Here's a comparison we did, complete with pics...https://www.experimentalbrew.com/blogs/drew/craftmeister-cleaners-picturing-carboy-test .  Not only does it clean better, but it rinses more easily than PBW or Oxiclean.

...but do you pay for it or is it a gift from a sponsor of your show?  I am not questioning your integrity, just need to be clear if the cost to a regular Joe is worth the improvement. If the cost is free then there's no comparison. But if you've bought and used both and choose the expense for the improvement then that means more.


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Yes, they do supply me.  But before that I bought PBW.  Craftmeister cleaners are more effective for a
ittle bit less money.  One cool thing about Craftmeister is their refill program, where you can get a discount on a refill at your LHBS.  AFAIK, PBW doesn't do that.

Thanks Denny.


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[Steve Ruch]

alkaline..it works so much better

Once my current batch of oxy is used up I'll get some.

[Wilbur]

I used their craftmeister carboy cleaning tabs (1 per 3 gallons) and they were a waste of time on stuck on krausen.  It sat for an hour as directed and didn't get it all off.  I use PET carboys so I cannot use a brush.  But when I use PBW and hot water and let it soak for 30-60 minutes it always works. 


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I use the tabs also and they work well for me, but for some reason I find the powder works better.

I asked craftmeister about the tabs versus the powder, they're response was the tablets (growler in my case) are a mix of the oxygen and alkaline cleaners. The tablets also include some trisodium phosphate to the oxygen based cleaner. It looks like they have a lot less sodium metasilicate, which apparently is used to soften water in detergents. If your water is harder that might be why the powder works better. I'm also not a chemist, so I could be wrong on this.

I used their craftmeister carboy cleaning tabs (1 per 3 gallons) and they were a waste of time on stuck on krausen.  It sat for an hour as directed and didn't get it all off.  I use PET carboys so I cannot use a brush.  But when I use PBW and hot water and let it soak for 30-60 minutes it always works. 


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I use the tabs also and they work well for me, but for some reason I find the powder works better.

[ynotbrusum]

I use all three of the Craftmeister products, but I don't overnight soak anymore.  I like the convenience of tossing a tablet in my homemade carboy cleaner (pump in a bucket with a copper pipe with holes in it to spray the surfaces and QDC lines for hooking up kegs) - a neighbor made it for me, but I will mix up a couple gallons at about 1/2 strength for use, also.  I tend to rinse things out well when emptied and pile them up and then do an assembly line of cleaning multiple carboys, kegs and the like on one occasion, so the cleaner goes pretty far.

I like Craftmeister because it works really well cold or hot and unlike PBW, it doesn't become a hard rock in the container over time.