[blatz]

Hey all

have a few dip tubes that have become pretty laden with beer stone.  As we all know, pbw soak doesn't help at this point.  I tried BKF and a green scrubbie, but it really is pretty stubborn and not seeming to work.  Any reason I couldn't use wet sand paper (ultra fine)?

Any other suggestions?

[hopfenundmalz]

Try a soak in star san.  I use stronge star san to remove the build up in my conical, using a green pad to scrub.

[Thirsty_Monk]

I think you need to alternate between acid and caustic wash to remove beer stone.
Depending on thickness of beerstone you need to do it several times.
Acid5 from Five Star Chemicals is supposed to be very effective but I an not sure if we can buy it in LHBS.
Star San is a mild acid that might work too.
To increase efficiency of cleaning solutions you can heat them up (do not exceed recommended temps).

[hamiltont]

No real experience with that tough of beer stone but I found this article. Might help?? http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m3469/is_n12_v49/ai_20771284/  Cheers!!

[blatz]

Try a soak in star san.  I use stronge star san to remove the build up in my conical, using a green pad to scrub.

how long a soak? 

[tom]

Not very.  Try undiluted StarSan, but wear gloves and eye protection (CMA).
Are you sure it's beerstone? Some of my diptubes are just not all that shiny.

[blatz]

Not very.  Try undiluted StarSan, but wear gloves and eye protection (CMA).
Are you sure it's beerstone? Some of my diptubes are just not all that shiny.

I might try that - maybe just stick one end in the star san bottle for 20 min and see if it has any effect. 

pretty certain its beerstone.  the worst one was from a keg that held RIS for almost three years.  has the milky colored scale of varying elevation up and down the tube.

wet sanding works so easy though - I was hopin one of you guys were going to say that was the solution! 

[hopfenundmalz]

Try really strong, or just straight as suggested.  It does not take too long, minutes or less is what I remember.

[beveragebob]

Why not just use BLC and let it soak for a few days....it works on beer lines why not dip tubes? Call me crazy!

[blatz]

so I stuck the dip tube in my bottle of star san for about an hour.  beer stone almost completely gone - some small traces, but this is without scrubbing.

tonight I'll try the other end in some BLC and see which works better.

thanks guys

oh and jeff - how strong when you soak your conical - double? triple? I probably should give that a go after my current fermentation is over.

[bluesman]

I've read that phosphoric acid will remove the stone and you just proved that.  This is good to know.

[hopfenundmalz]

oh and jeff - how strong when you soak your conical - double? triple? I probably should give that a go after my current fermentation is over.

I think the last time I did it, I used an ounce in a gallon or 2 in the conical.  Used some elbow grease with the green scrubbie, apply to the side wall, wait a little, hit it again and it was coming off in big flakes.  And wear rubber gloves.