Homemade Keg/Carboy Cleaner

After Use

• To prevent brewing residue, film and gunk from sticking to the interior of the carboy, it’s essential to clean it as soon as you’re done making the brew. If you can’t clean it immediately, fill the carboy with water to keep the residue from drying and sticking until you can clean it.

Brushing

• A carboy brush has a long, angled handle with a large nylon brush at the end. The angle of the brush makes it easy to reach residue that sticks on the inside of the carboy. A metal coat hanger also works well. Untwist the coat hanger and wrap a soft cloth around the end, using duct tape to secure the cloth around the coat hanger. By bending the hanger, you can reach even high spots on the inside of the carboy.

Food-Safe Cleaning Solution

• Mix equal parts of baking soda, white vinegar and warm water in a large bowl or pan and then pour the solution into the carboy, using a funnel. Tip the carboy on its side and roll it back and forth, allowing the solution to reach the residue on the interior before using a carboy brush or your homemade brush to wipe the inside of the container. Rinse out the carboy with plain warm water as many times as needed to remove all the cleaner. Tip the carboy upside down to allow water to run out. Allow the interior to dry before inserting a stopper to keep dirt and dust out of the carboy during storage.

Before Brewing

• Sterilize the carboy before every use, even if you cleaned it thoroughly after the last use. You can use the same baking soda and white vinegar cleaner, but you can also use the juice from a freshly squeezed lemon, mixed with a quart of warm water to preclean the carboy. This is especially good for plastic carboys that can develop a sour smell. Swish the lemon solution around before dumping it out and rinse the carboy thoroughly with warm water.