Cleaning ebay plastic barrels (mash tun and boiler)

[salnajjar]

I've just had two plastic barrels delivered from an eBay purchase. They're food grade and I plan on using them to make a boiler and a mash tun.

The problem is they were used to import a garlic based food product, and now they reek of garlic. I currently have them filled to the brim with hot water, some powdered chlorine and some washing up liquid.

Will this suffice or are there any recommended steps to take to make sure I won't end up with garlic beer?

Thanks

Seri

[Trunky]

[mysterio]

Long soak in Oxyclean or a bleach solution works well

[Jack Hackett]

I too was interested in turning these barrels into a boiler and mash tun but was wondering if the plastic was up to the heat used during a long boil, so I have held of purchasing them as yet.
Let me know your findings once you get up and running with them.
Regards
Jack

[salnajjar]

Let me know your findings once you get up and running with them.

Well, I haven't started using them yet, but I can say the seller was very responsive and they're a damn site sturdier than the 10gallon Youngs Brew Barrels that other people have used.

Being an impatient sod I've already fitted the kettle element and the drainage pipe. Because the pipe was 15mm and I only had a 14mm wood drill bit I couldn't force it through. As I wanted a snug, water tight fit, I used the paint stripping hot air gun to soften the plastic a little, it took bloody ages and even then it was a struggle to get the pipe through. So, I don't think there will be any problems with heat, but, I will let you know when I boil some water in it tomorrow.

When I have the other one insulated for the mash tun I will also let you know how good a job it does at heat retention.

Seri

[salnajjar]

Let me know your findings once you get up and running with them.

I just did my dry run today with the one I had turned into a boiler.

With two kettle elements and 30 liters of water, it took 50 minutes and 24 seconds to go from 18c to 98c (rolling boil of plain water).

I let it boil for 90 minutes and the plastic held up fine (more than I can say about the hot glue gun glue, my own stupid fault).

With no insulation, I tested the cool down and saw:
0 minutes 97.6c
30 minutes 88.6c
60 minutes 80.9c
90 minutes 74.5c

Lastly, with no lid on during the 90 minute boil I saw a water loss of 4.75 litres (from 30 to 25.25)

When I finish on the mash tun I will post the results of the heat loss with insulation.

[WishboneBrewery]

Interesting... got any photos of your creation?
I ordered a couple of this type of blue barrels last week, main idea was for grain storage but I'll probably convert one to a HLT.

[salnajjar]

Interesting... got any photos of your creation?

I will try and take some soon, unfortunately there was one other thing that the 90 minute boil did, and that was to trigger all the left over garlic nastiness. I currently have both tubs outside to the brim with soda crystals and water again, this will be my 5th treatment of the damn things. Once I've given them a good clean around and finished on the mash tun I'll take photo's of the whole lot.

[Andy]

Good luck! Sounds like a hard-ask to get rid of the garlic pong

[salnajjar]

Wouldn't mind the pong but I tasted some of the boiled water and it had a garlic taste to it...

[boingy]

Maybe you could start a new trend for Garlic Lager.
People will keep asking "um, did you say Gaelic Lager?"
The joke would just keep on giving....

[salnajjar]

I could try and get it ready for the end of next month and say it was a Halloween brew. Or, if the taste/smell lasted say it was for the goths...

[AlexCricket]

This may sound a little silly but have you tried drying the tubs and then adding a handful of Bicarbonate of Soda and leaving it in the tub - lid on - overnight. I think that the stuff is supposed to absorb odours.

Just an Idea

[Trunky]

I have to say that all I had to do was as I said above.

DRY container, plenty of soda crystals worked into the plastic with a damp sponge. Took about 20 minutes but it worked perfectly.

[salnajjar]

DRY container? That is probably where I've been going wrong... I've been using a fairly highly concentrated dilution and sponging it all over and around the things...

Will give it a shot with a dry sponge and container.

Seri