Smelly Fermenter

[Immy's Dad]

Don't have a go but I recently tried to clean a plastic fermenter that I had left soaking for a bit (5 months actually ) after a brew I had made turned to vinegar. There was some yeast residue in the bottom during this time.

After a thorough cleaning with soda crystals and hot water I was still unable to get rid of a really foul stench. I have left some bleach solution in the fermenter but will this shift it? I also converted the fermenter with a drum tap which I removed, dissassembled and cleaned thoroughly but the thread was still discoloured.

Any tips, apart from 'don't leave your gear that long you lazy f***er!'?

[delboy]

I had a vinegar fermenter one time also from leaving it laying about for several days after i had barreled the beer.

I soaked it in a reasonably strong bleach solution overnight (to kill of the acetobacter) and then rinsed it thoroughly before using a healthy dose of one of the cleaners based on oxyclean which are great at removing smells.

Smell went away and i've not had any problems with the fermenter since

Bear in mind this was a H&G 14 gallon fermenter which are pretty expensive escpecially when you consider postage to my neck of the woods so i was reluctant to just bin it.

If it had have been a cheap youngs 5 gallons fermenter i might have been tempted to just dump it and walk on.