New 200 litre Drum

by **droo1966** » Fri Jun 14, 2013 6:04 pm

I got really lucky yesterday and was given a 200 litre, screw ring top, food grade drum. It came originally with fertiliser of some kind.
My problem is that I can't get the smell out of it.
2 questions
1. Will the residue affect the output from washes or mashes?
2. Would a first wash, say a TPW clean it out? If not how can I clean it out?

by **Dominator** » Fri Jun 14, 2013 6:42 pm

I bought my fermenters second hand and they were used to store potting mix. I cleaned them out with hot water and some napisan. Can't tell with my rum but u have not done a spirit run with my TPW so I don't know how it will go. As long as you give it a good clean I think it will be fine. When you distill neutrals you remove all the flavours anyway.

by **kingy** » Fri Jun 14, 2013 6:52 pm

I'd give a good soak with bleach, then boil water and add napisan (unscented) and let sit for at least an hour while the sodium percarbonate does its thing. That's bound to get it back to good. I'm happy to take it off your hands otherwise. :)

by **Urrazeb** » Fri Jun 14, 2013 6:58 pm

First wash should take care of it. Hot water and sanatize should be enough to get cracking!

I get 200L drums that have had sausage meat in them, you should smell them fuckers!

by **db1979** » Fri Jun 14, 2013 10:18 pm

If you've got a heap of feints that you're not planning on running through the still maybe you could chuck that in there and give it a swirl. I've had pasta sauce jars that still smell after going through the dishwasher and after a quick swirl of some feints they come up real good (after the feints have been rinsed and dried of course).

by **Sam.** » Fri Jun 14, 2013 11:29 pm

You could hit it with a pressure washer, then yeah like said give it a rub with some foreshots, that will clean just about everything :handgestures-thumbupleft:

Or just fill it up with water and add some bleach and let soak for a day or two then rinse, does wonders to a fermenter :handgestures-thumbupleft:

by **Dominator** » Sat Jun 15, 2013 5:57 am

I use fores to remove the smell from pasta jars too. My LHBS sells 2nd hand 2L Jim Beam bottles for $3. Good price, pity they smell like shit. A quick wash and a rinse out with some fores and they are ready for some rum.

by **kiwikeg** » Sat Jun 15, 2013 7:23 am

I think a good rinse then a soak then another rinse the either some feints or a sacrificial wash is the way to go.
both of my 200l had been used for liquid soap one I use for neutrals and one I use for BWKO, dispite a good bleach and water blast my first neutral from the new 200l had a soapy taste smell, that took some harsh cuts and a rerun to remove.