Racking hose cleaning

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The chances are good that some molecule was migrating out of the plastic. TOSS if sticky.

It seems weird but we package with multiple molecule coextruded films because the low oil concentration on cereal will bleed through straight polyethylene films over a years time.
I have some clear pvc tubing that became sticky to the touch. I tossed it. Was I wrong?
 
I have some clear pvc tubing that became sticky to the touch. I tossed it. Was I wrong?
That's a different situation. If that tubing is sticky after cleaning - yeah, the tubing has been damaged by something and needs to go. Just be sure that what you replace it with is "Food Grade" not run of the mill Home Improvement store stuff.
 
when i'm done racking or bottling i make up a potassium metabisulfite solution , run till all tubes and filter housings are full, i have 1 plastic carboy that both my racking & bottling canes are kept in, my splash rack it is in the neck of my designated 6.5 carboy, then a week or a year later i just run dry, pull my splash rack and take the designated carboy and shake it with it 1/4 full with the solution that i had ran back when i'd put it all up, i have 100 foot rolls if tubing and change out about once a year, all my lines are 14 feet, so i can rack or bottle from anywhere in my wine room. i always rack into my designated carboy, clean the emptied carboy then rack back into that carboy, that gives me twice the degassing and filtering each time, 1 micron for whites, 5 micron for reds, of spun polypropylene, never do i use paper filters, that way i never get a soapy or funny taste in my wines. my messer musts i use 10 to 25 micron filter depending how messy my must, to rack from primary to secondary, I ferment with everything in my must, i do not ,use a , f-pac ever.
Dawg
 
I clean my tools with One-Step, and as part of that I rack a gallon of One-Step solution from container to container. After doing all my primaries and secondaries, I have confidence the racking tube and hose are clean. The tubing discolors with age -- as long as you don't see crud inside, it should be fine.

I have an odd-shaped funnel -- it's large but the tip is narrow enough to fit a wine bottle. It was clean .... except for the really narrow inside area above the tip. I could see a build-up. Yes, ICK!

In preparation for racking yesterday, I poured One-Step through the funnel at least half a dozen time as part of the process of ensuring all tools were clean and hygienic. By the time we were doing clean up, the spout was bright white clean. One Step does a great job, but for ugly build-up, it takes a few iterations and resting time in between iterations.

I also use a narrow-ish bucket -- put a gallon of One-Step solution in it and drop my racking and filling tubes, and wine thieves in it, ensuring they are full of liquid. I let them set for at least 20 minutes. That does the job.
 
Think it’s time? Lol
B9E9E3E3-1391-4EA8-B8F9-F9D17A9F395E.jpeg
I do piping hot water after each use. Stored just hanging up in the room.
And hot water rinse w/ kmeta spritz before use. Swing dry. (rigged my bottle washer so my rinse is actually more like a blast)

And I’ll do a deep clean every so often with the @Johnd string method using PBW.

I love that hose. It goes where I want. Hangs nice and straight. Lots of miles. Call me stubborn but I don’t wanna replace it!
Discolored ≠ Dirty!
7D5CD826-2044-417C-8417-B3FC6C5E3F99.jpeg
 
Think it’s time? Lol
View attachment 64601
I do piping hot water after each use. Stored just hanging up in the room.
And hot water rinse w/ kmeta spritz before use. Swing dry. (rigged my bottle washer so my rinse is actually more like a blast)

And I’ll do a deep clean every so often with the @Johnd string method using PBW.

I love that hose. It goes where I want. Hangs nice and straight. Lots of miles. Call me stubborn but I don’t wanna replace it!
Discolored ≠ Dirty!
View attachment 64600
Admittedly, I still use the first racking hose that I owned. It’s so soft and flexible, and it has no memory. It gets a hot water rinse when I’m done with it, another when I take it back out, followed by a kmeta siphon from the jug to a cup. A couple string cleanings a year. Never lets me down.
 
Admittedly, I still use the first racking hose that I owned. It’s so soft and flexible, and it has no memory. It gets a hot water rinse when I’m done with it, another when I take it back out, followed by a kmeta siphon from the jug to a cup. A couple string cleanings a year. Never lets me down.
Lol. Good to know I’m not on an island with that.
I tried bypassing the “breaking in” of a new hose and picked up some silicon tubing. But I learned pretty quick just why vacuum grade tubing is needed with a pump. Tube collapsed immediately unable to be under vacuum.

that vacuum rated tubing is super thick. Took a long time break in properly.
 
I've gone through a number of hoses over the years -- had a few get tacky on the outside and were immediately tossed. The One-Step does a great job, but I'm going to add the string trick. It may not need it, but it doesn't hurt to go an extra step.

Better too hygienic than not ....
 

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