how do you clean a barrel

[bawplank]

I got some barrels but all they have is the 2 inch opening. I see a lot of people use them but how do you clean them. Some of my buckets had mold on them so the inside of the barrels have to have some in them too.

[brookledge]

you might be able to just do a caustic wash like breweries do to their kegs. I have made a special wand that I use on a high pressure washer with very hot water. It sprays in different directions so it covers every inch. Plus cleaning them when they get emptied makes it easy.
So if I were you I'd go with the caustic wash. Do a search on caustic wash for kegs
Keith

[Sunday Rock Maple]

A pail of hot water, cap, roll, shake, uncapped, drain.

[slammer3364]

put some white vinegar hot water and shake and roll like sunday rock maple said vinegar will kill mold

[Twist Hill Maples]

Does anyone put some vinegar in there storage tanks and cap them for the summer?

[buckeye gold]

I go the dollar store and buy a cheap rag mop. You will need to cut a bit off it but it'll go in the barrel and the handle allows you to scrub the inside. I use a bleach wash and rinse well. I will also stick the power washer wand in after scrubbing

[Kilroy]

I zipped off the top & used plywood for a lid.
Since my barrel wasn't "food grade" I double lined it with a couple barrel liner trash bags.
After I got all the sap out, I tossed the bags.
One of the barrels is starting to collect aluminum cans for next year's pan purchase.

[BreezyHill]

garden sprayer and hydrogen peroxide solution. I use the H2O2 from CDL. Spray the inside and let sit for at least 30 minutes and rinse. When I do kegs they get a bicarb rinse and then another water rinse. For long term storage spray and let set for the 30 or more, rinse, and let dry.

All our storage tanks get that treatment now. Amazing what that stuff will clean off. Great on old bear filled kegs. Did a 3 yr old smell like crap keg and was good to go in an hour. Worst one was one that the tap broke and the bear dried in the keg, ran the permeate into it for a while, dumped and refilled and added H2O2 and let sit over night and rinsed with water and then bicarb rinse and it was good to go.

Cleanliness is next to Godliness. Makes preseason a lot easier too!

[Rock Bottom Maple]

Took my barrels to the local spray and wash.

[maple flats]

If you mean a car wash, that is recycled water. No way it is clean. You have lots of nasties in there now. If the spray & wash is something else, clue me in.

[backyard sugaring]

In the top of my barrels I cut a a hole for a five gallon bucket and I purchase a screw on Gamma cover. I use a NSF rated silicone and glue the five gallon bucket with the bottom cut out. This gives us a big opening to clean the inside out. Lee