cleaning crusty growlers

[SoCal Surfer]

I have these 2 growlers that I'd like to use to ferment small batches of cider and mead...and whatever else will make bubbles if I put yeast in it. They have some crusty crap on the inside that I cannot get out for the life of me. What I have tried so far...and am willing to try again.
1. soaked with PBW and scrubbed. It got a lot of that crud but left the hard water stains and a bit of the shmegma on the walls.
2. soaked with star san - it got the hard water crust off but I still have that crap on the walls.
3. prayer. no effect.

I will take any tip you have. I don't want to toss these things. Is there some acid/caustic/anti-crud juice that will definitely get that glass clean?
Thanks amigos!
Socal

[NateBrews]

I think I would try sacrifice, probably goat or sheep. Find a tall cliff or maybe just drag it up on the roof and get it right near the edge so it starts to back up in fear. Now, don't do that other thing people do in that situation, just slice it open and fill the growlers while singing Steel Panther. Do a starsan wash after and it should be good to go.

But really, I think your best bet is alternating hot PWB and HOT rinse, followed by starsan washes.

[Ozwald]

What was in them? Are you sure they're not scratched up inside, especially after scrubbing them?

I would start with a warm-hot caustic. If PBW isn't doing it, step it up. Diluted Draino works wonders. Regardless, when you rinse use more water, hotter water, & rinse for longer than you used the cleaner.

After the basic clean, I would go with something acidic. Star-san, vinegar, etc. Again, I would rinse hotter & longer.

[SoCal Surfer]

What is the ratio for mixing NaOH? I have some lye drain opener which is pure NaOH. I just don't want to over or under do it.

[Ozwald]

Keep in mind that diluting pure NaOH with water creates an exothermic reaction.

A liter of a 1 mol solution would be 40g.

[pagres]

I use oxy-clean and hot h2o successfully. Let it sit 5-10 min scrub let sit and scrub again. Don't let it sit too long like over night because it can come out of solution and get on glass itself. If nothing works just leave it and get sani with heat by boiling or steam. Beer bugs can't hide from heat in a lil bit of crud.

[Ozwald]

Oxy & PBW are nearly the same thing. If PBW didn't do the trick, Oxy's not going to help.

[Charlie]

Keep in mind that diluting pure NaOH with water creates an exothermic reaction.

A liter of a 1 mol solution would be 40g.

+1. NaOH will eat almost any type of organic material. Do _*NOT*_ add it to hot water! I did that once to speed up dissolution, and the exotermic reaction caused the vessel to "bump" (boil explosively), and I had to clean up a great big caustic mess.

I have used 5 molar TSP successfully on some fermentation debris (beer lines and cornies mostly). 5M HCl (pool chemical section at Home Depot) works pretty good on some of it too, particularly beer stone, but obviously not suitable for use on stainless steel.

I think the sodium hydroxide will do the job in 24 hrs or less.

Charlie