---
title: How to Properly Clean Your Carbonation Stone
url: https://fizzwizz.ca/clean-carbonation-stone/
date: 2026-10-05T21:55:15+00:00
modified: 2026-10-05T21:55:15+00:00
lang: en_US
---

# How to Properly Clean Your Carbonation Stone

*This is our most-watched video, and the method in it is one every brewery, cidery and kombucha maker can use.*

## The problem with cleaning stones in the tank

It's normal to put carbonation stones in a tank while you run your caustic rinse. But that only cleans the **surface**. You'll get most of the beer stain off, sure, but the pores inside the stone stay plugged. Plugged pores mean big bubbles, and big bubbles don't carbonate your beer.

## The fix: force caustic through the stone

Our method uses a 1.5-inch straight tube, Dixon sanitary push-to-connects, and tri-clamp fittings:

1. Pull the push-to-connect off the top of the tube and fill it with **caustic cleaner**. Wear safety glasses and gloves.
2. Attach the dirty stone to the bottom connection. As a bonus, this also flushes and cleans your **ball valve and check valve** at the same time.
3. Connect your CO2 line with a needle valve to control the flow.
4. Turn on the CO2 and push the caustic all the way through the stone.

A badly fouled stone ran at about 15 PSI with a maximum of **5 cubic feet per hour** through it. Three caustic flushes later, the flow difference was dramatic, because all the pores were open again.

## Why this matters for carbonation quality

Open pores give you lots of tiny bubbles. Tiny bubbles dissolve instead of racing to the headspace. Our guide to [the physics of bubble size](/bubble-size-physics/) explains why.

**Want better control over your carbonation?** [Contact us today](/contact/).