14 replies to this topic

[neddles]

I have a stainless chiller coming today. What should I clean it with? ...and don't say wort.

[Big Nake]

Mmm. Good question. Of course we all know that I cleaned mine with wort. I think I would boil some water and throw the chiller in there and then examine the surface of the water to see if there is grease or a residue. I watched a video where a woman ordered one and washed it with hot soap and water. I don't even know if yours will have anything on it to clean but mine ruined a batch of helles.

What if you boiled it in water and then let the water cool and tasted it? The first run would probably have some taste to it. If you get to the point where you boil it in water and the water has no off-taste... you're ready to brew. I think.

[BrewerGeorge]

If you think it's gonna have oil on it and don't want to feck around, soak it in a 10% lye solution. (Be careful!) Rinse well and soak with barkeepers friend solution.

[Big Nake]

Someone mentioned that it could have some kind of manufacturers oil or other processing chemicals on it. The funny thing is that I have never heard of washing a chiller first and there was *NO* documentation with it... no tag or sticker saying WASH FIRST or anything.

[neddles]

Thanks. Maybe a long hot soak in Oxiclean?

[Big Nake]

Thanks. Maybe a long hot soak in Oxiclean?

I was going to suggest that too but I think you really need to raise the heat on it. After I hosed that batch I believe I brought a big pot of water to a boil and put the chiller in there and let it go for awhile. I wasn't sure if the original soak in 212° wort was enough so I boiled it in water before I used it a second time and the following batch was okay. So my guess is that you don't really have to work that hard to get it cleaned up.

[BrewerGeorge]

I wasn't really joking about the lye.  It will saponify any oil.  If you're concerned about the lye safety, washing soda will also make soap out of any oils; it will just take longer.  And of course, oxyclean becomes washing soda after it's done bubbling.

[MyaCullen]

If you think it's gonna have oil on it and don't want to feck around, soak it in a 10% lye solution. (Be careful!) Rinse well and soak with barkeepers friend solution.

I think I'd go PBW (hot double strength) rinse, soak in vinegar or starsan.

[Mike Green]

Run it through a cycle in the dishwasher 

[denny]

Craftmeister alkaline

[DieselGopher]

IPA. Seriously.












As in isopropyl alcohol.

[neddles]

I soaked it in hot TSP and then scrubbed it with a nylon brush. Then I repeated the same thing with oxiclean. Seems like that should do the trick. 

[MyaCullen]

I soaked it in hot TSP and then scrubbed it with a nylon brush. Then I repeated the same thing with oxiclean. Seems like that should do the trick. 

this seems backwards to my thinking, but what do I know

[neddles]

this seems backwards to my thinking, but what do I know

 

Not sure why that would be backwards but I used the TSP per the manufacturer's recommendation. Then, after a scrub and rinse, I threw it in a bucket of hot oxiclean I just finished cleaning brewing stuff in.

[MyaCullen]

Not sure why that would be backwards but I used the TSP per the manufacturer's recommendation. Then, after a scrub and rinse, I threw it in a bucket of hot oxiclean I just finished cleaning brewing stuff in.

my brain was thinking Starsan, not TSP