29 replies to this topic

[brewman]

Now that I have a copper manifold and immersion chiller (Thanks again SchwanzBrewer), how do you guys clean them. After doing my leak test in my mash tun I now see green spots on the copper. Plus the chiller has some green on it.Dan

[Mya]

some hot distilled white vinegar will usually remove the verdigris with the quickness, just heat up a cup of it in the nukrowave and wipe it on the copper with a paper towel, or I understand Star San will as well, but I haven't tried itthe IC will come out your cooled wort looking like a bright new penny, and will be tarnished by the next brew day

[HVB]

StarsanVinegar solutionBarkeepers FriendThey will all do it. I just soak my stuff in stasan

[SchwanzBrewer]

usually mine looks nice and sparkly after a PBW soak, and actually after a boil too. other than that I got nothing.

[No Party JKor]

I don't clean them.

[Mya]

I don't clean them.

[brewman]

I don't clean them.

Why???

[MtnBrewer]

I don't clean them.

This. Although I should clean my manifold. No need to clean an IC.

[SchwanzBrewer]

This. Although I should clean my manifold. No need to clean an IC.

probably a good idea to give it a rinse after a brew to get some of the sugars off of it so they dont end up in your next brew.

[Deerslyr]

I don't clean them.

IC or CFC?I'd definitely clean out a CFC, but for an IC I'd just give it a rinse before dunking it in the BK for the last 15 minutes.EDIT: I kept my stuff in the garage and it tended to get dusty in there. I didn't really want whatever the Central Valley of California had going through the air to make it into my beer, even if it would be sterilized from the boil.

Edited by Deerslyr, 27 April 2012 - 07:53 AM.

[brewman]

When you put the chiller in the pot for the last bit of the boil wont all the crap on it get into your wort? Wouldn't this be a bad thing?Dan

[MtnBrewer]

probably a good idea to give it a rinse after a brew to get some of the sugars off of it so they dont end up in your next brew.

Yeah, I do rinse it off.

When you put the chiller in the pot for the last bit of the boil wont all the crap on it get into your wort? Wouldn't this be a bad thing?Dan

What crap?

[brewman]

The one I have has some green on it from getting wet. Should all this be washed off first??Dan

[Mya]

The one I have has some green on it from getting wet. Should all this be washed off first??Dan

is it tarnish or verdigris?really, it's not a big deal to have some tarnish, it's virtually impossible to stop without polish, and you don't want that in your beer

[SchwanzBrewer]

The one I have has some green on it from getting wet. Should all this be washed off first??Dan

Clean off the green stuff with a starsan soak if you are worried.I have a CPVC manifold and I rinse that really well after a brew and again before a brew. About every couple months I give it a good PBW soak before I use it again. It's a good idea to disassemble your manifold and get any debris that might mold in it or something like that after the mash is done, but everything that passes through it get boiled so its not a big deal.Cheers,Rich

[brewman]

verdigris

[MtnBrewer]

verdigris

[brewman]

After work.Dan

[Mya]

it'll clean up, rinse it off when you are done brewing and let it air dry, really it's not a big deal

[No Party JKor]

IC or CFC?I'd definitely clean out a CFC, but for an IC I'd just give it a rinse before dunking it in the BK for the last 15 minutes.EDIT: I kept my stuff in the garage and it tended to get dusty in there. I didn't really want whatever the Central Valley of California had going through the air to make it into my beer, even if it would be sterilized from the boil.

IC.Whatever miniscule amounts of crud are left on the IC or manifold after spraying them off with the hose aren't enough to affect the next brew IMO. If I do a really hoppy brew I'll scrape the hop crud off the IC, usually anyway. I've never had any green buildup on my copper, so I can't comment there. If I did I'd probably just hit it with some steel wool or something.