19 replies to this topic

[darkmagneto]

Hey Guys,

 

In my boil kettle I have some visible beer stone that is present and I can't seem to get rid of it. 

 

My normal routine has been to rinse out with hot water, then let an OxyClean/Hotwater mixture soak for a few hours in the kettle, then scrub/clean the inside.

 

However, now I have a fairly large collection of beer stone on the sidewalls of the kettle.

 

Are any of you using an acidic cleaner?

 

How can beer stone be prevented?

 

Much thanks all!

Mark A.

 

[SchwanzBrewer]

If you can circulate hot pbw that might take it off without scrubbing. Other than that, get out a pad and get to it.

 

Prevention: not much you can do other than clean really well every time. You could try to passivate the stainless once it's clean which might help. 

[Big Nake]

Starsan.  Each time I brew and I am done cleaning up, I keep some Starsan solution from that session.  Clean out the BK and then dump some Starsan in there and let it soak for 30-60 minutes.  Less may be okay too, I just leave it longer.  It works so well you could wipe it away with a paper towel.... but I typically use a green pad.  The bottom of my BK looks gleaming and brand new.  Cheers Amigo.

[Genesee Ted]

Starsan.  Each time I brew and I am done cleaning up, I keep some Starsan solution from that session.  Clean out the BK and then dump some Starsan in there and let it soak for 30-60 minutes.  Less may be okay too, I just leave it longer.  It works so well you could wipe it away with a paper towel.... but I typically use a green pad.  The bottom of my BK looks gleaming and brand new.  Cheers Amigo.

+1

[HERMSman]

You can get rid of beerstone by cleaning with PBW followed by a soak in 5-star Acid Cleaner #5. Use one ounce per gallon. Soak about an hour and use a green scrubby to just wipe away the residue.

 

Works for me

[Big Nake]

 

How can beer stone be prevented?

 

I don't think you can prevent it.  The best practice, I think, is to just hit it every time you brew.  The beerstone that collects every time I brew is minimal but I would assume it would get crazy if I let it go for 10-15 batches without addressing it.  I also assume that beerstone is a product of water composition and Mark... you know our water has a lot of bicarbonate.  Come on, I dare you to help me turn this into a water thread! 

[Genesee Ted]

You can get rid of beerstone by cleaning with PBW followed by a soak in 5-star Acid Cleaner #5. Use one ounce per gallon. Soak about an hour and use a green scrubby to just wipe away the residue.

 

Works for me

Acid #5 is good stuff, but use extreme caution with it. 

[Big Nake]

Acid #5 is good stuff, but use extreme caution with it. 

If it works, it works and I'm all for it but I figure that with Starsan already made and with it being so effective, I wouldn't want to go any further than that.

[Brauer]

 

How can beer stone be prevented?

 

 

Come on, I dare you to help me turn this into a water thread! 

Perhaps not prevent, but you might be able to reduce it with plenty of calcium in the mash so you leave as much calcium oxalate behind in the tun as possible.

[Genesee Ted]

If it works, it works and I'm all for it but I figure that with Starsan already made and with it being so effective, I wouldn't want to go any further than that.

Yep.  And less chems to keep on hand.  We use Acid # 5 at work because it is more effective in a CIP system and it is more intense in its action, but at home I just use SS like you suggested.  I don't want to deal with a big acid spill at home 

 

Chems like that are nasty.  Not the same thing, but I got some Concentrated Alkaline CIP Cleaner in my right eyeball a couple weeks ago.  Freak accident.  Shit splashed under my safety glasses.  Holy shit that burns hard and fast.  I got it rinsed out but not before it burned off the top layer of my eyeball.  Ouch. 

[MakeMeHoppy]

I usually dump 2 gallons of star san on brew day might as well let the kettle soak with it for a while from now on.

[darkmagneto]

We went out this afternoon to a family party.  Before we left the house, I mixed up some starsan and let it soak in my brew kettle.  Just got home and basically wiped every spot of the beer stone right off the kettle!!! WOW!  I've always just used OxyClean on it......I'll be switching to OxyClean and then a good starsan soak!  Thanks for the heads up Ken!  The kettle looks almost brand new right now!  SUPER shiny!

[Big Nake]

We went out this afternoon to a family party.  Before we left the house, I mixed up some starsan and let it soak in my brew kettle.  Just got home and basically wiped every spot of the beer stone right off the kettle!!! WOW!  I've always just used OxyClean on it......I'll be switching to OxyClean and then a good starsan soak!  Thanks for the heads up Ken!  The kettle looks almost brand new right now!  SUPER shiny!

Yeah Baby!  I think I tried that after seeing how clean & shiny my IC looked after a soak in Starsan too.  It's easy as can be because you [generally] have a Starsan solution made already on brewday so just save some and put it to work.  Glad to hear it did the job for you, my friend.

[darkmagneto]

Yep, I always have a bucket of StarSan made up for brewday.  I'll just dump it to the kettle at the end of the session!  Easy enough!

[gnef]

Depending on the amount of beerstone, I usually just use some Bar Keeper's Friend, and do a bit of scrubbing at the end of the brew day on the kettle.

 

Bar Keeper's Friend is a great cleaner for stainless, and can repassivate if needed as well.

[realbeerguy]

Wouldn't Oxyclean need to be mixed with TPS 90 to make it effective like PBW.  I remember soneone with the formula for homemade PBW>

[Genesee Ted]

I think that the tsp is just a surfracant, the oxyclean works pretty good on its own though

[MyaCullen]

I think that the tsp is just a surfracant, the oxyclean works pretty good on its own though

it works better with the silicate, but works OK on its own

[Sharkman]

Easy off oven cleaner works wonders.  Spray it on, let is soak and then wipe it down.  I also have hooked up my power washer and hit it.

 

I'll try the starsan soak next time.

[SchwanzBrewer]

I did a hot pbw soak on my boil kettle yesterday while cleaning kegs. Today it was still beer stony. I did a starsan soak and that seemed to help a bit, but after I was done brewing and did another hot pbw rinse, all the beerstone came off and it's shiny again.