Boiler cleaning

[Deebee]

As soon as i get my hole saws i will be making a nice shiney boiler from an aluminium pot so that i can give the equipment i have been loaning back.

It also means that I will ( at last) be able to drop using hop bags in the boiler . My boiler will have a hop stopper in it, the one I am using now does not. I understand that this means is will get better utilisation from the hops as they are free to move and that I will have less gunk in the FV as the hips will aid in forming a filter.

Now comes the question…..

How do people clean their boiilers ( espcially ones with the kettle elements in?)

Do you literally use a spoon to dig the gunk out then rinse through or do you do it another way.

Right now I was the biler in the bath and use the shower, but I will have element pins poking out of the new one so an a little concerned about these getting waterlogged. Especially as I intend to do a double brew day in the not too distant future.

Thoughs please gents..

Thanks

[Horatio]

I strip the boiler down for cleaning, after I have emptied most of the gunk out onto the compost heap that is. I've not done a double brewday but |would more than likely give it a careful rinse with the garden hose to as soon as the wort was in the FV. Otherwise I take the tap and strainer out, take the elements out and use the shower head with it in the bath. Then, much later, I get a rollocking because the plughole is full of spent hops!

[FlourPower]

I just rinsed it into the sink and dug around with hands (god bless the removable hop strainer!) (our bath is used as storage and the shower cubicle has too shallow a basin )

Granted I then took half an hour cleaning gunk out the sink.

[Middo]

I would steer clear of aluminium if I were you - it apparently reacts with the wort somewhat (although I don't know to what extent). Stainless steel is more expensive but much, much better in the long run.

[CJBrew]

Sigh, I'm going to have to say it again.

Aluminium reacting with wort is a myth.

Aluminium oxide is very hard, and inert, and unless you scour the surface regularly, forms a protective layer.

[Scooby]

Yep nothing wrong with Ali, but avoid scouring as CJ said.

Ali has many desirable properties and the choice between it and SS is far from straight forward