How often do you clean your copper

[greenxpaddy]

I mean really clean it

My blue barrel boiler has started to accumulate a brown scum stain inside, and the hop stopper braided hose is no longer sparkling. I am sure this must add some off flavours to a brew during the boil. So I am going to clean it with oxy cleaner (PBW).

But how often does everyone clean their kit like this, rather than usual clean with soapy water and rinse? I can't see it's necessary every brew

[dcq1974]

Great Question as I was going to ask the same

How to get that shine back to a boiler

[greenxpaddy]

The reason I asked this was because of the light staining appearing on the inside of the boiler. It always gets a good clean with washing up liquid and a good rinse out with a hose. But I suppose I have been lazy rushing cleaning.

After cleaning with PBW this morning and seeing the colour of the 4.5 Litre cleaning solution when drained, i won't be doing that again! Oh my god - if that is how much deposits are left to reinfuse to the next beer its seriously going to affect the flavour.

Same as the immersion chiller. I clean it every brew, but there were some crustier deposits persisting. I used a good dose of starsan acid cleaner to get at the oxides and bring it back. Its not gleaming shiny copper by any means but the surface is completely smooth and standard copper pipe colour.

Suppose the message is that cleaning is as important as everything else