Initial Cleaning of Stainless Steel

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PeeBee
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Initial Cleaning of Stainless Steel

Post by PeeBee » Fri Dec 07, 2018 12:11 pm

What is best for initially cleaning stainless steel brewing kit?

I've got myself a Grainfather and first off cleaned it in hot water, running the kit and boiling for a few minutes. Initially you could smell the machine oils used during manufacture (left on by the Chinese manufacturer which Grainfather make no attempt to remove it seems), hot water cleaning seemed to do the job. But the first brew has a taint of machine oil. I'm reluctant to try the Grainfather again until convinced the taint is gone.

It's not a job for percarbonate (or other "oxy" type cleaner) because this is a mineral oil residue whereas I think the "oxy" type (which I believe includes PBW) cleaners are best with organic grime. I don't want to have anything to do with concentrated caustic soda or strong acids. Perhaps a scentless detergent (laundry or crockery?), but I've always been told (rightly or wrongly?) detergent will not easily rinse away and is detrimental to beer (kills head). What is known to work?
Cask-conditioned style ale out of a keg/Cornie (the "treatise"): https://drive.google.com/file/d/0BwzEv5 ... rDKRMjcO1g
Water report demystified (the "Defuddler"; removes the nonsense!): https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/ ... sp=sharing

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Re: Initial Cleaning of Stainless Steel

Post by demig » Fri Dec 07, 2018 1:54 pm

Tri-sodium phosphate does the trick.

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Re: Initial Cleaning of Stainless Steel

Post by PeeBee » Fri Dec 07, 2018 3:05 pm

demig wrote:
Fri Dec 07, 2018 1:54 pm
Tri-sodium phosphate does the trick.
That sounds like what I need! Looking it up I found it's probably an ingredient in PBW along with (70%) sodium percarbonate? Or that might just have been someone's take on "homemade PBW".

Thanks. Ordered some from Amazon so will be here tomorrow.
Cask-conditioned style ale out of a keg/Cornie (the "treatise"): https://drive.google.com/file/d/0BwzEv5 ... rDKRMjcO1g
Water report demystified (the "Defuddler"; removes the nonsense!): https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/ ... sp=sharing

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Re: Initial Cleaning of Stainless Steel

Post by Kev888 » Fri Dec 07, 2018 3:29 pm

TSP is good stuff, it would be my choice for a first clean too - and IIRC SS brewtech recommend it for first clean of their stainless kit.

Though I don't think the genuine article is in PBW. In some countries there is what they call "phosphate-free TSP" which is actually sodium metasilicate, not TSP. That is where the confusion comes in, since sodium metasilicate is in PBW (along with sodium percarbonate and some other enhancements).
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Re: Initial Cleaning of Stainless Steel

Post by aamcle » Fri Dec 07, 2018 3:33 pm

Just use dishwasher detergent and rinse Properly Afterwards.


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Re: Initial Cleaning of Stainless Steel

Post by PeeBee » Fri Dec 07, 2018 6:11 pm

aamcle wrote:
Fri Dec 07, 2018 3:33 pm
Just use dishwasher detergent and rinse Properly Afterwards.
Thanks. But I'd have to go get that too 'cos I use tabs in my dishwasher which wouldn't do. And then I'd worry the "dishwasher detergent" contains extra things that I'd taste, so "out of the frying pan into the fire"? I'm a bit sensitive to these "additions"; drives my partner nuts 'cos I easily pick up "feminine skin-care products" on my glass should she have rashly sneaked a swig of my drink when I wasn't looking.

So I'm happy with the "TSP" stuff, although it is hard to obtain in some countries because of its enviromental impact (encourages damaging algal blooms).
Cask-conditioned style ale out of a keg/Cornie (the "treatise"): https://drive.google.com/file/d/0BwzEv5 ... rDKRMjcO1g
Water report demystified (the "Defuddler"; removes the nonsense!): https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/ ... sp=sharing

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Re: Initial Cleaning of Stainless Steel

Post by Secla » Fri Dec 07, 2018 7:20 pm

Tsp does the job. As said dish cleaner works but needs thorough rinse to make sure all the residue is off

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Re: Initial Cleaning of Stainless Steel

Post by themadhippy » Fri Dec 07, 2018 7:28 pm

cloth soaked in ipa,not the beer, isopropyl alcohol alcohol,once its evaporated rinse with water
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Re: Initial Cleaning of Stainless Steel

Post by Robwalkeragain » Fri Dec 07, 2018 9:52 pm

Secla wrote:
Fri Dec 07, 2018 7:20 pm
Tsp does the job. As said dish cleaner works but needs thorough rinse to make sure all the residue is off
Ex vocation brewer recommended unscented laundry powder to me - plenty of rinsing but great for breaking down factory filth.

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Re: Initial Cleaning of Stainless Steel

Post by Trefoyl » Sat Dec 08, 2018 12:59 am

PeeBee wrote:
Fri Dec 07, 2018 6:11 pm

So I'm happy with the "TSP" stuff, although it is hard to obtain in some countries because of its enviromental impact (encourages damaging algal blooms).
There are phosphate free TSP substitutes that I occasionally use. However, the best cleaner I've ever used for stainless is PBW. As a substitute for PBW, when I don't need something as good, is fragrance-free dishwasher powder, which is basically just oxyclean or something.
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Re: Initial Cleaning of Stainless Steel

Post by Kingfisher4 » Sun Dec 09, 2018 1:24 am

PeeBee wrote:
Fri Dec 07, 2018 12:11 pm
What is best for initially cleaning stainless steel brewing kit?

I've got myself a Grainfather and first off cleaned it in hot water, running the kit and boiling for a few minutes. Initially you could smell the machine oils used during manufacture (left on by the Chinese manufacturer which Grainfather make no attempt to remove it seems), hot water cleaning seemed to do the job. But the first brew has a taint of machine oil. I'm reluctant to try the Grainfather again until convinced the taint is gone.

It's not a job for percarbonate (or other "oxy" type cleaner) because this is a mineral oil residue whereas I think the "oxy" type (which I believe includes PBW) cleaners are best with organic grime. I don't want to have anything to do with concentrated caustic soda or strong acids. Perhaps a scentless detergent (laundry or crockery?), but I've always been told (rightly or wrongly?) detergent will not easily rinse away and is detrimental to beer (kills head). What is known to work?
With the benefit of hindsight, that might have been the slight taint in the background of my first ever brew with the grandfather, last January. It was cleaned thoroughly with PBW as per instructions.

If it is any consolation, the taint has never been repeated, with PBW cleaning since.

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