Cleaning a Wort Chiller

Hey guys. As stated I am new to the forums and to brewing with better equipment. I was lucky enough to know someone who was given beer and wine home brew kits. I plan on cleaning the crap out of everything and sanitizing it all real good. The wort chiller that came with this is in decent looking condition. The thing is it looks as if it has been sitting around for a while and is starting to tarnish. I am very hesitant to stick it into my wort in this condition. I would feel much better if it was still the nice shiny copper color. Does anyone see it as being bad to use it as it is even after sanitizing the crap out of it or is there some sort of cleaner I could/should use on this? I can include pictures later if needed. Any and all help is greatly appreciated.

Soak it in a vinegar/water solution for an hour or two. That will clean it right up.

Vinegar should remove the tarnish. If you have any green on it, make sure you kill all that.

After that a little dulling of the copper will occur between uses

If you're sanitizing with Star-San just dunk it in there for 5 minutes. Cleans it right up.

-Joe

Thanks for all the great info guys. This really was a concern for me this weekend. I can't complain much as this stuff was free to me, but I am not going to lose an entire batch of brew over this chiller if I cant clean it good.

Then there is always steel wool...

ghack said:

Then there is always steel wool...

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No No No No never use steel wool little pieces will get embedded in the copper and will rust. Don't use it on your pots either.Starsan or vinegar will shin it right up

Another trick I used on copper pans - for stubborn stains, cut a lemon wedge, dip it in salt and scrub with it. Works a treat.

-Joe

You will notice the common ground here is to use acid to remove the tarnish. Acetic, citric, phosphoric(StarSan), it really doesn't matter.

springer - Holy crap! You live in Wappingers Falls????? Man I use to live there for a few years. Kretch Circle back behind Plant Depot and OTB. Small world!!!

Random_Guy said:

springer - Holy crap! You live in Wappingers Falls????? Man I use to live there for a few years. Kretch Circle back behind Plant Depot and OTB. Small world!!!

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I was just at plant Depot last Saturday. I live buy the New hamburg train station and the Hudson river . best Sara voice" I can see the river from my house"

I know where you are. I caught the train to the city there a few times. I miss that area. A lot of my family still lives around there.

I was curious about cleaning the wort chiller also, glad I found this thread. Soaking the wort chiller in a star stan solution for just a few minutes cleaned that copper right up! Nice too because I don't have to scrub anything.

Do I have to soak before every use? I'm using for first time, so soaking in vinegar to get it ready. But do I need to soak again after this?

I just don't want the initial tarnish in my beer.

I received a copper wort chiller recently from a friend, this was a really helpful page! Thanks everyone!