Oxidation of Metal - Question

I assume this question has been asked before but I was looking for a short and quick answer. I had purchased a nice new supposed SS funnel with strainer and unwittingly soaked it in "no-rinse" sanitizer only to find what once looked shiny and new is now a grayish eyesore. I also put a SS mixing paddle in the solution with no change to it at all. I wanted to know if metal that has been exposed to this kind of unintended abuse is still safe to use for brewing? If so, can I just keep sanitizing it in the no-rinse assuming it's only a cosmetic price to pay? If not, what are the side-effects from a damaged/oxidized piece of equipment like this?

Thanks,

Dan

Are you sure it's oxidation? Or is it a residue. Hit it with some barkeeper's friend if it's SS. Should clean up nicely.

I am fairly certain it is not residue, if you have ever seen an aluminum tray after holding Oxiclean, it looks like that. This is what make me think it wasn't truly SS.

May have been lacquered stainless. And it the protective lacquer that is discolored. This is cosmetic. Ugly as hell but cosmetic.

Ok, thanks! Well, if in a few weeks I try the batch and go blind I will get a friend to post for me and let you all know . . .

Meh. won't go blind but, your Coccygeal might start to wag a bit. It's a minor nuisance when you get too excited but you learn to control it.

GilaMinumBeer said:

May have been lacquered stainless. And it the protective lacquer that is discolored. This is cosmetic. Ugly as hell but cosmetic.

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Not doubting that, but WTF would they lacquer SS?

That's sort of like adding a bottle cap and a cage to a champagne cork.

TopDog said:

Not doubting that, but WTF would they lacquer SS?

That's sort of like adding a bottle cap and a cage to a champagne cork.

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Cause stainless will still tarnish. Ever have a stainless serving tray? Over years it can develope a antiqued tarnish. Easy to clean as long as the passive layer is intact. Stainless is misleading. It will still stain and can still rust. Just takes more effort.

By the sounds of it the sanitizer was acidic and built up a passive oxide film.

Did it look something like this? This piece was dipped in a weak solution of acid.

Exactly what "no-rinse" sanitizer are we talking about? Makes quite a bit of difference.