Shirron Wort chiller Cleaning

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dleonard

dleonard

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So I went to clean my wort chiller.
It used to be nice and silver..
I tossed it in the oven for an hour at around 900 degrees F.
It started to eject some dark hoppy looking liquid.
Now it looks like this:

IMG00176-20100417-1430.jpg


IMG00178-20100417-1431.jpg


IMG00177-20100417-1430.jpg



What do you guys think? Is this ruined? What should I do before i use it again?

Thanks for the help.
 
Looks like you re-anodized it for sure. Soak it in some PBW overnite and give it a shot. I highly doubt that anything other than the aesthetics is ruined. I'm interested how this turns out, I'm expecting mine anyday now.
 
Reelale said:
Looks like you re-anodized it for sure. Soak it in some PBW overnite and give it a shot. I highly doubt that anything other than the aesthetics is ruined. I'm interested how this turns out, I'm expecting mine anyday now.
Click to expand...

Cool man, I'll give it a shot.
I think you'll enjoy it. It's one of my favorites.
 
Bokonon said:
I want an oven that goes up to 900 degrees
Click to expand...

Well you know, I'm not sure that it really does...
I just read that when you set the oven on self clean that that is the temperature if goes to.
Thanks allot though, now I have to buy another thermometer.
 
It probably goes higher than that. Self-cleaning cyle relies on making ash out of everything that is in the oven. Hot, hot, hot:D
 
Umm..don't those plate chillers have a seals (rubber) between the plates? If so, you burned them out and ruined it.
 
3969778911_88112fa058.jpg


No rubber. Just brazed metal. Alot of brewers use the self-cleaning cycle.
 
I've order some PBW, I'll get it tomorrow, and will show the 'after pictures' once I've got it cleaned.
Thanks for the half view!
 
Did you have O-rings under the wort in/out connections? If so, that would explain the nice ooze you got from those fittings. The reason I ask is because the hose barb fittings on my Shirron have O-rings to seal them. Hard to imagine so much crud being hung up in your chiller that it liquifies and oozes out on heating. Exposing most rubbers to 900 F will give you exactly what we see in your pics - black ooze that hardens on cooling.
 
AiredAle said:
Did you have O-rings under the wort in/out connections? If so, that would explain the nice ooze you got from those fittings. The reason I ask is because the hose barb fittings on my Shirron have O-rings to seal them. Hard to imagine so much crud being hung up in your chiller that it liquifies and oozes out on heating. Exposing most rubbers to 900 F will give you exactly what we see in your pics - black ooze that hardens on cooling.
Click to expand...

I don't remember any O-rings anywhere.
I put those hose bard fittings on there after I got it.
Actually I don't like them. I slide a hose over the end, and it ALWAYS gets so stuck on there, that i have to cut the hose at the end of the barb, and then use a razor to slice it down the side to get it off.
I just got hip to the idea of quick disconnects, and think thats the way to go.
Thoughts?
 
GNBrews said:
Umm..don't those plate chillers have a seals (rubber) between the plates? If so, you burned them out and ruined it.
Click to expand...

the non brazed plate heat exchangers have seals between the plates, and you can take them apart to clean so you wouldn't be cooking it anyway. The brazed do not have the seals (the braze process would melt them anyway, about 1200 degrees).
 
I have been using a shirron for my last 5 brews and love it! I just use a hose and run water through the wort in and out side a few times, shake around and just keep repeating for a few minutes. Then into the oven for 45 minutes or so at 400 degrees. The only reason to put it in the oven is to boil away the remaining water in there, it should already be clean from the water running through it.
 
steveo929 said:
I have been using a shirron for my last 5 brews and love it! I just use a hose and run water through the wort in and out side a few times, shake around and just keep repeating for a few minutes. Then into the oven for 45 minutes or so at 400 degrees. The only reason to put it in the oven is to boil away the remaining water in there, it should already be clean from the water running through it.
Click to expand...

I just pour some distilled water through it after cleaning to prevent mineral deposits from tap water and blow it out with an oiless compressor. I don't know if this is abslolutely necessary and how much mineral will build up over time but I always have distilled water around and it is cheap insurance. I am probably overly anal about it.
 
I fill my HLT with Oxiclean mix and recirc it for about 10min then rinse it forward and backwards before tossing it in the oven around 300 Deg.
 
Due to having clogging problems I now bake mine for 2hrs before each brew days. I get that hop discharge every time and an hour soaking in PBW takes care of it.
 

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