Are plasma cutter burns on kegs sanitary?

I have a keggle with burns from a plasma kettle all over on the inside. I have tried barkeepers friend, and boiling. I am going to have to grind it off to get rid of them. Do you think I could just leave it on and be able to boil, and not have to worry about health, or flavor problems?

I would grind them off just to keep bacteria from gathering around them.

Kettles are all preboil so I wouldn't worry about bacteria too much. When you say burn I think pit where material was removed, but then you say grind it off so I'm thinking slag pile. If they are slag piles I would grind then sand then down so it looks better. If they are pits then trying to grind them out could make the material very thin in that area. If they are pits I would just leave them and brew away. Either way until the surface is polished you havent removed the chance of bacteria growing. Now back tot the first sentance. This is breboil not post boil so you are safe to just leave it.

I don't know what a slag pile or pit looks like. so here is a picture. It looks brown, but it is actually black. It just looks like black melted metal black balls all over it. Kinda like moles, or boogers, except black.

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beerthirty said:

Kettles are all preboil so I wouldn't worry about bacteria too much. When you say burn I think pit where material was removed, but then you say grind it off so I'm thinking slag pile. If they are slag piles I would grind then sand then down so it looks better. If they are pits then trying to grind them out could make the material very thin in that area. If they are pits I would just leave them and brew away. Either way until the surface is polished you havent removed the chance of bacteria growing. Now back tot the first sentance. This is breboil not post boil so you are safe to just leave it.

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Beerthirty is right...you boil in your kettle which kills anything off in that brew so sanitization is not an issue on the kettle side of the process.

Light hand sanding with 220 grit sandpaper if there are no globs adhered to the surface is all it looks to need.

take the flat tip of a file and tap it with a little hammer trying to chisel the little beads off thay should just pop off there. but like others had said this is pre boil it does not matter ,, little pits and what not are a problem for chemical cleaning and steralising becase the cleaners only clean the very top layer .So if you have a hole with organic crud in it, the surface will be sterilized and the back will still have bugs in it.

on a boiling kettel non of this matter because the whole unit will heat up and kill everythign in and on the kettel.

I would use a 3m rolock disk, or a "cookie" on an electric drill spinning fast or a die grinder if you have one. You don't need or want a grinder. Even a scotch brite pad by hand may take it off. I work with stainless. Fine sand paper is about the limit. 220 grit give or take.

If you have to go the grinder route, use a fine flap disk instead of a stone wheel. No steel wool or steel scrubbie. It will make the stainless rust.

David

I leave the beer in the keg when cutting the top off with the plasma, it saves the problem you have.

Everything might be killed in the boil but I wouldn't want to add my wort from the mash to a kettle with residue stuck in the slag. Besides it will be much easier to clean.

I learned a neat little trick when I had my kegs plasma cut. Fill the bottom of the keg with a few inches of water and then cut away. The water cools any thing that falls to the bottom and prevents any pitting like you experienced. However, the sides can still be vulnerable as seen in one of my keggles.

My friend's coors keg was trashed by a plasma cutter, it left streaks up and down the sides. If I cut another it will be with a grinding wheel rig and a fresh cutting wheel.

bdavanza said:

My friend's coors keg was trashed by a plasma cutter, it left streaks up and down the sides. If I cut another it will be with a grinding wheel rig and a fresh cutting wheel.

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Your friend must have been holding the plasma torch at an angle to steak the sides mine are all cut with a plasma and finished with a half round file.


Pat

The stuff in your photo is slag, witch is burnt stainless, and WILL RUST.
get your self some NEW falpwheels about 80 grit and get to work.

I tried the 80 grit flap wheel with hardly any success. Some rusting is beginning.

Wet sand them out with 400grit then step up to 600 to smooth it out, works like a charm.

Believe it or not the top was cut off by a guy who does this through the LHBS in dallas... you think they would know better, or at least would have cleaned it up.

Is wet sanding just having the keg wet while sanding?

Julohan said:

Is wet sanding just having the keg wet while sanding?

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Well kind of. U will need some water in the bottom of the keg & then USE wet sand paper, it is black in color. & rinse & change the water often so as not to put in more scraches from the loose slag.

I will try that now then.

Julohan said:

I will try that now then.

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Now those bits of metal that are burnt in are going to take alot of hard sanding to get rid of so U might half to use even a lower grit paper.

How low would you recommend?

Julohan said:

How low would you recommend?

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220 grit should be low enough.

Well Lowe's only had 120 wheel. So I am using that. I got one band done on the keg. It is going to take a while. I wish this was known before the guy cut the keg with a plasma cutter. It has created a major hassle.

Well I got it removed with a sander and an angle grinder. It was a pain. Next time I will just do it myself, and do a weldless valve. I still need to get the inside of the valve. I will buy something for a dremel tool.

Julohan said:

Well I got it removed with a sander and an angle grinder. It was a pain. Next time I will just do it myself, and do a weldless valve. I still need to get the inside of the valve. I will buy something for a dremel tool.

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Whats on the inside of the valve ?

The guy welded it on, and drippings gut inside. and it started to rust.

Anyone have any ideas how to get the rust and bumps off inside the valve. I have tried a file.
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That is one **** job. Sorry, but it should have been purged with argon before and during welding. A grinding stone or carbide burr is the only way to clean that up. It will not be perfect unless you run a drill bit through there. A die grinder with a carbide burr would be best. A dremel tool with a stone will work, but its gonna take a couple of stones.

What you have is sugaring on the other side of the weld. Purged with argon, it would not be there.

If the threads are on the outside, see if you can find the right size drill bit and drill the whole thing out a little.

David ..... I'm a weldor.

Julohan, I agree with Droot. A carbide burr would rip it up, and make short work off it. Unfortunately carbide burrs are usually not easy to come by in the long shank version that would be needed to reach the depth shown in the pic and require a hi speed die grinder to run it. You are looking at $70 in tooling(harbor freight prices) plus an air compressor to remove that. I really hate to be the bubble burster, it might be cheaper to have it done at a shop.

Rounded file + elbow grease....

I've been there... you can do this by hand and gain a pound of arm muscle in the process. Make sure you drink plenty of fluids eat a carb heavy meal the night before lol.....

Yes you sure could do it with a round (rat tail) file. It won't take THAT long.

I use an electric die grinder, but they are $300.00.

Bring it by the shop, I'll do it for free....

The outside should have been cleaned off with a wire wheel. You can do it with a wire brush, SS preferably.

David

All I'm see for your pictures is a red-x. Can someone post them so I can see them ?

Thanks Pat

Just a little heads up when cutting keg tops with a plasma. Fill the keg with water to about 1 inch from the top. That way no blow by will stick to inside of the keg.

If you have some slag inside a keg first is not to make any difference in your beer. If its causing you pain take some wet and dry paper, use water and sand to your happy face. I would start with 220 grind and go up in number and finish with a scuff pad and BKF.

I use a fixture I made that cuts a near perfect 12 circle with the plasma and hardly any clean up of the edge. What's nice it take about 30 seconds cutting time and a heck of lot saver than a cutting wheel.


Dominus Vobiscum

Swagman

Yeah I didn't really know anything about plasma cutters, causing the burns. I figured the guy who did the keg, knew what he was doing. Obviously not.