What should a clean immersion chiller look like?

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Gustatorian

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Bright and shiny? What is your method of cleaning and sanitizing your immersion chiller?
 
How bad is it? Bright and shiny doesn't mean clean. If you got crud on it, you can soak it n PBW or oxyclean and rinse well. I make sure to clean mine after each use with a water and a brush to knock off any lumps then soak in starsan before using. You can also just toss it into the boil for the last few minutes to sterilize any nasties which may be lingering on it before chilling.
 
I don't sanitize mine because I put it in the boil for about 15-20 minutes prior to flameout. Mine is stainless steel and I just spray it down with the garden hose sprayer afterward without even any cleaning products and it seems just fine. If trub, hops, or anything else is stuck I'll scrub it down with the scouring side of my scotch brite sponge. I used to fill my brew kettle with a scoop of Oxiclean and water and let both the kettle and the IC sit for a little while but I don't even do that anymore.

The IC isn't super-shiny or anything but it doesn't seem to be a haven for infection either.
 
not seeing any corrosion or growths on mine. I just stuck in in PBW for 30 minutes, rinsed, then stuck it in Star San. Does this looks normal?

IMG_3927.jpg
 
I don't really "clean" mine. I rinse it off when I'm done with it. If it has any scum on it, I wipe that off and then I put it away until the next time I use it.

Since I boil it in the wort prior to chilling, I don't worry too much about it.
 
Mine's Stainless Steel, so it's pretty shiny normally. I just finished brewing about an hour ago (resting with a beverage following an arduous brew day :) ), and the first thing I did when I had the wort down to pitching temp was disconnect the chiller from the hoses, lift out of the kettle to drain what I could out of the coils, and right into the sink for a spray down. I don't let it dry--it's the first cleaning I do, and I do it right away. No crud dries on it because I don't give it a chance.

When I pull the chiller from the kettle I put the lid on so I don't get any nasties flying in.
 
not seeing any corrosion or growths on mine. I just stuck in in PBW for 30 minutes, rinsed, then stuck it in Star San. Does this looks normal?


Looks like it's getting there. Clean enough to use IMO. If you want to polish it up more soak it longer, possibly in a slightly stronger concentration of sanitizer, and wipe it with a cloth.
 
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