Brand New Wort Chiller Has Oxidation

[HopFinn]

I recently made the decision to go AG. I purchased the necessary equipment including a copper immersion chiller from an online retailer. I won't way which because it is not about them. The thing is it arrived with some oxidation spots on it, flaky white powder hardened to the straight section before it starts the coil. Not very much, just a few round spots the size of an eraser head and another spot near a weld which holds the two tubes of the "neck" together. My question, is this to be expected? Should I just clean the thing a move on? Or was this IC somehow improperly stored at the vendor? I might be over-reacting (that's what SWMBO says) but it was a good chunk of change and I just want to make sure I got what I paid for. Thanks for all your comments.

 

[eyedoctodd]

Clean and move on. Something probably dripped on it and dried there or else reacted with the copper. After you've used this once or twice it won't be pretty any more anyway. Cheers.

 

[HopFinn]

Thanks, eyedoctodd. I guess I just got a little excited over it.

 

[rustym]

Put it in a bucket of Starsan for a few minutes. It'll make it all shiny and new looking!

 

[butterpants]

Put it in a bucket of Starsan for a few minutes. It'll make it all shiny and new looking!

Second that, stat san works very well to clean copper just don't leave it in there for a week...

 

[whoaru99]

Clean it off and move on.

It'll come out of your wort all nice and shiny too.

 

[biertourist]

I recently made the decision to go AG. I purchased the necessary equipment including a copper immersion chiller from an online retailer. I won't way which because it is not about them. The thing is it arrived with some oxidation spots on it, flaky white powder hardened to the straight section before it starts the coil. Not very much, just a few round spots the size of an eraser head and another spot near a weld which holds the two tubes of the "neck" together. My question, is this to be expected? Should I just clean the thing a move on? Or was this IC somehow improperly stored at the vendor? I might be over-reacting (that's what SWMBO says) but it was a good chunk of change and I just want to make sure I got what I paid for. Thanks for all your comments.

What you describe doesn't sound like copper oxidation (which starts as a darkening of the copper and ultimately turns green); what you're describing sounds like PBW+ Hard Water residue (possibly the seller trying to clean it up with alkaline cleaner instead of acid cleaner.) .

In either event, fuggetaboutit; spray it with Star San.


Adam