Dirty Wort Chiller

[PuppetmanInBC]

My brother-in-law (BIL for short) was all gung-ho to brew beer (I've made 5 or 6 batches).

Anyway, he also wanted to make a wort chiller. He made it from copper, but there was a solder point low on the wort chiller that would actually sit in the beer.

He put an "electrical contact cleaner", then sanded and rinsed the chiller, and then we soaked it in a on-step sanitizer for 20 minutes, and then rinsed it prior to putting it in the hot wort.

He noticed a bit of an oily sheen to the top of the wort, and worried that there was something on the chiller that was released due to the higher temperatures.

I know nothing about flux, solder, and electrical contact cleaners. I know it's an odd question, but I am hoping that someone who does can tell us if we contaminated the wort.

 

[slothrop]

I've made 5 batches an I've seen the oily sheen but it has never effected the taste as far as I can tell. I have a chiller but no weld that sits in the beer. I've always assumed the oil slick was from the Starsan or maybe oils released from the boil.

 

[PuppetmanInBC]

Thanks for the reply.

Good to know. If we end up in the hospital, it won't be my brother-in-law's fault.

 

[slothrop]

Here's a link where others have seen this: https://www.homebrewtalk.com/f11/star-san-oil-slick-145477/