What the heck happened to my freezer floor????

[mannye]

I've had a pretty nifty dispensing setup in the garage for about 5 years. It's a six-keg glycol system from Micromatic. It's way way overkill for a home setup, but the system fell in my lap (a restaurant was closing down and was just going to throw it away) so I set it up in my garage to serve all my homebrew and mead. Two freezers with temp control systems hold the kegs and double as fermentation chambers during the hot Miami summers. It's been awesome.

But I finally screwed up. About three months ago, I inadvertently pulled the wrong plug and shut one of the freezers down. I noticed TODAY... and when I opened it up it was a horror show of mold and mildew and the STENCH... oh man. I lost a shitload of mead that I was bulk aging and just threw away about 7 bottles of assorted commercial meads I was saving because they are covered in disgusting mold.

I spent most of the day cleaning and disinfecting everything and thankfully, it looks like it's going to be OK... except for the floor of the freezer.

I have scrubbed the hell out of it and it seems that the metal has just discolored. I already hit it with Lysol Mold and Mildew with bleach, boiling water, and finally in desperation, strong outdoor bleach straight. But nothing budges.

Anyone ever seen this before? Is it just stubborn encrusted mold? Did the mold discolor the plating on the inside lining? If anyone has been successful in removing this, I would sure appreciate a tip.

Thanks!


Here is a link to the system in case anyone was curious.

https://www.homebrewtalk.com/forum/threads/show-us-your-kegerator.29053/page-136#post-6377464

 

[Jag75]

Man that sucks . I had one that got a bit like that on the bottom but a soak of bleach water did the trick . There was a light color change to the floor though . Why would you toss all that mead ? Weren't they in bottles ? That's a lot of money .

 

[stickyfinger]

if bleach doesnt take it then it might be ok to leave biologically... could just be the aluminum changing color. you could scrub it with bar keepers friend to shine it up a bit perhaps, with a scotch brite pad and just a little water - works wonders on SS.

 

[mannye]

Man that sucks . I had one that got a bit like that on the bottom but a soak of bleach water did the trick . There was a light color change to the floor though . Why would you toss all that mead ? Weren't they in bottles ? That's a lot of money .

Yeah, but it was so gross... the mold was up into the caps, and yeah, probably OK but nah. I've got another 30 gallons of all different kinds of mead sitting around and I just wanted all that nasty stuff out of the room! I'm usually very attentive (my wife might say anal) about sanitation and cleanliness when it comes to "The Tardis", a time machine and brewery cleverly disguised as a suburban single car garage, and all I could see was billions of mold spores ruining my next 30 batches of beer and mead.

I might decide to paint the floor with white paint. I can't really get down there and scrub because the lip I installed on the freezers is 8 inches and my 6'2'' frame can barely reach the bottom with the help of tongs. I really don't care as long as it's disinfected. I think it is with the dangerous amounts of bleach I had soaking down there.

 

[mannye]

if bleach doesnt take it then it might be ok to leave biologically... could just be the aluminum changing color. you could scrub it with bar keepers friend to shine it up a bit perhaps, with a scotch brite pad and just a little water - works wonders on SS.

Yeah that's what I get for cheaping out on the freezers. I should have gotten freezers with vinyl clad interiors but I had to buy two of them at the time and the bill was over $700 for both. Live and learn. I easily lost enough mead and beer (all home-made) to make up for the money I saved on the freezers.

But I'm always trying to save money on equipment because it's about making the drinkables!

 

[Brew_Dude41]

Correct me if I am wrong, but it looks like the floor was straight metal (maybe sheet aluminum) and not painted. If that is the case it could have just corroded due to the moisture and mold.

Typically freezers aren't designed for standing liquid to sit in them for extended periods. A few hours while defrosting and cleaning, sure, but a few months...

I am dealing with a similar situation myself. My keezer sat for probably 20 months through a nightmare remodel and then moving back in, DIY the new brewery room, and then digging through everything thing else that accumulated in the meantime. Something leaked somehow and condensation mixed into a nice mildewy/moldy mess. Long story short I have been cleaning fuzz off everything through this week and got to this point where I have to attack the rust marks from the CO2 and beer gas tanks.

Luckily I did get a model with a finished interior just in case of such as situation occurred. Also mine is big enough that i will be able to climb in later tonight to get all the fine stuff that i cant reach from ground.

Good luck on yours and know you aren't alone.

 

[Brew_Dude41]

Just did a Google for 'will aluminum react with bleach ' and found this:



Once again not sure if that interior is aluminum, but if you used strong bleach we might have the answer.

 

[day_trippr]

Ugh. I feel the pain. This winter I rehabbed my keezer floor because it was sprouting rust blooms. I don't have a collar, but my keezer sits on a 12" tall dolly (including the 3" casters) and even though I'm 6' 4" when I wake up working on the keezer floor was painful as I was basically resting my 220 pounds on my belly while reaching for the floor. Not fun, but it had to be done. Looks great now, we'll see how long it stays that way.

Given what looks like one big piece of aluminum sheet, I'd try hitting a spot with a thick BKF paste and a green scrubby and see if that patina can be removed...

Cheers!

 

[Jayjay1976]

BKF is too acidic and aggressive for use on aluminum, please look for an aluminum polish. After you have it bright again, completely free of dark oxidized stains, spray the bottom interior with a rubberized liner spray like flex seal or a bed liner product to seal and protect the bare aluminum.

 

[Jag75]

BKF is too acidic and aggressive for use on aluminum, please look for an aluminum polish. After you have it bright again, completely free of dark oxidized stains, spray the bottom interior with a rubberized liner spray like flex seal or a bed liner product to seal and protect the bare aluminum.

Like aluminum polish at a part store ?

 

[day_trippr]

The mild oxalic acid in BKF can be neutralized easily with baking soda, but if the OP happens to have a different scouring powder I'd give it a try just to see if that coat can be cut...

Cheers!

 

[Jayjay1976]

I'll just say that if you get into cooking with solid aluminum cookware, you'll learn rather quickly that BKF will absolutely wreck the finish and causes pitting because it is far too aggressive. Too acidic, too abrasive, and lacking any waxes or oils that will inhibit further corrosion. It works fine for stainless steel and even for copper (though it is a bit too aggressive for that as well), but we're dealing with thin sheet aluminum here, and corrosion really matters. Use a polish designed for the delicate and easily eroded nature of raw aluminum. If you don't want to bother with maintenance then consider coating the aluminum with a durable spray-in or brushed on coating.

 

[Jayjay1976]

The mild oxalic acid in BKF can be neutralized easily with baking soda, but if the OP happens to have a different scouring powder I'd give it a try just to see if that coat can be cut...

Cheers!

Oh also, neutralizing BKF with baking soda would leave sodium behind to cause further corrosion.

 

[day_trippr]

[shrug] Rinse it with water a few times. NBD...

 

[wilserbrewer]

A Brillo pad might remove the oxidation on the aluminum quickly and easily.
More aggressive then a polish but likely quicker and easier.
Polish after the Brillo takes off the heavy corrosion if you want to make a weekend project out of it lol

rinse most of the soap out of the Brillo first to avoid a soapy mess

or a big piece of steel wool if you have it will cut the oxidation. Just clean it well after as any bits of steel will rust quickly.

ok edit for all the anal perfectionists lol

3M scotch brite synthetic sanding pads of various grits are a more perfect solution than Brillo or steel wool, but sometimes you run what you have....

And if you’re really anal, go get an orbital sander w/ a variety pack of scotch brite pads and re finish the freezer floor lol then buff out w/ polish for a mirror shine.

I doubt starting with polish will be nearly aggressive enough, but if you have plenty of time try it first

 

[mannye]

Thanks everyone!

Yeah now that it's dry it seems to be that the shine on the aluminum liner is oxidized. But I didn't know mold could do that. Looking at the sides, I think it may have been something I used to clean the freezer in the past that may have remained on the floor or maybe Star San pooled up down there. Because of the depth I can't really bend down into it and scrub.

But since I fall in the "really anal" category I'm going to look into an extension for a drill pad and see if some Scotchbright pads will do the trick. Then I will probably end up protecting the metal with some kind of finish.

 

[wilserbrewer]

Thanks everyone!

Then I will probably end up protecting the metal with some kind of finish.

I would advise against trying to coat or finish the aluminum floor of the freezer, as it is a very harsh environment and if or when the coating fails you will have a worse mess on your hands!!! The freezer manufacturer chose aluminum interior for good reason, this is an upgrade over a freezer w/ a coated interior that typically most always fails w/ time.

sometimes the anal types need to be told when to “step away” from the project lol jk good luck have fun

 

[mannye]

I would advise against trying to coat or finish the aluminum floor of the freezer, as it is a very harsh environment and if or when the coating fails you will have a worse mess on your hands!!! The freezer manufacturer chose aluminum interior for good reason, this is an upgrade over a freezer w/ a coated interior that typically most always fails w/ time.

sometimes the anal types need to be told when to “step away” from the project lol jk good luck have fun

Thanks for the heads up! I'll report back with my results. I may just add a rubber mat for protection. One of those cactus mats they use in restaurants.

 

[Jayjay1976]

Thanks for the heads up! I'll report back with my results. I may just add a rubber mat for protection. One of those cactus mats they use in restaurants.

Hey good idea, let us know where you end up buying from and how much you paid.

I like to burst carbonate by rocking the keg back and forth in the freezer and it makes a lot of noise, rubber flooring would probably make it quieter.

 

[stickyfinger]

yeah, i think you should just ignore it personally. the aluminum freezers eventually crumble on the bottom. i have one that is like 30 years old that is still running like a beast but the floor is not in fantastic shape. it doesn't matter though.

 

[mannye]

yeah, i think you should just ignore it personally. the aluminum freezers eventually crumble on the bottom. i have one that is like 30 years old that is still running like a beast but the floor is not in fantastic shape. it doesn't matter though.

Well that's good to know. I'm bummed because it looks dirty, but if it doesn't really affect the performance, I might just put that rubber mat on it and be done. The second freezer is still pristine. I guess I must have spilled something acidic or otherwise caustic in this one.

 

[mannye]

This one looks like a good fit with minor or maybe no modification:

https://www.amazon.com/Envelor-Rest...e+flooring+for+kitchen&qid=1587930391&sr=8-24

 

[augiedoggy]

Hey good idea, let us know where you end up buying from and how much you paid.

I like to burst carbonate by rocking the keg back and forth in the freezer and it makes a lot of noise, rubber flooring would probably make it quieter.

Ollies discount stores actually has these mats for a great price... bought a few last year for behind the bar at the brewery and the prices were much better than anything I could find online.