How do you clean your element?

I have about 20 batches on my rig and always have difficulty getting the heating element fully clean. normal process before and after every brew is to heat up water to a boil and let it boil with PBW in the kettle for around 10 minutes, sometimes it works well and other times it looks like this:




Is there anything else better I can do to get it cleaner? Some brews have been affected with a burnt taste from this issue.

 

What strength PBW are you using? I have read somewhere that an acid rinse - alkali wash - acid rinse is better than just straight alkali but I think that was in reference to beer stone and not what you have there.

 

Strength as in the concentration of PBW added to the water? If so, I pour a generous amount in about 2 gallons of water, but have never really measured the amount.

 

Northern brewer's site recomends 1-2 oz per gallon, I measure out 2 oz to see if that is more or less than you are using now. And you miight want to let is sit for an hour or two (if you can keep that temp up that would be better - probably somewhere like 40-60°C

 

What element are you using there?
Wattage? Material? Plating?

 

Let some hot oxyclean soak in there overnight. Then I'll empty that out and scrub it with a green scrubby. If it's still not clean, i'll get some BKF and pour some on there and scrub with the scrubby. I never get it 100% but it is much cleaner.

 

Soap and a sponge is all that I use!

 

I use oxyclean, warm water and a small stiff bristle brush within a hour after transferring wort to fermenter. Looks like brand new after 10 or so brews

 

Ill try this out! thanks.

its a 5500-Watt Incoloy Element

heres the exact one: http://www.lowes.com/ProductDisplay?partNumber=26367-135-6910474&langId=-1&storeId=10151&productId=3133511&catalogId=10051&cmRelshp=sim&rel=nofollow&cId=PDIO1

ok ill give that a whirl as well.

thats insane! its so caked on it would be impossible for me to get that to work.

 

I just use a sponge and water, the double sided type that has scotch brite on one side. I clean just after brewing sometimes with a bit of PBW, so far no buildup or issues or anything like the photo above, this includes beers from 1.040 upto the 1.100 range.

Cheers

 

I cut a Scotch bright pad into a 1 - 1.5" strip and use a flossing like action to hit all the sides. This works well as long as the stuff isn't left to dry on.

 

Sponge and hot water right after draining kettle. I have seen build up like that twice in my kettle....each time the result was a batch of beer that tasted like somebody dumped an ashtray in the keg. It happened with the same element you are using. I pulled the element and scraped it with a putty knife to clean it the first time, after the second batch of ashtray beer I threw it away and installed the ripple type element. Never had any build up again and only takes a wipe with the sponge to make it look brand new.

 

What does the ripple do?

 

My best guess is that even though both the ripple element and the straight folded element are rated ULWD, the additional length/surface area of the ripple makes it even "more" ULWD and much less prone to surface temps that would scortch the wort and create a burnt build up on the element?

 

I'm surprised your elements get that black without burning up. I lost my element last month cause I thought it could boil 1 gallon with additional flame burner and it didn't even look that black (1500w though).

 

I scrub mine with hot water, soap and a sponge after ever brew session, but after a few it gets gunked up a bit. Doubly so if I boil something high in sugar, I did a NA ginger beer and it turned my usually black incoly element brown...gross.

I've found a REALLY good scrubbing with a course sponge does the trick, really got to get in between the element lengths and stuff. I've also taken light sanding paper to it when it's bone dry and that helps.

 

this is very interesting. does anyone else have any backup on the ripple element not having the problem?

 

I always keep my "element" clean.

 

If you don't completely clean the element after each batch, you will get burnt residue on the element. I have had it happen on incoloy elements both LWD and ULWD (ripple). I have not used the elements described by the OP.

 

SWMBO cleans mine regularly....

 

I feel like I clean it rigorously and its impossible to get it fully clean. I'm going to try some of the earlier methods mentioned and see what happens...

 

Every once in awhile I hit my kettles elements hop stop screen & all with a pressure washer.

 

I soak my elements in a solution of hot PBW. I then scrub with a 3M green scrubbie. After a 30-60 min soak, the proteinaceous crud comes off quite easily with the green scrubbie. If you don't get it all off, during the next batch it will get burnt onto the element and then it becomes very difficult to get off.

 

Sometimes I will boil some oxi-clean for 10 or 15 mins and then hit it with a scotch brite sponge. I'm using a stainless steel element 6kw

 

PBW soak and a toothbrush.

 

Yours looks awful. I have the same standard element but never scorching like that. I just scrub mine with a scotch brite pad after the boil and it's back to shiny copper. I wonder what's the difference?

 

Yeah I've been soaking for 20 hours now and only about 30% has come off with hard scrubbing. I just ordered the ripple element that kal uses for the electric brewery.

 

--------------
Try this:
Line the bottom of the pot with plastic or plastic wrap. Liberally spray the
element with extra stong oven cleaner (might want to wear a respirator).

Fold the plastic wrap up over and tight against the element. Let sit for 24-hours. Remove plastic wrap, scrub while remaining oven cleaner is still coating element. Rinse, repeat as necessary.

 

I run a smaller carboy brush through the ripples while it's soaking in PBW.

 

Okay, here's my BK element after a scotch brite/BKF post-boil scrub. It's shiny copper with about 1 minute scrubbing. This is a 4500W element usually run wide open for a 10gallon batch:

 

I will give that a whirl, just to see what happens even though i bought a new element.

crazy i have definitely tried that and not even close to getting clean!

 

That was todays brew...so there is something different between our systems. I wish I knew what it was. It seems I got the better end of this stick. I'm happy for me but sad for you. There is a reason...I'm racking(damaging) my brain trying to figure it out...someone out there will solve this...I hope...

 

Could it have anything to do with him running the element and boiling during the Pbw soak? Just thinking out loud here...anyone else do that?

 

Well, I never soak my BK in anything. After the boil, I just scrub it clean...no heat applied to the element..after the boil. Maybe he's baking it on before scrubbing it off????

 

I use a magic eraser to clean mine right after brewing. Any gunk comes right off and cleans it perfectly. I have never had any negative effects on the element from it and have used the same element for 3 years now.

 

Yeah, with all the bubbles created from the boiling combined with the pbw/oxy "reaction bubbles", I wonder if it does more harm than good to actually run the element once the cleaning agent is added...

 

Well, I tried everything and still could not clean the element fully. I bought the camco element kal suggests on his site. Installed yesterday and did a full 5 gallon brew. Went very smooth and the element cleaned so easily just wiped everything off.

 

Did you have problems with your other element right away or did it take several batches?

 

it took a couple batches and it was actually the 2nd element of its kind that i was on. number one problem i discovered was that if you did not use a bag for hops, whole spices or any other large additions it caked on much quicker.

 

Reason I ask is that I have been using incoloy elements but have purchased two of the stainless elements that you have had trouble with. I have had problems with incoloy elements but only if I do not completely clean them off between batches. Thinking about returning the stainless elements...