What should the protective layer look like after boiling water in it? Mine looks slightly brownish or dark grayish.
I used oxyclean to clean it. Is it too late to save it, can I reboil or bake it to get the protective layer back?
I thought oxygen-based cleaners "pitted" aluminum, if left to soak?
I will check the thread. What does "pitted" mean? Thanks!
What about using starsan on it? Since starsan is acidic...
Cons:
- oxidizes easily, meaning that oxygen-based cleaners (e.g., Oxyclean, One-step) cannot be used (Note: caustic or other similar clean-in-place solutions can definitely not be used, which is why the brewing industry generally does not use aluminum.)
- passive oxide layer must be built up before brewing (**see note below) with a new aluminum kettle, although it is very easy to maintain
What about using starsan on it? Since starsan is acidic...
That would be a waste of starsan. There is no need to sanitize a BK. You will be boiling the wort. If you use it as a HLT, the hot water will be later boiled as wort.
I use an 40 qt aluminum pot as a BK. I just rinse it out and wipe and clean it with a nylon scrubbing pad after I use it.
And... I didn't bother with boiling water in it to condition it when I got. I did my first batch in it straight out of the box. I'm still alive...
I let it soak in some oxy for like an hour then scrubbed and rinsed well. The "layer" was still there, and might even be darker then before! Although that may be from use, as this is the 3rd brew ive used it for.
Ill probably boil or bake it again, just in case, and try not to use oxy on it in the future.
just clean your pot properly, using good dish soap, and sanitize it for those things when you need it sanitized (like if you use it instead of a bottling bucket).
Enter your email address to join: