Chloine vs. Stainless Steel - OUCH

[Grinder12000]

Talking to my HVAC guy that installs refrigeration units in restaurants and so forth.

He says one thing they have found is that if you city uses a lot of Chlorine in your water that chlorine will attack any weak areas in stainless steel. That is another reason why many ice machines use filtered water, not just to get the flavor out but to protect the unit.

I did not know that. HE said in normal use it's not a problem but if you have something that is under constant use he suggests getting some sort of charcoal filter.

 

[day_trippr]

With all the warnings that are repeated here and every brewing book I've ever read, I would have thought it was common knowledge not to use chlorine on stainless steel...

Cheers!

 

[samc]

Oddly it's ice machines that are most in need of chlorine or something similar as they are bacteria factories.

 

[Grinder12000]

I've never seen any warnings and I have like 20 brewing books. Hmmmmm. I guess I was not paying attention in class that day. Lol

 

[jmhart]

It's in How To Brew, which is most people's "first" brewing book.

 

[gwren]

It's in How To Brew, which is most people's "first" brewing book.

My first book was Dave Line's Big Book of Brewing first published in 1974. I don't believe there was a reference to chlorine but Charlie's book first published in 1984 certainly mentions it.

 

[broadbill]

Ice machines are probably suspectible to chlorine because the sit day in/out with chlorinated water in them, in their lines, etc.

I can't think of a situation where chlorinated water would be sitting in my brewing equipment for an extended amount of time.