Cleaning my new 15g MegaPot 1.2

brewandskivt · Jul 13, 2014

Is it safe to use OxyClean and/or StarSan on it? What is the best recommeded cleaning technique/product to use on stainless kettles?

Also, I don't have a wort chiller at the moment and I'm realizing I can't cool my wort in my sink as I have in the past (I'm going all grain for first time and making 10 gallons in my new kettle), so I'm wondering if I'd do any permenent damage to my thermometer if I were to submerge my kettle in the tub for cooling??

RM-MN · Jul 13, 2014

If you have a lid for that you could research no-chill brewing and avoid the risk of damaging your themometer.

PGEduardo · Jul 13, 2014

No real need for starsan as boiling kills germs, but scent free oxy is fine.
I have no experience with temp probe temp shock...

jbaysurfer · Jul 13, 2014

You are NOT going to damage your thermometer by submerging your kettle in a bathtub. LOL!!!!!!!

Clean it with PBW/Oxy and a green scrubby. You can chill in the bathtub sure, but that's going to be 90ish pounds when it's full of hot liquid, I don't recommend trying to carry that. Get a chiller. An immersion chiller works great, a counterflow works better, plate chiller is probably the most effective if you have a pump and can regularly backflush, although, I've given up on them because I'm concerned about sanitation, and you can't open them up for inspection.

You can sanitize your kettle with starsan (though there really isn't a need for that) if for some reason you want to do that.

Feel free to look into "no-chill" (it might be educational for ya) but I wouldn't do it with anything that has pilsner malt/6 row/lesser modified malts to avoid DMS. It's not a practical one size fits all solution IMHO.

Yesfan · Jul 13, 2014

As for chillers, I like the immersion chillers More Beer has. They have garden hose fittings on them and you can get them with/without the recirculating arm. Mine fits a bit snug in my 10 gallon Bayou Classic kettle, so they should be perfect for a 15-20 gallon pot.