Corrosion in Perlick 525SS

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Wingfan13

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So I took a long hiatus from home brewing and had a kegerator sitting with water in the lines. I decided to replace the lines and take apart the Perlick faucets to clean everything. I soaked them overnight in oxy clean and noticed what looks like corrosion but when I scrape it it does come off a little bit. I've now soaked them twice overnight but it doesn't seem to want to come off easily. Any ideas? See pictures
PXL_20210410_143153937.jpg
 

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Tarnish, or could it be mold?
How you checked the o-rings? Could it be from them disintegrating?

I would use brushes and Oxiclean/PBW to give all internals a good scrub.
You can use BKF too, that will make short work of it, but don't use it on highly polished surfaces, such as the outside.

If it's mold, the o-rings may need to be replaced too, and don't forget to inspect and clean the shanks, barbs, QDs, too. In short, everything!
You can boil or autoclave (pressure canner) stainless. But they may not remove the tarnish.
 
It looks like surface tarnish or corrosion, possibly from minerals from the water. I would start with a light duty scouring pad with BKF and clean the remaining parts as IslandLizard mentioned above.
 
It's definitely not mold and most of the O-rings are fine. I am leaning towards something from the water before we got a water softener installed at the house. We used to have similar white calcium? deposits in our dishwasher.
 
Is it possible that the faucet is actually a 525PC?
'Cause from here it looks like chrome plating peeling off a brass faucet..
I have a cheap shank that looks like that.

Just asking.
I am almost positive it is the SS and I actually thought about that.
 
Looks like it could be beerstone to me (not sure what your line cleaning protocol was before it sat with water). Try using an acid (like a beerstone remover) instead of an alkali.
 
See if a magnet will stick to it. Magnetic = stainless, nonmagnetic=brass.
 
a lot of stainless in use in brewing is 304 or 316 which is austenitic or essentially non magnetic. Other kinds of "ferritic" stainless usually aren't as corrosion resistant.
Best way to tell is actually the surface finish (on outside).
Stainless will not have a coating, so you can see the "grains" of the metal.
Chrome plating will look like a mirror and will not have a "texture" like SS.
To me that turquoise color is classic copper corrosion (like with brass).
Hard water?
 
a lot of stainless in use in brewing is 304 or 316 which is austenitic or essentially non magnetic. Other kinds of "ferritic" stainless usually aren't as corrosion resistant.
Best way to tell is actually the surface finish (on outside).
Stainless will not have a coating, so you can see the "grains" of the metal.
Chrome plating will look like a mirror and will not have a "texture" like SS.
To me that turquoise color is classic copper corrosion (like with brass).
Hard water?

Definitely no grains and I am in Austin where our water is very hard. I am pretty sure that is what it is. Another note, when I do soak in Oxy you can see bubbles coming from the inside of the faucet which makes me think it is eating away at the deposits inside.
 
a lot of stainless in use in brewing is 304 or 316 which is austenitic or essentially non magnetic. Other kinds of "ferritic" stainless usually aren't as corrosion resistant.
Best way to tell is actually the surface finish (on outside).
Stainless will not have a coating, so you can see the "grains" of the metal.
Chrome plating will look like a mirror and will not have a "texture" like SS.
To me that turquoise color is classic copper corrosion (like with brass).
Hard water?

It's what I get for not looking closely. I saw what looked like brown scale that might just be shadow. Didn't even notice the white stuff further in. Does have that blue green patina look to it.
 
Does have that blue green patina look to it.
To me that turquoise color is classic copper corrosion (like with brass).
I missed the green/turquoise oxidation, I looked at the black patches. Unless there are other copper or brass sources in the tap system, it should not form on Stainless.

See if a magnet will stick to it. Magnetic = stainless, nonmagnetic=brass.
a lot of stainless in use in brewing is 304 or 316 which is austenitic or essentially non magnetic.
Now I just tested some of my 525SS taps, they're 2 older generations.
Well and behold they have a slight magnetism! Not strong, none of the classic "clang," it's quite subtle, and definitely there.
 
Yep...some austenitic grades are slightly magnetic. Those are not the grades they put in humans (MRI)... 😝

I was trying an extra 304 washer the other day to stick to a neodymium magnet for a dry-hop (oxygen free) experiment...didn't stick even a little! 🤔
 
Tarnish, or could it be mold?
How you checked the o-rings? Could it be from them disintegrating?

I would use brushes and Oxiclean/PBW to give all internals a good scrub.
You can use BKF too, that will make short work of it, but don't use it on highly polished surfaces, such as the outside.

If it's mold, the o-rings may need to be replaced too, and don't forget to inspect and clean the shanks, barbs, QDs, too. In short, everything!
You can boil or autoclave (pressure canner) stainless. But they may not remove the tarnish.
USA Hard water LIME ??
 
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