Do I need to clean my immersionm chiller before I use it?

[bgough]

Just wondering. Thanks.

 

[FlyGuy]

Yes you should. It may not need it, but it is easy to do just in case. Boil it in a vinegar solution for about 5 - 15 minutes (until it comes out shiny clean).

You should also wash it after every use with a mild soap and then rinse well (especially after hoppy brews).

 

[bgough]

Yes you should. It may not need it, but it is easy to do just in case. Boil it in a vinegar solution for about 5 - 15 minutes (until it comes out shiny clean).

What kind of a vinegar solution, or what dilution?

Can I use my Keggle for this? I don't want it smelling like vinegar.

 

[FlyGuy]

About at 15 - 25% solution is fine. You can probably go even more dilute, depending on what shape your copper chiller is in.

And yes, you can use your keggle, but you will need a lot of vinegar and water to fill it up to immerse the chiller. If you rinse really well afterward, there will be no trace of a vinegar smell or taste.

 

[bgough]

cool. Thanks. This thing is brand new though. Just made it today out of 50' of copper, Would you still recommend this even if its never been used?

 

[FlyGuy]

Yes I do. See here.

 

[bgough]

funny...

You just said "depending on what shape my chiller was in"

I wasn't sure you had seen that it was new.

Anyway, thanks for the help...and the run-around

 

[northernlad]

funny...
hard for him to see that it was new when you didn't say that until after he told you what to do with it.
Brand new is probably the only time it is absolutely critical you clean and sanitize. Unless you want a bunch of production schwag to get in your beer.

 

[bgough]

funny...
hard for him to see that it was new when you didn't say that until after he told you what to do with it.
Brand new is probably the only time it is absolutely critical you clean and sanitize. Unless you want a bunch of production schwag to get in your beer.

Funny...

My post says "before I use it"

If I haven't used it, that would make it new.

Anyway, thanks again FlyGuy. And awsome thread about the mash tun build. It helped me tremendously.

 

[sudbuster]

Yes I do. See here.

That's cool. "click here" brings you right back to your debatable info. Have you ever dropped an immersion cooler of copper into boiling wort?? It magicly becomes bright and shining. Wonder if it has to do with the pH of the wort? What do you think? Rinse the thing off and drop it in, boil for 20 min. and have no fear.

 

[FlyGuy]

The idea behind dropping the copper chiller in vinegar solution is to wash off the chiller in something other than your wort. If you follow your suggestion, then the crud on the outside of the chiller ends up in your beer.

 

[Urban]

I just rinse my immersion chiller real well after each use and drop it in the kettle with about 15 minutes left in the boil.

 

[hbomb]

Is soaking it in starsan not enough?

 

[bhs668]

When I first made my immersion chiller I read on here to use the vinegar solution. This makes it it nice and shiny. Where'd all that stuff go? Well it would have went into your beer if you didn't do the vinegar solution.

Well, every time I go to use my chiller again, it ain't shiny. So isn't that stuff still going into my beer? I always soak it in my star san bucket so it is shiny going into the wort anyhow. I'm just curious how all your chillers stay shiny from the time you pull it out of the vinegar solution?

 

[deepsouth]

I just rinse my immersion chiller real well after each use and drop it in the kettle with about 15 minutes left in the boil.

this is what i do.

 

[JonK331]

Just wash it with soap and water before the first use. Adding the chiller with 15-20 mins left in the boil is fine for sanitation. Just spray off the gunk after each use. I don't see a reason to spend the water, energy, and vinegar just to make it look shiny.

 

[jspence1]

I cleaned mine before I first used it now I just hose it off before I drop it into the boil and hose if off when I'm done and put it in its storage bucket until next time

 

[Synovia]

Is soaking it in starsan not enough?

Starsan isn't a cleaner. Starsan will sterilize, but it won't get crud off of the chiller. The boiling wort will do everything starsan will.