Do I Need to Passivate a New Anvil Brew Kettle?

[IrondaleBrewing]

I'm gearing up to use my new Anvil 5.5 gallon brew kettle for the first time and after doing some searching I'm unclear if I need to passivate it or not.

What's the collective wisdom here? And if passivation is a good idea, is this a good process to follow?

Let the opinions fly! Thanks!

 

[JoeSpartaNJ]

I did not.

Just cleaned it good before brew day

 

[tracer bullet]

You can if it sounds fun but no you do not need to worry about it.

I've been around passivating stainless in medical devices, and undergoing a specific process i.e. nitric acid does indeed help and make a difference. But that's exposure to things like battery electrolyte and then sitting in aging ovens (temp, humidity) for long periods of time.

For the Anvil, boiling some wort, cleaning it afterwards, the naturally occurring passivation layer with simple exposure to ambient air is more than enough to do the job.

 

[IrondaleBrewing]

You can if it sounds fun but no you do not need to worry about it.

I've been around passivating stainless in medical devices, and undergoing a specific process i.e. nitric acid does indeed help and make a difference. But that's exposure to things like battery electrolyte and then sitting in aging ovens (temp, humidity) for long periods of time.

For the Anvil, boiling some wort, cleaning it afterwards, the naturally occurring passivation layer with simple exposure to ambient air is more than enough to do the job.

Thanks! I appreciate the input.

 

[day_trippr]

fwiw, the best acid to use for passivation of stainless steel at home is citric acid as a warm to hot solution, 4 to 10% acid by weight. Let sit for at least an hour but one can go a lot longer without issue, drain, then rinse with low-mineral water (RO or distilled) for the first rinse at least to avoid depositing minerals.

Citric acid is actually superior to nitric acid for passivation, somewhat surprisingly to me, with both being superior to other acids including oxalic.

As to whether an Anvil kettle needs passivation, I'd contact Blichmann Engineering for The Last Word on that, but I don't recall any complaints here about Anvil stainless gear developing rust issues, so I'd say "Probably not"...

Cheers!

 

[Brewdog80]

No, just brew. Clean well and sanitize before use.

 

[3toes]

Popping in with a related question... Had a buddy recently sell off/give away his brewing setup, and I got a 14 gallon SS Brewtech BrewBucket fermenter. Only problem is, he never cleaned it after his last brew session over 18 months ago... So it had some nice sludge at the bottom.

I've cleaned it out, but would it be a good idea to repassivate?

 

[day_trippr]

If you had to use an abrasive cleaner or used implements that could have scratched the interior surfaces potentially compromising the oxide layer, it might be prudent to do a passivation cycle...

Cheers!