Is there anything I can use this for? Stainless steel

[hlm123]

Cleaning out the garage at the house the other day and I found this:

It's stainless steel and drains out at the bottom (with plenty of insulation room below). I'm not sure how much volume it holds. I'm a newish brewer with experience with extract and steeping grains only. If I move up to all-grain is this something I might be able to use in my brew set up?

Another quick question. I also found 3 glass carboys up there with decades of dust build up, two 5-gal and one 6.5-gal. I have them all soaking in oxiclean right now, both inside and out. Should that be enough to clean them up? What if, for example, there's some gunk that stays stuck on the bottom (inside) of one of them, any way to get to that?

 

[WI_Wino]

Regarding cleaning carboys, I use a right angle carboy brush.

http://www.northernbrewer.com/shop/carboy-brush.html

That and oxiclean have gotten all of my carboys clean.

 

[hlm123]

This is what I ended up finding on the inside bottom of two of the carboys, after soaking in Oxiclean for a week. I also tried dumping in some hot water with Starsan, but there was no visible effect.

6.5 gallon:

5 gallon:

The debris on the 5 gal is actually on the outside, now that I look at it again. But for that one I'm wondering if the apparent cracks (or just etched grooves) in the glass should be any concern. These are all the sturdier sort of glass carboy so I haven't worried too much about them.

The brush that I have can clear off the top ring of debris but can't even come close to reaching the bottoms. I'm sure I could find something that would reach down there. Anyway I was wondering if I would be able to ignore the residue and use this for fermentation.

The stainless steel piece is going to be used for my first partial mash attempt unless I get any contrary advice. Sorry if this belongs in the beginner or one of the general topics forums, which just occurred to me.

 

[WI_Wino]

I would continue to work on cleaning out the gunk. Star san sanitizes clean surfaces, it is not really a cleaner in itself. You may loosen up the gunk when fermenting in the glass carboy and that could lead to trouble.

 

[TonyG]

Throw a wash rag into that carboy along with a little oxi-clean and water and start swirling, hopefully that will remove the gunk. You can't sanitize something that isn't clean.

 

[TallDan]

That's an aervoid! I use a 10 gallon one for a mash tun! Yours is in great shape compared to mine. I got mine without a lid or spigot and with a big dent on the bottom so it doesn't stand straight on it's own. Honestly, if i had to do it again, i don't think i would pick it for a mash tun again. It's not very easy to clean out (but the 5G would be easier). I had Jaybird at Nor-Cal make me a custom false bottom and fitting to go where the spigot is.