Starsan for moldy coffee maker...

[foam_top]

Recently my morning coffee has been tasting like mold. I did a quick google search and it's common advice to use equal parts white vinegar and water through a brew cycle. Although I do have white vinegar I was thinking it would take a lot less Starsan to do the same job. However, I'm not sure Starsan removes moldy flavors. I'm also not sure if it's safe to heat Starsan.

What are your thoughts? Thanks in advance.

 

[The_Bishop]

I'd run PBW through it, personally. Cycle it through at least twice, then rinse, then run the vinegar/water mixture through to neutralize any residual PBW. Then I'd rinse at least two times more.

 

[meatcleaver]

I don't know how safe that would be.
I try to clean my coffee maker once per month as recommended. I fill the carafe 3/4 full with straight white vinegar (didn't know it should be diluted) & let it run its cycle.
while it's hot I take clean paper towels & wipe everything down inside & out. you won't believe the gunk you'll wipe out of there.
then I use the hot vinegar to clean my drains. 2 Tbs baking soda sprinkled down the drain chased with hot vinegar keeps the grease, grime & crud from building up & slowing your drains down.
always make sure to run 2 carafes full of clean water through the coffee maker afterwards. also (if it's the kind with a basket for the filter) take a scrub brush & scrub the bejeezus outta that basket. if it hasn't been cleaned in a while (or ever!) there will be plenty of gunk there.
hope this helps at all.

 

[foam_top]

Thanks for your responses. I'll go ahead and use the vinegar and save the starsan for beer brewing. Vinegar is dang cheap anyway.

 

[safedude]

I used vinegar on my Keureg and it was a big mistake. The smell of vinegar is repulsive to me. Every cup of joe smelled like balls for about a month. And that's after a solid 2 hr OCD scrub and rinse. I threw the thing away.

 

[Homercidal]

Vinegar is used to remove mineral buildup. There are other options for that. I've used Phosphoric acid, muriatic acid, and ACID #5.

The acid #5 is my favorite, because I bought a gallon jug of it and I think it's safer to handle than the Muriatic acid. And it's mostly odorless and tasteless. I bought the ACID #5 for cleaning brewing deposits from my SS kettles.

I agree with safedude. They say to use vinegar, but I had to run about 10 rinse cycles through the Kuerig before the vinegar wasn't VERY noticeable.

 

[planker101]

I'm all about oxyclean. Stuff is amazing! "Billy Mays here with another fantastic product!"

 

[BongoYodeler]

I use this about once a month or so.

https://www.walmart.com/reviews/product/881785

 

[petrolSpice]

I wouldn't use anything bubbly like Starsan in the coffee maker. Vinegar works great, especially for off smells and tastes. I run a full pot of 50/50 water/vinegar through the coffee maker twice, then a pot of regular water. I try to do this every 6 months or so.

 

[Rayi]

I do the vinegar thing but stop it mid brew for an hour to get more contact

 

[z-bob]

Washing soda cleans everything except mineral deposits from coffeemakers better than just about anything.

Use citric acid to clean the minerals out. It works like vinegar but doesn't smell.

 

[skraeling]

I could see a super dilute run of pbw being effective.