Wort Chiller

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daveooph131

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Do you need to sanatize the wort chiller before emersion, or does it basically sanatize since the wort will practically still be boiling?
 
If you have a copper wort chiller (as most of us do) and use star-san (which many of us do), sanitizing it is a BAD thing since copper does not like acid. I just found this out.
MoreYouKnow.jpg
 
If you have a copper wort chiller (as most of us do) and use star-san (which many of us do), sanitizing it is a BAD thing since copper does not like acid. I just found this out.

The owner of 5 Star Chemicals (who makes Star San) said differently on this episode of Brew Strong on the Brewing Network:

The Brewing Network.com - :

It's been a while since I listened to it, but he said the only thing it's really bad on is teflon coating on pans. I think you need to be careful with aluminum too. I'm pretty sure he said Star San and copper is fine, as long as you don't leave it in there for weeks or months.
 
The owner of 5 Star Chemicals (who makes Star San) said differently on this episode of Brew Strong on the Brewing Network:

Well of COURSE he is going to say that. He sells the stuff. The tobacco companies told us for decades that smoking wouldn't hurt us!

But seriously, looks like whoever told me this was partly right. Mr. Talley says not to leave copper soaked in Star San for more than a few hours. You do have to wonder, if a few hours is not good, are the several hours of contact that accumulate over a few years of brewing just as bad if not worse?
 
I always put my IC in my StarSan bucket before using. Makes it clean and shiny like a new copper penny :)

I don't feel it's necessary to boil my IC for 15 minutes to sanitize it. Putting it in at flameout will kill anything left after the StarSan rinse.

YMMV, of course :)

-Joe
 
Star-san is great for copper. It will help get the oxides off before you put it in your wort. Otherwise the oxides come off in your wort (not a hug issues unless you have the green oxides on it)
 
I always run starsan through my CFC. I flush with wort when I start using it, and flush with hot water during cleanup. so far I have not seen it do anything to the copper.
 
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