Cleaning S/s Element

[jbowers]

Hey all,

Yesterday I did my first batch with my new Craftbrewer 2200w element. Loved the improved boil over the stovetop burner I was using. However, it finished up looking kind of cruddy - a lot of black/burned gunk on the element that doesn't want to come off easily with a scrubber.

I was basically wondering what the best way to clean the element is (I'm boiling it now with some sodium percarb)? I don't really want to be doing this for every batch though, so for those that use elements to boil their wort, how often do you clean your element, and have you found that some buildup of stuff on the element itself has negatively affected the flavour of your beer?

Cheers

 

[keifer33]

I use an Over The Side Element so not exactly the same. I find I dont always end up with burnt stuff and find the crap in the water does more damage than the wort. The best thing to do is soak it in sodium percarbonate with quite a high dosage in very warm water. The gunk should come off in flakes. I dont always do this and cant say there is anything major obvious in my beers that I cant taste in other peoples and dont clean it and polish it after every use. Probably every 3-4 brews.

 

[Bada Bing Brewery]

:icon_offtopic: Keiffer33, where did you get your element from??? Sorry for off topic
cheers
BBB

 

[yardy]

Hey all,

Yesterday I did my first batch with my new Craftbrewer 2200w element. Loved the improved boil over the stovetop burner I was using. However, it finished up looking kind of cruddy - a lot of black/burned gunk on the element that doesn't want to come off easily with a scrubber.

I was basically wondering what the best way to clean the element is (I'm boiling it now with some sodium percarb)? I don't really want to be doing this for every batch though, so for those that use elements to boil their wort, how often do you clean your element, and have you found that some buildup of stuff on the element itself has negatively affected the flavour of your beer?

Cheers

get some PBW :icon_cheers:

check out this podcast Cleaning

 

[aaronpetersen]

I got lots of baked on gunk on mine after it's first use. Oven cleaner did a pretty good job of cleaning it. I haven't had the same problem with subsequent uses so maybe it just happens with the first use? I have no idea why that would be and I'll be interested to hear if you experience the same or if anyone else has noticed the same. Now all I need to do is give it a wipe with a cloth and it's clean.

 

[booargy]

I use a green scotchbrite scourer after a boil with soduim percarbonate. I have burnt one of these to the point I had to clean it with the grinder. I used a rust remover disk from buntings. I have also run one with no liquid they are near indestructable.

 

[keifer33]

:icon_offtopic: Keiffer33, where did you get your element from??? Sorry for off topic
cheers
BBB

Got it from this mob BBB - http://www.jgthomas.com.au . Its a 2400W Grimwood OTS Portable element.

 

[balconybrewer]

there is absolutely no way i would attack it with oven cleaner and even less chance with a grinder!

soak it in PBW and rinse, anything else that doesn't come off doesn't need to.

cheers

 

[booargy]

there is absolutely no way i would attack it with oven cleaner and even less chance with a grinder!

soak it in PBW and rinse, anything else that doesn't come off doesn't need to.

cheers

the grinder gave a ****** element another life.

 

[mmmyummybeer]

problem with grinder is that with the surface damaged it is more likely to foul. soak it in pbw and even use element to heat solution. then a soak in some acid such as phosphoric will help remove any mineral build and help condition the stainless again

 

[Thefatdoghead]

Link

Good stuff here. I use PBW it's the ****.

 

[Diesel80]

I soaked my OTS element in Coca Cola.

I have an OTS element similar to Kiefer, from Tobins.

Cheers,
D80.

 

[Jez]

An overnight soak in a bucket of hot water with a few teaspoons of citric acid works well to clean the crud off my over the side element. A small container of citric acid is only $1.30 or so from the cake baking section of Coles and lasts for a while.

 

[pk.sax]

won't a bit of caustic do the job!?

 

[spog]

hmmm,dunno much about caustic soda,....but i would'nt use it,..too much rinsing and possible spoiling of a brew..don't want to tip out a brew,make a bloke cry that would.....cheers......spog....

won't a bit of caustic do the job!?

 

[christoff_marais]

hmmm,dunno much about caustic soda,....but i would'nt use it,..too much rinsing and possible spoiling of a brew..don't want to tip out a brew,make a bloke cry that would.....cheers......spog....

I lost 2 batches of beer due to a burnt-on element. A high gravity wort sort of caramelized on to it and got burnt to hell. That was after more than 10 batches with no problems. First batch had a burnt after taste and the second was undrinkable.
Now I clean it with citric acid after the boil and rotate my mashtun and boiler. Both vessels the same elemnts and the low pH of the mash appears to help clean it too.

 

[Yob]

Im a bad brew daddy.. I did this to my element last night..



Ive run out of PBW but have bucket loads of Prec so will start there.

Will citric acid be ant good here? If so what would be a dilution rate?

It hasnt gone Bang so Im hoping that it's still got life in it.

Suggestions apart from suggesting not leaving it turned on and forgetting about it?

 

[matho]

Im a bad brew daddy.. I did this to my element last night..

View attachment 55917

Ive run out of PBW but have bucket loads of Prec so will start there.

Will citric acid be ant good here? If so what would be a dilution rate?

It hasnt gone Bang so Im hoping that it's still got life in it.

Suggestions apart from suggesting not leaving it turned on and forgetting about it?

a green scourer works well on my stainless steel element

 

[andrewl]

Kmart sell a kettle cleaner solution in their appliance section. Maybe give that a whirl. Personally haven't used it but always kept it in mind for something like this.

 

[DU99]

we clean our urns at work with lemons quartered and boil.why not immerse the element in water and lemon .use the natural citric acid