New Kettle Infested With Bugs - How Should I Clean?

Australia & New Zealand Homebrewing Forum

Help Support Australia & New Zealand Homebrewing Forum:

This site may earn a commission from merchant affiliate links, including eBay, Amazon, and others.

Acasta

Bro Member
Joined
16/5/10
Messages
1,368
Reaction score
14
I got this second hand kettle, 50L SS with tap all for free :D
As it was used for oil/fat storage previous to my getting it, i gave it a good clean out and a test boil. As i was bringing it to boil (outside on the BBQ) i noticed this little bug crawling around, i just assumed it crawled on from the BBQ or something. However after about 10 min of heating, over 10 of these fuckers were crawling all over my pot. I decided to go over it again with some steel wool and noticed there were bugs under some of the handles and attachments.
Now im wondering how to exterminate these buggers. I was thinking of:
Burning them out, little bit of kerosene and controlled burning of tucked away spots, then more cleaning away.
Soaking the kettle, not sure what to soak it in but just put the effected bits in a bug killing solution. Maybe bleach? or hot water. not too sure.

Any suggestions?

P.s. these guys!
firebrat.jpg
 
Bleach will sort them out pretty quickly... burn would be more fun though ;)
 
yeah fire was a more revenge technique haha.
You think bleach will kill and remove? The areas there in are very hard to get to.
 
you could soak in PBW, I take mine down to the car wash and use a high pressure hose.
 
You think bleach will kill and remove? The areas there in are very hard to get to.

Bleach is good for killing, but not so good for removing... I think that there are two issues here.

As mxd said, I'd use pbw for cleaning up the kettle once you evict the unwanted residents.
 
Metho and a match is also a good option.

I have one of those small hand held blow torches. That woould be my weapon of choice. :ph34r:
 
Deodorant and a lighter :p

I might burn -> Bleach -> Pressure Hose

If that doesn't get them... I dunno what will :D
 
Keep them in there until your first batch. If it improves your brew we'll all be putting bugs in our beer :)
 
Don't put bleach on your steel, it will ruin it. Heat will kill them and sanitize your kettle.
 
^ YES!! Chlorine on stainless will pit it.

Just boil it full of water. How many bugs do you think will hang around to be made into stock? Make sure they haven't laid eggs if you can to avoid future repeats (really the only way to do that is by freezing or blasting with nitrogen for a month or so in a sealed environment) but none will hang around while you boil the pot for an hour or more. No need to torture the poor bastards any further - no-one told them the kettle was a sacred site.
 
The problem is, there on the outside under fittings, so boiling wont remove them, they kinda just walk around on it.

Also, i thought u had interest in dead things? :D

But yeah, thanks for the heads up on bleach! Hot water it is.
 
I do have an interest in dead things. Less of an interest in killing then to make them dead unless they're a direct threat or a food source. If the pot gets hot, whether outside or inside, they will make themselves known. Boil the pot, flick them off as they appear.
 
So, just out of curiosity, what are they?

I get slugs and a roach or two sometimes, but the heat fixes them up. I have had a roach fall into the boil once.. after about 45 seconds he was floating.. picked him out and continued.... beer was fine.
 
So, just out of curiosity, what are they?

I get slugs and a roach or two sometimes, but the heat fixes them up. I have had a roach fall into the boil once.. after about 45 seconds he was floating.. picked him out and continued.... beer was fine.

I boiled a stout a long time ago and found a few well cooked slugs in the kettle after i drained the boil.

Same........... beer was fine

Fill the kettle with water and boil it! That will fix anything
 
Looks like someone's got the HB...bug.

*sunglasses on*
 
So, just out of curiosity, what are they?

I get slugs and a roach or two sometimes, but the heat fixes them up. I have had a roach fall into the boil once.. after about 45 seconds he was floating.. picked him out and continued.... beer was fine.
It looks like a silverfish. Don't if they ferment or float though.
 

Latest posts

Back
Top