seefar
Brew Nerd
What?!
Posts: 1,438
Location:
Joined: Jan 2, 2018 21:51:25 GMT 10
|
Post by seefar on Nov 20, 2018 20:06:57 GMT 10
G'day,
I've knocked up a sparge manifold out of some copper pipe - a spiral with holes drilled into the top.
The copper is not overly cruddy or anything but I'd like to give it a good clean but the only stuff I can find on line, other than arguments, is typical pastes and polishes that are not really food friendly.
Anyone got any helpful advice to offer?
Thanks.
|
|
Joined: Dec 27, 2017 9:18:45 GMT 10
|
Post by MTB on Nov 20, 2018 20:10:13 GMT 10
My kettle cleaning regimen includes submersing my copper immersion chiller in the hot perc, it does wonders. Possibly more effective methods out there but if you're percing your kettle anyway..
|
|
Joined: Jan 3, 2018 11:43:28 GMT 10
|
Post by manticle on Nov 20, 2018 20:13:38 GMT 10
If you mean clean corrosive layer (dirty brown) back to clean pink - any acid. Vinegar, phosphoric or even starsan. Soak 10 mins, wipe, rinse, wipe again.
If you mean dirt/brew crud - same as anything else. Sod perc and hot water for me.
|
|
Joined: Dec 24, 2017 9:15:10 GMT 10
|
Post by Bribie on Nov 20, 2018 20:24:22 GMT 10
Get a two dollar pastry brush from Crazy Clarks and paint it with pure Phosphoric acid. It does the same job as dipping an old bronze coin in coca cola. Instantly.  |
|
Joined: Jan 2, 2018 21:40:53 GMT 10
|
Post by Lyrebird_Cycles on Nov 20, 2018 20:54:41 GMT 10
As above virtually any acid will work. I use ~4% citric + 1% acetic* to clean / descale coffee machine parts, I then buff the surface with 0000 steel wool while it's still wet. Comes up beautifully.
* To make 12 litres of DIYscaletm: dissolve 500 g citric in 10 litres of water then add 2 litres of cheap white vinegar from the supermarket.
|
|
seefar
Brew Nerd
What?!
Posts: 1,438
Location:
Joined: Jan 2, 2018 21:51:25 GMT 10
|
Post by seefar on Nov 20, 2018 21:04:50 GMT 10
Thanks everyone, very helpful.
|
|
feralbass
Beer Talker
how to post pics
Posts: 397 
Joined: Feb 4, 2018 6:15:31 GMT 10
|
Post by feralbass on Nov 21, 2018 5:15:38 GMT 10
Soak in coke a cola
|
|
sp0rk
Beer Talker
Posts: 254
Joined: Dec 22, 2017 14:38:31 GMT 10
|
Post by sp0rk on Nov 21, 2018 8:01:07 GMT 10
I clean all my copper before and after soldering with diluted citric acid or lactic acid
Been doing it this way for years building stills and copper artwork
|
|
seefar
Brew Nerd
What?!
Posts: 1,438
Location:
Joined: Jan 2, 2018 21:51:25 GMT 10
|
Post by seefar on Nov 29, 2018 7:44:53 GMT 10
So I scrunched the manifold up to fit in the bucket and made up a few liters of Lyrebird’s solution. I left it in there for 24 hours and the first swirl around saw this amazing electric blue colored cloud wash out of the pipe, so it was definitely worth the effort. You can see the part of the pipe that was above the solution for a bit of “before and after”, which shows how well the solution worked. Thanks for that, Lyrebird.  |
|
Joined: Jan 19, 2018 7:23:38 GMT 10
|
Post by djl3thal on Oct 2, 2020 8:00:22 GMT 10
As above virtually any acid will work. I use ~4% citric + 1% acetic* to clean / descale coffee machine parts, I then buff the surface with 0000 steel wool while it's still wet. Comes up beautifully.
* To make 12 litres of DIYscaletm: dissolve 500 g citric in 10 litres of water then add 2 litres of cheap white vinegar from the supermarket.
Slightly OT, does DIYscale present any risks to Aluminium components inside coffee machines? I have read the citric can create aluminium citrate (and that is a health hazard? I cannot find whether it requires higher concentrations than you would expect from descaling a coffee machine), but would the vinegar being in the mix help to dissolve that away? I had also read changing up the descaling solution can assist in removing the build up of aluminium citrate. |
|
Joined: Jan 2, 2018 21:40:53 GMT 10
|
Post by Lyrebird_Cycles on Oct 2, 2020 8:02:20 GMT 10
Not to be used on aluminium due to the acetic content.
|
|
Joined: Jan 19, 2018 7:23:38 GMT 10
|
Post by djl3thal on Oct 2, 2020 8:31:43 GMT 10
|
|
Joined: Dec 28, 2017 10:39:33 GMT 10
|
Post by davidm on Oct 2, 2020 8:43:04 GMT 10
howtobrew.com/book/appendices/appendix-b/brewing-metallurgyPalmer has some good references on this. Also, if it's just a bit discoloured but otherwise clean, just run a sacrificial / calibration brew through your system. If anything is going to leach, it should do in that first one and then you're set.
|
|
Joined: Jan 2, 2018 21:40:53 GMT 10
|
Post by Lyrebird_Cycles on Oct 2, 2020 8:48:46 GMT 10
The purpose of the tartaric is to precipitate any dissolved calcium out of solution: calcium tartrate is horribly insoluble. This is useful when there's a lot of scale present as is common in neglected coffee machines but not so much in brewing.
|
|
sp0rk
Beer Talker
Posts: 254
Joined: Dec 22, 2017 14:38:31 GMT 10
|
Post by sp0rk on Oct 2, 2020 12:33:43 GMT 10
The purpose of the tartaric is to precipitate any dissolved calcium out of solution: calcium tartrate is horribly insoluble. This is useful when there's a lot of scale present as is common in neglected coffee machines but not so much in brewing. What machine are you running these days? I spotted you over on coffeesnobs not long ago |
|
Joined: Jan 2, 2018 21:40:53 GMT 10
|
Post by Lyrebird_Cycles on Oct 2, 2020 16:29:42 GMT 10
I have an ECM Giotto, A VBM junior and a Izzo Alex in various states of repair / modification. I buy non-working machines for $500 or less and make them work: it's often the useless Gicar autofill controller. BTW I refuse to pay the $300 odd Gicar want for a replacement so I designed and built my own.
|
|
sp0rk
Beer Talker
Posts: 254
Joined: Dec 22, 2017 14:38:31 GMT 10
|
Post by sp0rk on Oct 3, 2020 14:00:15 GMT 10
That's my plan eventually, I'm rather handy with plumbing, soldering/welding (I've done a bit of pressure vessel welding) and electrics so I'd like to start tinkering with coffee machine repair and customisation
|
|
Joined: Jan 2, 2018 21:40:53 GMT 10
|
Post by Lyrebird_Cycles on Oct 3, 2020 14:26:31 GMT 10
I suspect the Giotto HX is leaking into the boiler. If you want to have a go at it I'll send it to you. If you can't fix it, no harm no foul. If you can fix it I'll happily pay you $250. (A new boiler is $500).
|
|
But that's not nice so Merry Christmas to you to (With reservations 
) LOL!