I just got a new stainless steel kettle. Can anyone give me some advice on the the best way to clean it before it’s first use. When I wipe it down with a clean cloth I am getting some dark residue and that is after already washing it with one step.
Thank you
My first use, I washed mine with regular dish detergent and a dish sponge, then hand dried with a clean towel. Same process I use every time I brew. No need for special detergents or sanitizers on your kettle as long as you rinse and dry carefully.
Thanks, I will give that a shot. There seems to be either a layer of dark oil or oxidation, when I sprayed it down with an acid sanitizer it really started showing on a white towel.
If you keep having trouble, you can dump a couple tablespoons worth of baking soda it and scrub. Really helps.
Might not want to use the baking soda on the shiny new exterior though. Don’t know that it won’t dull the shine.
Thanks, if the soap and a bath in PBW does not solve the problem I will give that a shot. I just don’t want some crazy industrial lubricant or metal powder in my beer!
i recently got a new SS kettle and washed it first with some dish soap, then boiled 3-4 gal of water prior to brew day, then washed again.
There should be no need to sanitize your brew kettle. There was another thread on here a while back about someone who would get the same thing when they used starsan and PBW on their kettle. Go grab yourself a green scratchy pad and some barkeepers friend and that’s all you need to use to clean your kettle.
most stainless products (not just brewing) do have a residue that typically needs to be taken care of prior to first use. That was my reasoning for cleaning mine and then just boiling some water to dump, prior to actual use. More or less its a seasoning that takes place so that the oil/residue does not find its way into your beer.
Understandable. A good clean is necessary. I was referring to sanitizing though. It’s an unnecessary step.
+1
You don’t even need the pad; the BKF is mildly abrasive, so any washcloth will do.
