CFC Build

[HopGrower]

So last night I built a CFC. It's not very neat with all those hose clamps, but I didn't want to solder anything. It's my first CFC and I wanted to be able to take it apart easily if I wanted to make some changes.





Anyway, my question is about cleaning. What is everyone using to clean the inside of the copper tubing? Is that blackish/brownish/greenish oxidization something to worry about on the inside of the tube, or is a simple sterilization solution sufficient? (Oh, don't practice your alliteration on me.)

[mr x]

Looks like it should work. I only use hot water on my cfc.

[chalmers]

I've got some tubing and hose to build one of my own soon, but I'm having a hell of a time shoving the copper in the hose, any hints on how you did it?

And X, should we be concerned with the hot rinse water remaining stagnant in the tubing between uses?

[AllanMar]

I just ran some fairly soapy water through the hose and if you've got someone else to move the hose around where the end of the copper gets stuck is it goes pretty easy I found.

I used 3/4" ID Heater hose and 1/2" copper though.

[HopGrower]

You mean shoving the copper tubing into the garden hose? Hmm, I'm not sure; Mine went in fairly easy. I tried to keep everything as straight as possible and used 5/8" garden hose. I know it comes in both 5/8" and 1/2", maybe the 1/2" is too tight. Maybe that's the issue?

The 1/4" clear "sealer" hose at the end of the T-fitting was a bitch to get on though. I cut 2-3" pieces and placed them in boiling water for a couple of minutes, then some dish soap on the copper to greasen things up a bit.

[mr x]

I've got some tubing and hose to build one of my own soon, but I'm having a hell of a time shoving the copper in the hose, any hints on how you did it?

And X, should we be concerned with the hot rinse water remaining stagnant in the tubing between uses?

I always make sure my cfc is set so it drains dry.

[sleepyjamie]

Usually move the equipment to my utility sink and run hot water through it with oxyclean. I keep my kettle hooked up and add hot water to it.

Afterwards I rinse.

[HopGrower]

So no oily or metallic off-tastes in the first batch using a CFC? My tubing was pretty dirty with regular warehouse grime, but I'm guessing it's likely external only. Thanks, I'll oxyclean/hot water rinse before my first batch and see how it goes.

[RubberToe]

I think I ocycleaned, rinsed, and ran diluted vinegar and or starsan through before first use.

After brewing I flush with water, recirculate oxyclean, then starsan, and leave the starsan in it until next brew. Btw copper is a yeast nutrient.

Sent from the brew timer.

[AllanMar]

I recall reading a lot of recommendations for boiling water and vinegar and running that through for the first go.

I didn't think you were supposed to leave starsan in copper for longer periods as it is acidic.

Edit: It was John Palmer's site: http://www.howtobrew.com/appendices/appendixB.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Appendix B - Brewing Metallurgy

For routine cleaning of copper and other metals, percarbonate-based cleaners like PBW are the best choice. For heavily oxidized conditions, acetic acid is very effective, especially when hot. Acetic acid is available in grocery stores as white distilled vinegar at a standard concentration of 5% acetic acid by volume.

Brewers who use immersion wort chillers are always surprised how bright and shiny the chiller is the first time it comes out of the wort. If the chiller wasn't bright and shiny when it went into the wort, guess where the grime and oxides ended up? Yep, in your beer. The oxides of copper are more readily dissolved by the mildly acidic wort than is the copper itself. By cleaning copper tubing with acetic acid once before the first use and rinsing with water immediately after each use, the copper will remain clean with no oxide or wort deposits that could harbor bacteria. Cleaning copper with vinegar should only occasionally be necessary.

You do not need to clean copper shiny-bright after every use. With time, the copper should take on a dull copper color, not black, not green or blue, just dull, like an old penny. This copper oxide is relatively inert to wort and will mimimize copper dissolving into the wort, more so than shiny-bright copper.

The best sanitizer for counterflow wort chillers is Star San. It is acidic and can be used to clean copper as well as sanitize. Sanitizing with Star San only takes minutes and should not be left in the chiller more than an hour, because it will start dissolving the copper.

Cleaning and sanitizing copper with bleach solutions is not recommended. The chlorine and hypochlorites in bleach cause oxidation and blackening of copper and brass. If the oxides come in contact with the mildly acidic wort, the oxides will quickly dissolve, possibly exposing yeast to unhealthy levels of copper during fermentation.

[LeafMan66_67]

I run star-san through mine to clean. 5/8" hose with 25' of 3/8" tubing worked great for insertion. When done I run hot water and then star san then blow the whole thing out with compressed air.