Serious concern over Copper Chiller....

[BootsyFlanootsy]

Last I was posting here, it was about something a friend had effed up....


this time, I can only blame myself....

maybe.


left my chiller in a bucket filled with starsan about 2 weeks ago, ( this was tap water with starsan, so it went all hazy and sh*tty looking),. TBH, I didn't think much of it, I rinsed it well before putting it in the wort at the 15min mark....

everything went fine from there.

However, I took a break after transferring to primary, just went in to clean and as I was rinsing the Chiller it seemed as though I was peeling a protective layer off it. It was almost TOO clean looking. The copper looked lustreless, though clean, but SUPER dull looking. Mind you this was a 37SRM beer so it's possible I suppose that it was just the dark wort washing away.

But it just didn't look or feel right.



Does anyone know if there is any concern about copper, specifically concerning any sort of protective outer coating that could potentially get stripped away by sitting too long in an acidic environment?

and if so, should I be concerned about any toxins making it into the beer?



thanks, hopefully I'm just being overly cautious, but, then again, I do ENOUGH damage to my liver as it is, without consuming caustic toxins!

Better to be safe!!!

 

[seabass07]

No need to worry. The yeast will eat up the copper. That happens every time i use my chiller.

 

[HopSong]

Well, StarSan works well for what it's intended to do. It is effective when it is at a low pH which means acidic. Acid eats many metals. I'd think copper would fall into this category. I'd guess the dullness has to do with the top layer being etched away.

If you rinse your chiller well with tap water before putting it away you should not have to use StarSan. SS is used to sanitize.. not clean. The chiller gets sanitized when it is put in the hot wort prior to the end of the boil.

 

[BootsyFlanootsy]

I just forgot I had left it in the starsan is all. I do understand its purpose as a sanitize though, but thanks for thinking of that either way.


Like I said, my main concern is the safety of myself and those that could be drinking this beer.

 

[akthor]

It's all poisoned now you best send it to me for disposal

 

[dutchoven]

Did your starsan turn blue? If so, you etched copper. I'd definitely rinse before using the chiller.

 

[BootsyFlanootsy]

there were a couple of spots that had turned blue, though they were on the areas above the wort line. Still though, something just doesn't seem right. Better talk to my friend who is a stainless steel welder and scour his brain for knowledge regarding metallurgy.

 

[BrewerinBR]

You stripped the copper oxide off the chiller because of the acid in starsan, I would not be concerned. A mix of vinegar and water would do the same and I clean all my cooper in vinegar to get it nice and shiny before I use it. Rinsed well there should be no problem. However if you are concerned I will gladly test the beer for you, just PM me and I will give you my address and you can ship it to me... please bottle it first... thanks

 

[seabass07]

And if you put a dark copper chiller in wort, it will come out shiny. That's what happens. No need to worry.

 

[BootsyFlanootsy]

Yeah, I guess, but it came out NOT shiny... it came out dull and lustreless. I just read up a wee bit on copper oxides.... they certainly aren't listed as safe for human consumption. Still waiting to hear back from my friend who works with stainless steel.

 

[BargainFittings]

You etched the copper by soaking it so long in the starsan.

Think of glass when you etch it. It's not shiny anymore where you etched it.

I personally would not worry about it.

 

[ArcaneXor]

http://www.hc-sc.gc.ca/hl-vs/iyh-vsv/prod/cook-cuisinier-eng.php#be

I would usually not worry about it, but since homebrewers tend to stress the liver more than regular people, I am very cautious about unnecessary additional toxins (e.g., I never take paracetamol). I do use copper (and brass), but I always leave the oxide layer intact. That's also why I just rinse my plate chiller with water and sanitize it by pumping boiling wort through it rather than soaking it in StarSan (which will turn the solution greenish-blue over time). Same goes for immersion chillers - just rinse the hops and protein crud off with water and call it a day.

I might be overly cautious, but I would definitely re-passivate the chiller before using it again.

 

[HokieBrewer]

Exact reason I bought a stainless steel chiller.

 

[BargainFittings]

http://www.hc-sc.gc.ca/hl-vs/iyh-vsv/prod/cook-cuisinier-eng.php#be

I would usually not worry about it, but since homebrewers tend to stress the liver more than regular people, I am very cautious about unnecessary additional toxins (e.g., I never take paracetamol).
I might be overly cautious, but I would definitely re-passivate the chiller before using it again.

I understand your caution. We all take calculated risks and my personal practice is to minimize most risks.

Its the calculation of risk that is tricky!