Stainless shiny vs satin

[Merz69]

Is there any difference in the brew kettles that are the shiny stainless steel vs the brushed stainless steel (satin) ?

 

[grampamark]

I’m sure at least one of the “gear makes beer” folks will insist that you’ll never make good beer without shiny stuff. The rest of us will say there’s no difference.

I brew in one location where I have room for a 3-vessel system and my kettles are shiny. I brew in a second location where I have very little room for a brewery. I use an 8 gallon, aluminum turkey fryer there to do small batch BIAB. Neither I nor any of several others, who have far more sophisticated palates than I do (brewery owners and the LHBS owner who’s also a pro brewer), can tell any difference between the same recipe brewed on both systems.

I think the best answer to your question is “make yourself happy”.

 

[hotbeer]

Don't brew in front of an audience and no one will know.

Just keep it clean. I still use steel wool to scrub pots clean. So a shiny SS finish might not be the thing for me if I have to pay extra for it.

What are your concerns that made you ask?

 

[day_trippr]

skipping the polishing saves someone money...

 

[Homebrew Harry]

skipping the polishing saves someone money...

Another plus is I can't see myself in the brushed one !

 

[Merz69]

Don't brew in front of an audience and no one will know.

Just keep it clean. I still use steel wool to scrub pots clean. So a shiny SS finish might not be the thing for me if I have to pay extra for it.

What are your concerns that made you ask?

I think I’m concerned about sanitizing - the brushed seems to have a lot of nooks and crannies (small ones that would be hard to clean).

 

[MaxStout]

I think I’m concerned about sanitizing - the brushed seems to have a lot of nooks and crannies (small ones that would be hard to clean).

Even the "shiny" kettles will have a brushed or matte finish inside, so it won't matter anyway. Get the kettle you like.

 

[hotbeer]

I've never heard anyone say that one finish was better than another in terms of whether you can make it more sanitary. And if you aren't using SS as your fermenter, then really there isn't any need for it to be sanitary as in what we talk about for sanitizing transfer hoses, the fermenter and other stuff that comes in contact with wort and beer after the boil.

Though I wouldn't want to see any body boiling in a gunked up kettle with scorched wort all over the inside. But other than bad flavors I'm imagining from that, I don't think sanitation is as important prior to cooling the wort.

 

[MaxStout]

For brew kettles, the potential infection points are inside the valves and any tubing you would attach. If the kettle has a 3-piece valve, it can be easily disassembled and cleaned/sanitized.

For cleaning the inside of the kettle, a soak for several hours in some hot PBW or Oxiclean solution will remove much of the debris. Any beerstone that remains on the bottom can be removed with some Barkeeper's Friend and a bit of elbow grease.

 

[bracconiere]

in my experience, shiny is tall, and lanky....brushed are quite often short and wide? which works better to brew on my stove.....

 

[hotbeer]

in my experience, shiny is tall, and lanky....brushed are quite often short and wide? which works better to brew on my stove.....

Are you talking beer brewing or opposite sex?

 

[Golddiggie]

Finish level was wayyyyy down on the list of things I cared about when I was looking to get my current set of kettles. Got ones from Spike (Spike+ line) that are almost a semi-gloss (more on the shiny side of the scale IMO) outside and more satin finish inside. Things tend to not stick on the outside, meaning they're easy to wipe down and look good. No scrubbing needed. I actually only occasionally need to scrub the BK. Mostly because I give them a good rinse out when done with the batch then let it soak with some PBW solution in it (gets the element nice and shiny). It's easier than trying to scrub the element down.

IME, the gloss level inside the kettle won't impact the brewing process. I've used keggles, that are matt finish inside, and the beer came out just as good as with the current kettles or even when I was using the aluminum kettle that I passivated.

A LOT of the fittings I have for the brew system (plus conical fermenters) are shiny since that makes it harder for things to cling to. That's where you want the fine finish level. I'm also done using NPT fittings in almost all parts of my brew system (plate chiller is the last item with NPT connections). TC connections and butterfly valves are a LOT easier to keep clean, inspect and do complete tear downs with. I have a couple of two piece TC ball valves (come apart easily) in the setup. Only one is used every batch. The other is one I keep flipping between using.

 

[bracconiere]

Are you talking beer brewing or opposite sex?

i tried to find pictures to explain....i think i just have an older model.

 

[Tom R]

i tried to find pictures to explain....i think i just have an older model.

Older model? Like this?

 

[bruce_the_loon]

There is a difference in emissivity between polished, buffed and oxidized stainless steel, so that affects IR thermometers and would likely have a slight difference in heat radiating from the kettle as a result. Probably need an extra fraction of an ounce of gas or a couple of milliwatt-hours of power over the lifetime of the kettle. If you're doing BIAB in it, your mash temperature loss might be about 0.01 degrees per hour higher between the two.

So all in all, not worth bothering about. Similar level of effect to that of the gravity of Jupiter on a baby when it's born. As one physicist explained when an astrologer claimed that the effect of the alignment of planets on your life was because of their gravity, the gravitational attraction of a doctor and two nurses within two feet of the baby being born is magnitudes of order greater than that of the Sun, let alone the planets.

 

[bracconiere]

gotta admit, that's a really attractive woman...but i am actually talking about brew kettles....


i got a polar ware from 2001, it's like 25" wide and only 15-16" tall, fits over two burners on my stove, and can boil a 10 gallon batch. the new trend with 'shiny' i've noticed are tall, and doubt would cover two burners?

 

[bracconiere]

i am curious to the people in the know does shiny effect that new thing i've heard of, passivation?

 

[SpikeBrewing]

Is there any difference in the brew kettles that are the shiny stainless steel vs the brushed stainless steel (satin) ?

Polished stainless is easier to clean. On the microscopic level think of cleaning wood floors vs carpet. There’s a reason why we go through the extra polishing steps with our equipment…

 

[Tom R]

Polished stainless is easier to clean. On the microscopic level think of cleaning wood floors vs carpet. There’s a reason why we go through the extra polishing steps with our equipment…

From the Blichmann website:
"Like our Pro Brewing equipment, we’ve selected a sleek brushed exterior finish that is significantly easier to keep free of stains and fingerprints and gives that true pro-look to your brewery".

<goes to make popcorn>

 

[Bramling Cross]

i am curious to the people in the know does shiny effect that new thing i've heard of, passivation?

It depends upon how you get it shiny, I think. I've worked in body shops and guitar factories for most of my career so I know a bit about making things shiny. Broadly, there are two ways to make something shiny: 1) By removing scratches from a surface, or; 2) By adding things to a surface that diminish the refraction of scratches on the surface. Option one involves sanding, sanding, sanding, followed by polishing and buffing. Option two is akin to waxing, you're filling the scratches and thereby negating the ability of the scratches to refract light.

I think most brewers would be using option 1, in which case, there's a good case that the oxidized layer would be removed. From a practical standpoint, I'm not too worked up about passivation. I've made beers with heavily beer stoned kettles, newly polished kettles, passivated and non-passivated kettles and I'll be damned if I could tell a difference. I've never paused, upon sipping a newly tapped beer, and thought to myself, "Damn, if only I had paid better attention to my passivation regime."

 

[bracconiere]

"Damn, if only I had paid better attention to my passivation regime."

good, so i don't need to soak all my kegs with citric acid! lol

 

[SpikeBrewing]

From the Blichmann website:
"Like our Pro Brewing equipment, we’ve selected a sleek brushed exterior finish that is significantly easier to keep free of stains and fingerprints and gives that true pro-look to your brewery".

<goes to make popcorn>

Ha ha! Sounds like marketing fluff to us. Go ask a company that actually has a production facility and makes tanks for brewing, food and pharma what type of polish is easiest to clean and even required in some applications.

(Answer: it’s not a “sleek brushed finish”)

 

[IslandLizard]

On the microscopic level think of cleaning wood floors vs carpet.

Isn't that a gross exaggeration? One being hard and fairly smooth, the other soft and absorbent? How can a stainless kettle surface be seen as soft and absorbent?

It's still a far fetch, but I may rather compare the kettle surfaces to a varnished wood floor vs. a smooth glossy vinyl floor. Both hard but with different (micro) textures.

 

[Homebrew Harry]

in my experience, shiny is tall, and lanky....brushed are quite often short and wide? which works better to brew on my stove.....

Are you talking beer brewing or opposite sex?

From my experience the ones with the smaller feet work better.

 

[Homebrew Harry]

You might pay a little more for these higher quality brewing systems, but you will end up saving time and money in the long run.

I bet that if cared for properly, most of our brushed stainless pots will last a lifetime. I don't understand how buying shiny new stuff saves me time or money ?

 

[bracconiere]

I bet that if cared for properly, most of our brushed stainless pots will last a lifetime. I don't understand how buying shiny new stuff saves me time or money ?

like a deer in head lights man!

 

[mabrungard]

For a brew kettle, I don't believe there is any advantage to shiny to brushed. Either surface is OK. For a SST fermenter or other equipment that comes into contact with fermenting or finished beer, then it is probably better to have a shiny or polished surface since there are fewer places for spoiling microbes to hide. The brushed surfaces are actually microscopic mountain ranges that might provide valleys for those spoilers to hide.

 

[PCABrewing]

I bet that if cared for properly, most of our brushed stainless pots will last a lifetime. I don't understand how buying shiny new stuff saves me time or money ?

I worry much more about the little cracks and crevices for fittings and valve seats than about the inside polish of my kettle.
Mine is brushed and it will be that way whilst I have it.
Considering that the beer's contact with it is at 212 degrees for an hour or so I'm not really concerned.
Finish wasn't even on the list of decisions for any of my hardware. Material yes, finish no.

 

[PCABrewing]

For a brew kettle, I don't believe there is any advantage to shiny to brushed. Either surface is OK. For a SST fermenter or other equipment that comes into contact with fermenting or finished beer, then it is probably better to have a shiny or polished surface since there are fewer places for spoiling microbes to hide. The brushed surfaces are actually microscopic mountain ranges that might provide valleys for those spoilers to hide.

You'll NEVER eliminate all the places for bugs to hide. Best practice is diligent cleaning regimen.
I wonder how they maintained perfect sanitation back in days of old....

 

[SpikeBrewing]

For the record we’re not saying brushed is going to lead to bacteria infections. We’re saying it’s easier to clean. That could be with boiled on junk in your brew kettle or a krausen line in your fermenter.

 

[bracconiere]

I wonder how they maintained perfect sanitation back in days of old....

i thought they just opened a window and let the wort take off on it's own?

 

[bionicbelly]

For the record we’re not saying brushed is going to lead to bacteria infections. We’re saying it’s easier to clean. That could be with boiled on junk in your brew kettle or a krausen line in your fermenter.

So what about when the polished surface goes to crap because the stainless is an inferior grade?
Ask me how I know.
I'll take Blichmann's brushed finish 304 stainless any day of the week.

 

[SpikeBrewing]

So what about when the polished surface goes to crap because the stainless is an inferior grade?
Ask me how I know.
I'll take Blichmann's brushed finish 304 stainless any day of the week.
View attachment 748487

Our stainless is 304 stainless which is the same as everyone else. It’s tested with a XRF scanner to ensure that.

That looks to be some sort of pitting from bleach or possibly while fermenting something very acidic. Have you made a cider or kombucha in your Flex by chance? Have you tried cleaning it up with Bar Keepers Friend?

 

[Cottonmouth]

Looks like mineral deposits from hard water. Ask me how I know.

 

[MaxStout]

+

 

[bionicbelly]

Looks like mineral deposits from hard water. Ask me how I know.

It absolutely is not.

 

[bracconiere]

It absolutely is not.

is this what happens when you don't passivate? i've never actually seen a picture of why people passivate.

 

[bionicbelly]

Our stainless is 304 stainless which is the same as everyone else. It’s tested with a XRF scanner to ensure that.

That looks to be some sort of pitting from bleach or possibly while fermenting something very acidic. Have you made a cider or kombucha in your Flex by chance? Have you tried cleaning it up with Bar Keepers Friend?

You guys with your bkf recommendation.
Yes. I’ve used bkf a dozen times.
Also, yes, I did ferment cider. But if it was 304, that would be ok.

 

[bionicbelly]

is this what happens when you don't passivate? i've never actually seen a picture of why people passivate.

This is directly from spike’s website

 

[bionicbelly]

+

Yeah, tried that. Like a dozen times.