How to remove stain in my kettle

[pursuit0fhoppiness]

Hey all, so I was planning to brew tomorrow morning. Just opened my kettle, which I keep a grease splatter guard screen in and noticed it somehow rusted and left a mark on my kettle. Some scrubbed off but still a nasty looking stain there. Any idea what would get rid of it?

 

[pursuit0fhoppiness]

Or, is it safe to brew with? Tried scrubbing with a bit of PBW, then white wine vinegar (out of normal vinegar and it was still 5.5% acetic acid), and it wasn’t really rubbing off. If it won’t release particles or scorch when boiling am I okay to leave it?

 

[thehaze]

Have you tried taking the dip tube out and see if there is something wrong with it or maybe the cutout? I would and let it soak for a few hours in PBW. I would also try to let the staind soak in PBW for a few hours.

 

[day_trippr]

Skip the PBW, it's great for organic stains but that's not what you're looking at.
Bar Keepers Friend in powder form. Anyone with stainless kit needs to keep BKF on hand.
Mix up a paste with a bit of water, hit those spots with a stiff sponge and it'll all come bright again...

Cheers!

 

[pursuit0fhoppiness]

Thanks so much! Am I able to brew tomorrow and then do that? Or would boiling scorch it and make it permanent? It feels smooth to the touch, I don't think the SS itself is rusted I think it's a stain from the messed up grease guard that must've still been wet after my last cleaning.

 

[day_trippr]

The stain on the kettle will keep over a brew day if you're in a rush, though I'd toss that grease guard in the dumpster as there's no point in having it anywhere near a brewery.

It'd only take a dozen minutes to clean that up using BKF with at the most a stainless-safe scrubby, fwiw...

Cheers!

 

[ESBrewer]

Soaking overnight with sodium carbonate (washing soda) could help. Also mechanical scrubbing with a product suitable for stainless steel.

 

[divrack]

Nothing wrong with a trace of rust in the kettle. It's used as a colouring additive in some foods I believe. If you saw the Nick of my kettle you would cry sweet salty tears of woe.
And yet out of the filthy comes sweetness.

 

[pursuit0fhoppiness]

BKF worked like a charm!! Thanks so much for the help day trippr, Brewing a black IPA as we speak!

 

[Hwk-I-St8]

BKF worked like a charm!! Thanks so much for the help day trippr, Brewing a black IPA as we speak! View attachment 560332

Now that's pretty. Hope the beer turns out well.

 

[jayway]

Straight StarSan would have worked too I bet.

 

[Azura]

I often wonder why I bought some BKF a long time ago and have never had significant problems removing stains from SS. Probably just lucky.

I used BKF once only because I had it and I was feeling more OCD than usual. It removed superficial stains in the kettle that didn't matter.