Stainless Steel care, a question for all you Metal Heads

[J.Brew]

My stainless steel kettle got a little rust transfer from a metal grate that my brewing partner set it on while we weren't using it, along with some beer stone and what not from brewing. I read How To Brew and there is a small paragraph on Stainless care but I want to be sure I'm on track. John says that to re passivate and protect stainless just keep it clean and free of surface contaminants, he also mentions cleaning with green scrubbies. I could swear I've heard that you should use the blue non-scratch scrubbies but they are just not tough enough to remove the more stubborn crap. When I use a green scrubby I can see that it just barely blemishes the surface. Is that going to be a problem? Any advice on how to deal with stubborn crud and proper care and maintenance so I can maximize the life of my kettle? Any prefferences on stainless steel cookware cleaners?

[Henning1966]

A cheap cure for cleaning and re passivating try going to the walmart or any hardware store or antwhere that sells cleansers. Get a thing of Bar keeps friend put a little water and bkf powder and make a paste scrub the crud off with a white 3m scrub pad. The bkf has oxalic acid in it and will repassivate the stainless.

[Lufah]

Yup BKF is your friend. I always have some on hand. The green scruby will work ok too. It just makes it look a little weird.


Travis

[seanhagerty]

a little vinegar or some straight star san will clean the beer stone off the kettle, just pour it in and rub it and let it set a bit, then wipe it out. Cleans it easily.

Sean

[Lufah]

a little vinegar or some straight star san will clean the beer stone off the kettle, just pour it in and rub it and let it set a bit, then wipe it out. Cleans it easily.

Sean

Does it keep the goats away from the kettles?

Travis

[seanhagerty]

Does it keep the goats away from the kettles?

Travis

Why would anyone want to do that???

[Petedadink]

some supermarkets carry liquid BKF. Works just as well as the powderd kind.

[Hammy2424]

If you have a friend who is a welder you could also ask him for a little passivation paste. I usually grab some of it from our shop, but it is a good strength acid, and if you splash much rinsing it off it will leave a number of holes in your jeans.