how bad is verdigris

[newtonsshed]

Hi I'm looking to reserct my old brewing kit which has been sat unused for some time a lot of the copper including manifold has the bluish /green colour thats typical of verdigris - How bad is it to use in brewing process and how best to get rid of it do I soak it in full strenght vinegar? I'm tempted to replace the compression fitting copper pipe with camlocks and manifolds in favour of ss false bottom but the plate chiller also appeeras to have this I'm hoping this is more cosmetic on the outside rather than in. I'm worried if soaked this in vinegar that I get off floavours in the beer afterwards or will it wash out? I've also got a pressure washer that I might use to flush it out with, would this work?

Thanks
Andy

[MTW]

I don't know about any possible effects from the verdigris, but perhaps some pH3 star san solution would be an alternative, if you're worried about the vinegar.

[boingy]

It's poisonous, so it needs more than a rinse.

[scuppeteer]

Peracetic acid works wonders with copper, comes up oh so shiny. No rinse as well. Do make sure its at least 1/200 dilution though. And wear rubber gloves when handling. Also you don't want neat PAA in your eye if you want to see again! IT BURNS!!!!

[newtonsshed]

It's poisonous, so it needs more than a rinse.- That's worrying
Could I use vinegar and rinse it out afterwards and not have any issues afterwards? Also does verdigris form in any copper with water or just wort- I'm thinking the cold water in-feed is also copper, the heat exchanger coil is copper and the grain/hop filters are copper - If I soak everything in vinegar/Peracetic acid (where can I get this from?) and clear it will it just come back - now thinking to move away from copper but can't afford stainless steel so will look at john guest type plastic pipes for the fitting connections and mesh filter if needed? Or am I panicking about nothing?

[themadhippy]

coke,not the white stuff, the fizzy black stuff, cleans copper a treat.

[NobbyIPA]

Such green to cyan coloured deposits are often called verdigris regardless of their chemical structure. When copper acetate forms it is water soluble, but there are other materials that are not, they are probably best dissolved away with distilled white vinegar, which is acetic acid. (One should avoid chloride salts! Cuprous chloride is chemically stable. Solid CuCl or chloride complexes of CuCl can become a catalyst for destruction of more copper or its alloys.) After cleaning something that has been partly converted into copper salts, the surface will need some careful cleaning, possibly sanding. It is also a good idea to wash the thing very carefully, treat with sodium bicarbonate solution, and then wash again. Keep a close watch on copper things for green or cyan deposits. If copper and its alloys be kept clean deposits should not form, because they are generally formed from auto catalytic processes.


if it's inside your pipework big problem very difficult to remove as the blue salts verdigris need more than just washing out with acids vinegar etc you may need to sand or scrub

external verdigris is easily removed with bar keepers friend my al time favourite cleaner fantastic for stainless £3 a pot

[newtonsshed]

hmmm I'm now going off copper... the plate chiller is copper on the outside but am I right in thinking the inside isn't?

I guess if I stayed with copper and cleaned it the verdigris would come back?

I'm thinking of using these http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/130953292958#ht_3027wt_1348 with http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Stainless-Ste ... 050wt_1111 as a tank connector and ball valve screwed in. and some washes would this work as a cheap tank connector?

The copper pipe for the the cold feed inlet and seperate tap be replaced with John Guest pipe and fittings how can I go from a T to a plastic tap?

I'll replace the copper manifolds with false bottoms.

This will then just leave the heat exchanger coil as copper - this was a new coil brought for this (only about £10 from local plumbing merchant) As new and not been damp I;m guessing verdigris won't be on this yet, but may build up over time when start using it? What's the cheapest way to replace the heat exchanger without using copper?

Thanks
Andy

[NobbyIPA]

i use Double Turbo Seller on ebay

304 stainless and sanitary weld fittings all there
9 day post from order to delivery from China on average


http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/1-4-2-Female- ... 8276e2b6b5