Kettle Polish.

[GFHomebrew]

Gday Brewers.

As the title suggests I'm thinking about buffing up me old chard and danged up keggle. I'm going to stick an electric heating element in it in the not so distant future so I'm thinking I might just pretty it up a little since it ain't going to be blackened by the fast burner.

The missus thinks it's an eye sore in the current state it's in with over 50 brews down for me that old boiler has a good build up of soot and I think character over the time.
Weve had guests over here sitting in the patio ask in reference to my beloved kettle "What is THAT"! With a scrunched up look on their faces. Missus oh that's Ben's brew kettle!

Apart from my hurt feelings at their utter insolence at all things brewing it's either buff her up and make it look new again or.... start a new and find me another keg. Option two is my least preferred as 1 I've gotta do all the cutting and adapting and 2 weve got history this keggle and I.

A quick search on the interwebs come up with an asortmant of different grade buffing wheels for power drill and pikling paste for hard to clean places.

What have you used to bling up your kegs / kettles any hints or tips appreciated cheers!

 

[BOB357]

Well, it does look well used, but I'd just put a cover over it when you have visitors. Ya clean it up and it'll just get dirty again If you can get it down there, Barkeepers Friend works great on stainless. Just make a paste, apply and let it sit for a few minutes. Maybe a bit of scrubbing in the really bad spots. It even does a good job of re-passivating.

 

[jmcnamara]

Second the barkeepers friend. Really no work at all to get it clean with that stuff

 

[GFHomebrew]

Sweet will have a look at shops. I'm most likely going to wrap it in the reflex insulation as well.

 

[Ozarks Mountain Brewery]

 

[Ozarks Mountain Brewery]

so this is an old aluminum pot I was reviving last winter using reflex insulation, you can get this in any home stores like lowes or even amazon. the issue I've found is with the edges, they get ugly and caked with wort and this aluminum tape only helps for a couple a brews then it starts pealing off

 

[GFHomebrew]

so this is an old aluminum pot I was reviving last winter using reflex insulation, you can get this in any home stores like lowes or even amazon. the issue I've found is with the edges, they get ugly and caked with wort and this aluminum tape only helps for a couple a brews then it starts pealing off

View attachment 4371

I'm thinking of trying velcro adhesive style for easy removal. Just a simple wrap around the outside maybe two layers stuck together and two velcro strips there the ends overlap...

Gunna go attack the keg and make a start with these two disks. I've used them before cleaning up welds I'll see where these get me and then look into and if I want to go further with polishing compounds...

 

[Head First]

Polished shiny wouldn't be proper for your old friend. Just clean her up and brew on. I always have Barkeepers friend on hand. Good stuff. Not like an abrasive cleanser, lt just removes grime.

 

[Ozarks Mountain Brewery]

your going to leave huge swirl marks with that but if you buff with a couple of other pads it should work, good luck

 

[GFHomebrew]

Yep swirls are there! But its shiny now and scratchy.... I've bought some buffing compounds but I think I've got to go a bit more fine on the sanding grit. Nothing that a little reflex insulation wont cover.

 

[GFHomebrew]

If only we had some of those gator grip sanding discs here at out local mega hardware store. Them disks I got at 60 and 80 grit. I gave it a quick hit yesterday arvo with some poloshing compound but the scratches are a bit deep from my 80 grit. What Have I Started Here!

I woke up this morning with my HB hangover and instantly thought "That Bloody Keggle"!

 

[AHarper]

Ever thought of using this? Pressed flat end on you should get something like a fish scale pattern.

 

[GFHomebrew]

Ever thought of using this? Pressed flat end on you should get something like a fish scale pattern.

Yeah when I saw these wire wheels at hardware it said not to use on stainless as may cause rusting?

 

[Nosybear]

Repassivate: Wash the stainless with acid after scrubbing. It's supposed to happen nearly instantaneously in air anyway but why take the chance.

 

[GFHomebrew]

Repassivate: Wash the stainless with acid after scrubbing. It's supposed to happen nearly instantaneously in air anyway but why take the chance.

Yeah I made a double dose of phosphoric acid in spray bottle and sprayed kettle down yesterday with it. I have got back to it today...