What's the best way to clean the brew pot after a batch.............is it ok to use soap......... I have just used reAl hot water and a coarse sponge so far........what's anyone else doing?
It depends on the material of the pot. If it's stainless steel, PBW or similar and some scrubbing will turn it up nicely. If it's aluminum, be careful of using caustic cleaners - just use regular dish soap. The aluminum pot will develop a protective oxidation layer that you want to preserve, so don't scrub too hard with anything abrasive.
Dish soap works fine, but if you like to get your brew pot to become shinny new use Non Chlorine Bleach Oxo Brite or Oxiclean . Soak one or two tsp of oxi and water over night and the next morning you will get new brew pot.
With the aluminum one, I would scrub it and fill it up with water and let it soak overnight, then scrub it again with hot water and soap the next day.
I always just used dish soap, hot water and a sponge. I have PBW but never put it to use for whatever reason. Then one day I asked my wife to clean my kettle after a brew day, which she "happily" obliged. She decided to go the PBW route. Boy I have never seen my pot that clean, save for when it was new. I still just use dish soap, hot water and a sponge, though after a dozen or so brew days, I will go to town on it with the PBW to get it shiny clean again. I don't suppose it's really necessary, but what can I say, I like a clean kettle.
As others mentioned, dish soap, a sponge, water, and a little elbow grease. However, I make sure the sponge is new, I don't want an old mildewy sponge that's cleaned a thousand food stained dishes touching my kettle. Also, I use unscented dish soap so as not to impart any flavors or aromas into the kettle.
Why would you need to scrub it twice? I've been brewing in an aluminum kettle for 15 years and have never once found a reason to do that, I just wash it once with soap and hot water, rinse it, and put it away.
I use barkeepers friend on my stainless mega-pot. Looks like new after. Probably would not use it on aluminum. It would strip the oxide layer off. Cheers!
More than likely will be purchasing a new AL pot soon and am wondering if anybody has had to "season" there's to prevent what some folks say is a metallic taste with their first few batches in a new aluminum brew pot. Some folks say it's as easy as filling it almost to the top with a fresh batch of water and bringing it to a boil for a half hour or so and other claim some other more detailed process to get it seasoned. I figured that a good thorough washing with hot water and soap a few hours before brewing but am wondering what others have found
Water and a sponge does a good job. I don't worry if its not totally clean since the boil is gonna pretty much sterilize it.
Neutral dish soap & hot water = a lot cheaper than use of PBW or caustic cleaners. In a commercial setting this obviously wouldn't work, but for 5-15 gallon kettles, it is way smarter and easier I think.
