Calcium Build Up

[tgrappold68]

Seeing if anyone has ever cleaned the white residue off of their fermentors. We think it is Calcium (4 years of buildup). Have tried CLR, Lime Away, Beerstone remover, Grinder, Wire Brush. 

Any Ideas what to try next? 

[Stumpy's]

maybe try some citric acid, then water rinse, caustic rinse, water rinse???

[Foreshot]

How are you cleaning it? Just spray on and clean off or CIP for a while or what? If it's built up anything it will take a while to break down. If you don't have a CIP maybe hit a couple paper towels with Citric and let it sit on it for a while. Wet paper towels should be able to stick to most vertical surfaces for a while. 

If you don't have a CIP ball you can get them cheap at Brewer's Hardware or most of the other vendors that frequent here. 

[tgrappold68]

We have tried Citric Acid. We don't want to use caustic. Main reason is because we are shutdown at the moment and have no way to fill the tanks with water. 

We just rinse the fermentors out daily, But we have very hard water here in KC. 

[Southernhighlander]

The below may work.

Soak the area with the lime build up for 5 minutes with warm white vinegar.  I'm not sure how you would do the soaking but the lime must be covered with warm vinigar for 5 minutes.  You might try a rag soaked in the vinigar. After the area has been soaked dip a brush in vinegar and then dip it in baking soda and scrub.  The lime should come off this way.

 

If the above does not work the below will for sure.

Cover the area with bradford derustit wonder gel and let it sit for 15 minutes and then wipe away the lime build up with a soapy rag and rinse.

 

The wonder gel is a very strong acid, in gel form.  Be very very careful with it and fallow all of the manufacturer's directions.  Do not get it on your bare skin.  It will eat through any organic material given enough time.  We use it to remove weld tint from stainless and I have used it to remove lots of other things including calcium deposits.  It will get the job done and it will passivate the stainless underneath taking everything off of the surface right down to the chrome molly.

[CountySeat]

21 hours ago, Southernhighlander said:

The below may work.

Soak the area with the lime build up for 5 minutes with warm white vinegar.  I'm not sure how you would do the soaking but the lime must be covered with warm vinigar for 5 minutes.  You might try a rag soaked in the vinigar. After the area has been soaked dip a brush in vinegar and then dip it in baking soda and scrub.  The lime should come off this way.

 

If the above does not work the below will for sure.

Cover the area with bradford derustit wonder gel and let it sit for 15 minutes and then wipe away the lime build up with a soapy rag and rinse.

 

The wonder gel is a very strong acid, in gel form.  Be very very careful with it and fallow all of the manufacturer's directions.  Do not get it on your bare skin.  It will eat through any organic material given enough time.  We use it to remove weld tint from stainless and I have used it to remove lots of other things including calcium deposits.  It will get the job done and it will passivate the stainless underneath taking everything off of the surface right down to the chrome molly.

Looks like they sell also it in a liquid form that can be sprayed? Any experience using it that way?

[Southernhighlander]

On 5/16/2019 at 9:21 AM, CountySeat said:

Looks like they sell also it in a liquid form that can be sprayed? Any experience using it that way?

I've never tried the spray.