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I just built my 1st keg still and was testing it for leaks. Due to a faulty thermometer I ended up running it dry and scorching the bottom inside.

What effect will this have on my runs and will the product be safe to drink? What should I do to correct this?

Thanks, Rooster

What did you have in it when it ran dry? (water, vinegar, mash, etc....)
You will want to clean it out the best way you can. High pressure water, cloth on a stick or whatever works. It will be safe to drink but it may have a scorched taste for a few runs, depending on how clean you get it.

provided you didn't have cleaning chemicals inside when you ran it dry, it should be fine. Depending on how well you can clean it, you may, or may not have a burnt/scorched taste to your product, for a couple of runs.

If you did have chemicals, I would clean it as best you could, then boil 2 vinegar mixes. (heavy on the vinegar)

** so glad I have a milk can boiler!

I just had plain water in it when it scorched. I plan to run it again with vinegar and water (heavy on the vinegar like you suggested) and then rinse it out with baking soda and water.

One thought I had was to put some clean gravel in the bottom with a little water and shake it around. What do you think?

I agree that it sure is important to have a good size opening to clean out. I am going to cut and weld in a SS pressure cooker.

Thanks for the help and quick response, I am wanting to run it again tonight.

Thanks, Rooster

roosterjim wrote:One thought I had was to put some clean gravel in the bottom with a little water and shake it around. What do you think?

That would definitely work out well, provided you have the patience, and arm strength to sit there and agitate it for about an hour

If you are going to put the gravel in with some water I would put the keg in the car and drive it around on your normal travels for a few days . Let inertia do the scrubbing . Next question : how ya gonna get the gravel back out ?

Stainless steel chain.

My question is how would a faulty thermometer cause you to run it dry? You knew how much you put into it. And you can gauge how much is in it by how much you took out? And if you were tending it while it was running. Didn't you hear the boil get weird sounding?

If it was water. It's not really scorched. Scorched means something is burned to it. May be a little calcium deposits. But not scorched. Are you talking about the stainless is now discoloured? From the stainless getting to hot? That is a whole nother problem. Cleaning the coloration off will be very difficult. And the excessive hear may have compromised the stainless. Allowing metals to rise to the surface that may now rust.

Truckinbutch wrote:If you are going to put the gravel in with some water I would put the keg in the car and drive it around on your normal travels for a few days . Let inertia do the scrubbing . Next question : how ya gonna get the gravel back out ?

Thanks much for the help everybody! I always use the driving it around trick with old gas tanks off tractors (except I use nuts and bolts)

I just shook it out, only used pea size so it came out easy and then rinsed out. It came out fine but made me realize it would be nice to have pressure cooker top welded on.

Rooster

Prairiepiss wrote:Stainless steel chain.

My question is how would a faulty thermometer cause you to run it dry? You knew how much you put into it. And you can gauge how much is in it by how much you took out? And if you were tending it while it was running. Didn't you hear the boil get weird sounding?

I was leak testing it... literally the first time I fired the thing up. I was trying to run about 173F and kept turning up the heat until I got there. I had a bit over five gallons in there and was recording the time and temps following ZymBob's procedure out of his book. I am so new at this that I haven't learned boiling language yet but since I have made a couple other runs I am starting to pick up on it.

Thanks, Rooster