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Cleaning Grease off flex augers

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  • Cleaning Grease off flex augers

    We've just installed some new flex augers for handling malt and grist. During the install, we noticed that the augers were coated in grease to prevent rust. We were advised by the installers to remove the grease by running malt through the augers.

    So I plan to run throwaway malt through all augers to clean them. Is there a preferred type of malt? How much do I need?

  • #2
    We are about to do the same. We have about 75 feet to clean. I am planning on running 250 pounds of pale malt through it. I have a buddy who ran 150lbs through his auger of about the same length who said he would have maybe run a touch more through if it weren't for the money, but didnt have any major issue with that amount.

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    • #3
      We ran 100 pounds of the cheapest available through our thirty foot run, and ran it through twice. That did it for us.

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      • #4
        There was a lot of grease on ours. It was a Choretime flex auger. After reading a thread about this same issue, I didn't feel as if running grain through it was going to get the grease off, but instead would coat the grease in dust/flour to the point where it would no longer rub off on the malt. So we took it to a carwash and pressure washed it down with soapy water, then let it dry quickly in the sun so it didn't rust. Got about 80% of the grease off. Then once installed, we sacrificed a few sacks of malt. Maybe excessive, but we've had no grease issues.

        Edit: just realized you've already installed your augers. Having gone through the process, I can only assume you want no part in disassembling ... So yeah, I'd go with he advice above. I've heard of people using feed corn as well, since it's so cheap.
        Last edited by fmeric; 10-27-2014, 09:24 AM.

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        • #5
          The method I was taught by John Mallett was to clean the auger with oven cleaner then coat it with vegetable oil and run a single sacrificial bag through it. I have been doing that ever since with great results

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          • #6
            I like that method... but augers are already installed in their pipes.

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            • #7


              As per this thread. Rice hulls will get rust off augers. I would think they would do a good job with grease. Plus they are cheap.

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              • #8
                I don't know if any amount of sacrificial grain will get all the grease off of those. They are really gunked with grease. I run mine down to the local car wash before they are installed and still in a coil. Then after a very thorough soapy cleaning, I unwind them and rub them off with a cotton towel and some citrus cleaner. After installation, I'll run a few bags of grain through them repeatedly. Mix some rice hulls in if you have them--but don't think that they are heavy enough by themselves to do much cleaning. Good luck and hope you can get this nasty grease off after installation. It won't be easy. Might be better to disassemble and reassemble. Or have some sheen on the top of your first few beers!
                Phillip Kelm--Palau Brewing Company Manager--

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                • #9
                  Argh. OK, so any ideas on how to know when they're clean?

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                  • #10
                    The few times I have installed an auger, I used a degreaser or over cleaner with rags and lots of elbow grease. amazing how much came off. the white rags were black at the end. then I typically would run feed corn. 100-200 lbs should do it. cheap and relatively easy.

                    since you have already installed, I would get 300lbs of corn just to be sure.
                    ________________
                    Matthew Steinberg
                    Co-Founder
                    Exhibit 'A' Brewing Co.
                    Framingham, MA USA

                    Head Brewer
                    Filler of Vessels
                    Seller of Liquid
                    Barreled Beer Aging Specialist
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                    • #11
                      It's hard to impossible to run stuff through the augers without it also going through the mill, which pretty much excludes anything but malt... so we're using cheap malt.

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                      • #12
                        Whew, about to install our auger; thanks for the thread. Car wash here we come. Plus some sprinkler pipe water was drained onto our auger during construction, dirty stuff. Good luck Woolsocks, wouldn't like to have to reinstall the auger once it is in place.
                        First time, Long time.
                        Matchless Brewing
                        Three Magnets Brewing
                        Olympia WA

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                        • #13
                          Depending on auger length, use 1-2 bags of cheep malt. Collect it at the end if the auger and repeat until auger is clean. Sometimes the easy solution actually works. 1 bag will clean 20-30 feet of auger.


                          Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

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                          • #14
                            I called my grain supplier seeing if they had any old malt. Funny, they did, i took the malt and paid freight and they were happy. Took a ton, ran the other half ton thru as a trail dump brew as well.
                            Head Brewer Rocks Brewing Co.
                            Sydney, Aust
                            scotty@rocksbrewing.com

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                            • #15
                              Smart move Morgan! Good tip for other beginners


                              Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

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