Carbonised sugar in kettle

[yog]

Have just noticed a burnt flavour in latest batch - slight hint of tar which is none too pleasant. I have a direct fired kettle using two large gas burners. It appears that one has moved and has carbonised the wort in the exhaust of the kettle. There is a lot of burnt sugar on the outfall, which is affecting the taste.
I was going to do a caustic boil tomorrow anyway as part of the regular cleaning/maintenance. Any ideas as to what would be best to get rid of this residue? I can get into the bottom of kettle and attack some of it manually, but there will inevitably be some parts that i cannot reach.
Any help gratefully appreciated.
Cheers
Yog

[jvandenbrink]

Wire Wheel

I had this problem when I bought my kettle from the previous user. I tried every chemical I could think at unrealistic concentrations and nothing touched the stuff. All the other areas around the burnt sugar got nice and shiny and looked like new, but the burnt sugar just stayed. So I ended up taking a wire wheel to it and grinding it off. If you have to end up doing this be very careful with both your own safety and the integrity of the kettle. Wear ear plugs and ear muffs, goggles that fully cover your eyes, and a respirator. Also, it may go without say, but don't jump in and start grinding without someone watching you.

Good luck, and I hope chemicals take care of it.

Joel

[sativen]

I just found this while searching for something else.

Remember you really shouldn't use anything but stainless to buff out stainless, as the iron (I believe) from the wire wheel can scratch into the stainless and cause the kettle to rust over time.

[gitchegumee]

sativen is right about using stainless, but it's the carbon, not the iron that smears into the metal. And be aware that OSHA rules prohibit anyone from jumping into a tank without formal confined-space entry training and execution. How did this happen? By "exhaust of the kettle" do you mean the burner flue gas, or the vaporized steam from the wort? Can't imagine how this might happen, but no chemical I've ever used will work. Elbow grease and lots of it. Good luck!

[yog]

carbonised sugar was on outlet from kettle, as i use direct gas fired heating system. The burner had slipped and was cooking the wort which was effectively trapped iside the outlet. Wire wheel on spindle did the trick and brews are tasting much better.