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Interior scratches 7bbl Ferm

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  • Interior scratches 7bbl Ferm

    Hi everyone,
    I just purchased a well-used 8bbl brewery (mostly complete) and in the process of cleaning up one of the fermenters I came across some fairly deep scratches in the underside of the top that I missed on my inspection.

    Short of sending the tank to an electropolishing house (at $1.60/LITER, thank you) does anyone have any suggestions for getting rid of these things?

    My partner is a physicist, so he is pushing for us to do it in house by turning the tank upside down to minimize electrolyte usage.

    As a former rigger, that scares me.

    Thanks

    Dave

  • #2
    Electropolish is overkill, you need an Ra of 32 to be considered food grade sanitary, which is all that our tanks need. Thats a 150 grit polishing. You can go higher, a 220 grit, which is considered the standard for biotech. To get the scratches out, start with a low grit and polish until the surface is even, then step up the grit and polish again until you get to your desired grit, or to 150 whichever you prefer. No need to electropolish.

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    • #3
      What he said.

      10+ amp angle grinder and high quality flap discs.

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      • #4
        After grinding the scratches out, you'll need to passivate the tank. Contact your chemical supplier for recommended chems and technique.

        Hanging a tank upside-down worries me greatly. Carefully laying it on its side on cradles will make the polishing easier.
        Timm Turrentine

        Brewerywright,
        Terminal Gravity Brewing,
        Enterprise. Oregon.

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        • #5
          Reaching the scratches will also be a challenge since it is a side-manway tank. I will have to get some sort of extension handle for a rotating tool of some sort.

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          • #6
            You just lay 2x4 across the tank cone and then build a platform. You cant run an extension like that. You could also lay the tank on its side and then climb in.

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            • #7
              Originally posted by jebzter View Post
              You just lay 2x4 across the tank cone and then build a platform. You cant run an extension like that. You could also lay the tank on its side and then climb in.
              Climb inside? Haven't you heard you should never trust a skinny brewer?

              Actually that is a good suggestion, I will just have to find a younger, thinner, employee or contractor.

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