I am looking into building a copper immersion chiller for use on my next batch of beer. I plan on doing a sour ale. Will the low PH of the wort have any negative affect on the chiller? Will it cause the metal to leech extra particles, possibly causing off flavors?
No. The comparatively low pH will not leach the copper in any appreciable way into a wort solution.
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A pH below 3 is not a particular problem, per se. High pH levels can be more problematic. "Galvanic corrosion" can also be a problem if there are two different metals in contact with the wort – barking.pete Jul 20 '18 at 22:34
I think that the acidity does not have an influence on copper, but it does on copper oxidation, which you do not want in your beer. Always clean and dry your chiller very well, and store it dry so that it does not oxidise (turns green).
If you're concerned with the oxidation effecting the wort. Simply give it a 5 minute starsan soak before using, it will be bright and shinny.
Yeast actually use a little copper as nutrients.
answered Jul 21 '18 at 13:18
