New Grain Silo & Auger Cleaning Procedures?

[Diamond Knot]

Colleagues,

We have a new 48,000 lb Brock grain silo and auger system for a our second Brewery. The silo has a light coating of oil on the galvinized steel inside. The 3" DIA auger flex coil is coated with a black oil as well.

The silo is 17' high x 9' DIA and both are installed.

Have any of you cleaned silos and augers in place? I'm open to suggestions and could use the help.

Thanks!

[gitchegumee]

The auger is easy. Just run some cheap ground corn cobs, rice hulls, slack barley malt, or any other grain product through the auger and the spring will shine up nicely. I've made used, rusty, crusty springs look like new with a few bags of malt run through it over and over. Your silo will be a bit more difficult, especially when it is corrugated. Perhaps a pressure washer with some soap and a hot water rinse. Contact your Brock representative to find out what base the oil is. Perhaps they can recommend a cleaning procedure. Cheers!

[Diamond Knot]

I've been at this long enough to know that there's no "silver bullet" to easy cleaning. Thanks, gitchegumee, you confirmed what I had suspected. In fact, we had the pressure washer at the new site already.
Unfortunately, to pressure wash the silo will require some dis-assembly, but your idea on calling Brock direct is a good one as well. We just picked up 5 bags of cheap rolled barley from a local Co-op to run through the augers.

Thanks!

[mike2brew]

I contract brewed at a brewery where the previous brewer didnt close the auger valve while mashing, steam thru the auger made for some really cool growth. I used bags of rice, over and over again. The rice worked really well, kinda like ball burnishing. Worked great for mold anyway, not sure about oil
Good Luck
Mike

[Ted Briggs]

We just picked up 5 bags of cheap rolled barley from a local Co-op to run through the augers.Thanks!

Rolled barley might be a little "soft", I would use any uncrushed grain. More scrubbing action.

[BigWilley]

Maybe the soft rolled barley will absorb more oil? I too have used rice with success but not for oil, just to scrape out gunk when moisture got in there.