Another tip before media blasting your intake (or any other aluminum components)...make DAMN sure it's 100% clean of any organic contaminants before blasting.
Media blasting a part with any remaining schmutz left on it will actually embed said schmutz into the pores of the metal, and no amount of blasting will make it look right. (When the light hits it right you'll see "shadows" in the surface)
For the most part I use a home brewed (read: "proprietary"
cleaning process, but any variety of mag wheel cleaners and even good old-fashioned Pine-Sol works great on cleaning aluminum.