nduetime

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So I've been trying to pickle my brass parts and I'm starting question it.

Soak #1: I was taking care of something else and didn't keep an eye on it but after the 6 minutes in an aluminum can, the solution at the bottom of the can was green. Dump, rinse can and parts, and retry.

Soak #2: Thinking the first attempt was due to time, I decided to focus only on the pickling at hand. Soaked in same can but at 3 minutes it was already starting to turn green. Dump, rinse can and parts, and retry, again.

Soak #3: Assuming the aluminum can might be the problem, I decided to pickle in a glass jar. After two minutes, green hue was starting to appear. I quickly dumped and rinsed all the parts.

Now I'm left wondering if my parts are fine and if not...what I should be doing differently? I am using 2 parts distilled white vinegar, 1 part hydrogen peroxide. Thoughts?

Lost

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I did some googling on this a while back and came across a study (not just some dude posting on the internet) where they showed that pickling didn't help at all.

I think brass is fine and use it willingly. I wouldn't use brass pipe but for the amount of brass we're dealing with (just the fittings) and for the time we're talking about (1-2hrs max) I think the lead exposure issue is way overblown.

I've posted my thoughts about this before so pardon my brevity. I would say that the amount of lead that ends up in your beer is probably around the level that is considered 'actionable' by the epa for *drinking water*. You're not drinking homebrew like it was water are you?

Further, the dangers of lead are primarily among small children who are developing. Seriously high levels can be bad or fatal for adults but that sort of exposure is just not possible in our application. We're not using lead pipes. We're not even using brass pipe. We're using brass fittings... that's it.

Edit: I'm pretty certain that all brass fittings must contain less than 8% lead. Some states such as California have even stricter laws in place that require the brass to be practically lead free.

OneHoppyGuy

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I am willing to bet there is more than 1 member on this forum that drinks more beer than tap water...

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nduetime

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So I placed the brass in some PBW to clean them off. I let them sit for about an hour or two and when to rince them off and noticed more green water. I know I rinsed them off several times before I put them in the PBS. I dumped and rinsed them off a lot again and decided to forget it. Now I'm left wondering if this will happen and what it will contribute to my mash.

Lost

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You are over thinking this and over cleaning your equipment. The green is the copper which is the primary ingredient in brass. Small quantities will end up in your beer, it is considered safe as the yeast will use most or all of it.

If you are feeling paranoid about it then just use stainless valves. Austin homebrew has a great deal on 3 piece 1/2" ss ball valves.

Lost

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If they are drinking like that then lead is probably the least of their health concerns.

Further, actionable levels of lead in drinking water don't necessarily correspond to health risks in individuals. It may for some people (i.e. Small children) while it may not for others. Like BMI it is intended as an indicator for health risks *in the population,* NOT as any sort of diagnostic tool for individuals. The EPA uses it merely as a guide for when they need to improve water quality (i.e. By removing old lead pipe mains).

On the one hand personality traits which predispose brewers to cleanliness are great because sanitation is so important. On the other hand hand it, to me at least, feels like these same traits also lead to counter-productive paranoia (e.g. Lead, plastic bucket infections)

shortyjacobs

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1 day for me:

16-24 oz coffee in the morning
16 oz diet coke at lunch
6 oz coffee in the afternoon
32-48 oz beer in the evening
a few gulps water before bed.

Yup.

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beernut70

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Just to throw this out there most household faucets are made from brass. Relax nothing to worry about.

shortyjacobs

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I to do not worry too much about brass in my system.

I will point out the counterargument though, that water and wort have highly different pHs and temperatures. The worry is that the acidic wort, coupled with the higher temperatures, can cause lead extraction that would not happen with less acidic tap water at <140F.

__________________
Itchy Dog Brewery.

(As of 10-24-2011)
Primary - Steppe 112 PA, 2x Monday RyePA
Aging - None :-(
On tap - Big Dog, Apfelwein, Steppe 112 PA

My invisible AG sculpture, with no actual sculpture and a tiny footprint.
My Kegerator goes offroading!
My Coors Home Draft dispenser for boating/beering on the go.

MaltnHops

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You must be constantly dehydrated!

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