Blowoff tube

Is it real critical to use food grade tubing for a blowoff tube? Its real easy to get 1 1/4" OD tubing from the local hardware store, but food grade, well thats a whole different story

You will be find with regular tubing, its what I use and I have never had a problem.

I just use regular tubing for everything and have no problems at all, just be sure you sanitize it prior to use and for every use thereafter.

Be careful if you're using a non-food grade tubing, or any plastic for that matter, as some can impart flavor into your beer (especially if it's in contact for an extended period of time, or at higher temperatures). Not necessarily saying don't use it - but just something to keep in mind!

Cheers.

I think for blowoff tubes and "non-contact" uses you are fine. It should at least be rated for potable water, NSF-PW

+1 - Non-Contact uses won't have any negative effects on your final product (or shouldn't, assuming it was done right!)

Cheers!

Hardware store tubing is completely fine. Remember, If you do have a blowoff, most of the krausen will be driven up and out of the tube. Only a tiny fraction will drip back into the beer. As long as you sanitize the tubing, you are good to go.

Pez.

Good. Thanks to all. For now, I think Im going to get the hose I seen at my local hardware store. Its that clear hose that is reinforced white strands. I think it will be fine until the next time I get into a major city where I have a better chance of finding food grade hoses

Cheers

Food grade or reinforced hose would be severe over-kill for a blow off tube. It has no pressure and everything is flowing away from the fermenter. Just get the cheap clear plastic tubing.

I'm at day 4 of my Hefe brew and finally switched back to Airlock now that things are chilling out a bit. The krausen is still looking the same though but the beer is lightening up a bit.

For my double IPA, blow off tube installed right at fermenting and I'm glad I did..it's sending some bubbles through but not as much as the Hefe. From now on, while I still have carboys, I'll just use blow off tube as a default action at least for the first few days.

Well I'll be the odd man out here with my input. I use a reular 3 piece airlock and then do not fill it up with water also do not put the top or center float on it. then take a piece of 5/8 tubing like you would use on a kettle balvalve and attach that tubing to the center piece of the airlock and put the other end of the hose in a bucket or jar of water with starsan or alcohol etc. ..... I know that you run the risk with a smaller diameter tube clogging the tuube and causing the bung to blow off but in the real world this has never happened to me and I have done it many many times. This solves two issues for the op as the tubing is food grade and it is easy to source 5/8" food grade tubing from a lhbs.

Food grade or reinforced hose would be severe over-kill for a blow off tube. It has no pressure and everything is flowing away from the fermenter. Just get the cheap clear plastic tubing.

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Totally agree with you, its just that, thats all the local hardware store stocks

Ok, a little off topic here, and since we are talking about blowoff tubes. Has anywone considered the idea of a check valve? Ive read about others that have been concerned with suck back, and a check valve would easily take care of that problem. Just throwing that out there, and open to different thoughts/opinions