bobdobalob
Member
Despite my mild obsession with sanitation, it appears that I've picked up a house germ (confirmed by several friends).
I'd like to boil my beer and gas lines.
Why? That little crevice between the barb and the hose seems like a great hideout for nasties. It seems much simpler to semi-regularly boil the suckers than to remove, sanitize, and reattach numerous hoses to their barbs. I'm using flare connections, so teardown/reassembly should be a snap.
One problem is that PVC (vinyl) tubing isn't rated for boiling. I've certainly experienced first hand the droopy character that vinyl takes on when subjected to high temperatures. When it comes to plastics and food safety, I like to follow the manufacturer's specs, and I'm assuming you all would recommend against boiling PVC beer lines anyway?
PET lines seem like an alternative, but a very hard to find alternative that doesn't come in 3/16" ID. I can't seem to find PET tubing on mcmaster, and I don't know its temp/pressure ratings. Besides, PET's rigidity might make boiling cumbersome.
Ideally, I'd like to use the same high temperature silicone tubing that everyone seems to love for wort transfer (mcmaster part# 51135K84) so that I can boil without fear. But that tubing isn't rated for pressure. Perhaps this braid-reinforced 5/16" and 3/16" tubing would work (part#'s 5157k53 and 5157k42 respectively)?
I've read horror stories, so I'd prefer to err on the side of caution (even this late in the fermentation cycle). However, I'm open to anything. I am aiming to do my own Closed System Pressurized Fermentation, so I might be hitting these hoses earlier than other people do.
So what do you think? Is it silly to use silicone tubing for beer and gas lines? Am I missing some other obvious solution? Do I have to worry about off flavors from silicone (analagous to the off flavors imparted by PVC)? What else should I be worried about? Am I overthinking this?
I'm still quite the newbie when it comes to kegging and would appreciate all thoughts and advice.
Thanks!
I'd like to boil my beer and gas lines.
Why? That little crevice between the barb and the hose seems like a great hideout for nasties. It seems much simpler to semi-regularly boil the suckers than to remove, sanitize, and reattach numerous hoses to their barbs. I'm using flare connections, so teardown/reassembly should be a snap.
One problem is that PVC (vinyl) tubing isn't rated for boiling. I've certainly experienced first hand the droopy character that vinyl takes on when subjected to high temperatures. When it comes to plastics and food safety, I like to follow the manufacturer's specs, and I'm assuming you all would recommend against boiling PVC beer lines anyway?
PET lines seem like an alternative, but a very hard to find alternative that doesn't come in 3/16" ID. I can't seem to find PET tubing on mcmaster, and I don't know its temp/pressure ratings. Besides, PET's rigidity might make boiling cumbersome.
Ideally, I'd like to use the same high temperature silicone tubing that everyone seems to love for wort transfer (mcmaster part# 51135K84) so that I can boil without fear. But that tubing isn't rated for pressure. Perhaps this braid-reinforced 5/16" and 3/16" tubing would work (part#'s 5157k53 and 5157k42 respectively)?
I've read horror stories, so I'd prefer to err on the side of caution (even this late in the fermentation cycle). However, I'm open to anything. I am aiming to do my own Closed System Pressurized Fermentation, so I might be hitting these hoses earlier than other people do.
So what do you think? Is it silly to use silicone tubing for beer and gas lines? Am I missing some other obvious solution? Do I have to worry about off flavors from silicone (analagous to the off flavors imparted by PVC)? What else should I be worried about? Am I overthinking this?
I'm still quite the newbie when it comes to kegging and would appreciate all thoughts and advice.
Thanks!
