Mash tun as brew pot?

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Bwoe

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Simple question,
I recently purchased an 8 gallon brew kettle w/false bottom and ball valve to begin experimenting in all grain. I'm curious if it's feasible to use this kettle for both the mash and the boil. My only concern is the tubing between the false bottom and valve, and if it's able to tolerate the heat of the boil. It's food grade tubing bought from the local brew shop.

Any thoughts?
P.S. I realize this is my first post, but I did search for this and didn't find what I was looking for.

Thanks for your time,
_Bwoe_
 
plastic tubing is only rated "food grade" within a certain temperature range. You may wanna check that. there is tubing available that will take the boil heat just fine.

As far as using the vessel for boiling, it could be as simple as: A) Mash B) Lauter and sparge into a bucket, etc. C) Empty vessel and remove false bottom D) Pour wort back in and begin boil.

Obviously you're better off with dedicated vessels, but you could probably make it work if you need to.
 
I'm pretty sure that most brew shops will have some high temp (e.g silicone) tubing. If not you can get it online. Of course then you will have to go changing tubes.
 
I would only use silicone if you need to use tubing in the boil. Even so a better choice is to change it to a hard line with a removable fitting if you can.
 
I would only use silicone if you need to use tubing in the boil. Even so a better choice is to change it to a hard line with a removable fitting if you can.

I believe we were discussing using the mash tun with some kind of mysterious "food grade" tubing during the boil. I was suggesting that silicone was a better choice of material than what is most likely vinyl tubing and it would almost certainly be easier to switch to silicone than putting in copper or SS to the false bottom.
 
I believe that we agree then :)

I did read his statement. Silicone is ok in the boil. Personally I would not use any plastic in the boil if I can avoid it but that is a personal preference.

I would not use any kind of clear vinyl tubing in the boil.
 
With the brew pot kettle whatever you want to call it.

Put a few gallons of water in it and boil. If it withstands the water boil it should boil wort.
 
With the brew pot kettle whatever you want to call it.

Put a few gallons of water in it and boil. If it withstands the water boil it should boil wort.

I can't think of any tubing material that wouldn't stand up under the heat, it's more a matter of plasticizers, etc. leaching out of the plastic at high temperatures.
 
This was found in information from a tubing distributor:

Vinyl tubing cannot be autoclaved and should not be exposed to temperatures above 80°C.

Clear vinyl tubing should not be subject to boiling (or close to boiling temperatures). Hard plumb it as suggested by BargainFittings or swap out to silicone as Pivovar recommended.

GT
 
Do this little test. Cut off a few inches of vinyl tubing and microwave with 8 ounces of water in a coffee cup for 5 minutes.

Take a sniff and a sip. Have your spouse or friends test it too.
 
Do this little test. Cut off a few inches of vinyl tubing and microwave with 8 ounces of water in a coffee cup for 5 minutes.

Take a sniff and a sip. Have your spouse or friends test it too.


... then wait 5 years. if you, your wife, or your friends develop cancer, avoid that variety of tubing.

:D kidding. I think this is actually similar to one of the tests for foodgraded-ness of polymers.
 
Thanks for all the replies, I contacted the folks at the store and apparently this silicone tubing is spec'ed to temps up to 500º.
 
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