Plastic Ball Valve: Will It Melt During a Boil?

So, despite the issues we had with the pelletized hops yesterday, I was thoroughly impressed with Dude's plate chiller/march pump setup. Thing is, I don't want to have to buy/build a keggle. I have a 15 gallon aluminum kettle, but no spigot. I also have a 50L stainless mash tun that someone gave me awhile back. It's got a false bottom, and has a spigot welded into it:



It's hard to see, but the ball valve is made of hard plastic. I have no idea what kind of heat it's rated for, though. But if I were to try to set this up for a march pump/shirron assembly, I'd want to use the stainless kettle as the boil vessel. What do you think? Will the heat from the boil melt the valve?

Ball valves are cheap, just get a brass one for under $10.

Having said that, if you make sure there is no heat washing up the front of the kettle you will probably be OK. Set a piece of sheet metal across the front to deflect heat. I do this to keep the handles from melting anyway.

Me thinks it will. Of course, I'd not care to find out either. Murphy would be sure to keep it intact right up to the point that everything is at a nice rolling boil and then "woosh".

Can the p[lastic not be removed and replaced with an inexpensive brass valve from the hardware store?

Of course, now that I have written that I realize taht even a brass or stainless valve has a plastic bushing for the ball to rotate in so......

You don't have to have a valve to use a pump/plate chiller, just use a SS racking cane or similar to get the wort after you have whirlpooled and let it rest for 20 minutes or so.

conpewter said:

You don't have to have a valve to use a pump/plate chiller, just use a SS racking cane or similar to get the wort after you have whirlpooled and let it rest for 20 minutes or so.

Click to expand...

I don't like the idea of my wort sitting near boiling for that long...