food-safe caulking

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maltMonkey

maltMonkey

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after my last brew turned out 20 points lower than expected I discovered I have a leak in my plastic MLT :(

Does anyone know of a food-safe caulking that is rate up to 170-180° or so?
 
I am making an electric HLT out of a gott cooler and i was planning on using aquarium sealant...
 
I used the blue silicone RTV sealant on my MLT because it wouldn't stop dripping. I let it cure completely and it's worked fine for three years. It was the blue tube on this page.
 
So how safe is silicone? I couldn't find that blue stuff yet, but I found some Silicone II caulking that is rated up to 400°. I'm a bit hesitant to use it because it says on the label not to use it in aquariums or FDA related applications.....
 
maltMonkey said:
So how safe is silicone? I couldn't find that blue stuff yet, but I found some Silicone II caulking that is rated up to 400°. I'm a bit hesitant to use it because it says on the label not to use it in aquariums or FDA related applications.....
Click to expand...

Don't use it. I was looking at that stuff a couple days ago and was talking to one of the guys at the hardware store about it. He went into depth about it, but basically, don't use it. I think you're best bet would be aquarium safe sealant (silicone). I think I'm going to end up using that, but I'm still trying to find out how much heat it can stand.
 
Being a aquarium enthusiast and knowing a little about tank building. ( in the process of building a 550 gal tank. ) GE #1 silicone is the most common among aquarium builders. Thy took off the label that says " aquarium safe " years ago due to some legal thing. GE#2 has mold inhibitors that leach out and kill fish so don't use GE 2. Not thinking it would go well..I would recommend GE 1. And is very hard to find a special silicone out there that is just used for only aquariums.. and that says so on the label.. This is always a big discussion on the Monster fish forums site..
 
I guess I need to research some of the silicone-based caulkings some more....I was thinking, "oh--it's silicone--it must be safe", but I suppose that just because silicone is the base doesn't mean it doesn't contain harmful ingredients.....

I find it interesting however that the stuff recommended above is used for vehicle gaskets while the stuff that is "bad" is for kitchen/bath use....
 
Silicone II is always a no-no. Most sealants that say "pure silicone" on the tube and list no mold inhibitors or other additives should be ok. However, if you want to be sure, you need to find a specialized sealant that states "food grade" on the label. For those, ditto McKBrew's suggestion above.
 
Yuri_Rage said:
Silicone II is always a no-no. Most sealants that say "pure silicone" on the tube and list no mold inhibitors or other additives should be ok. However, if you want to be sure, you need to find a specialized sealant that states "food grade" on the label. For those, ditto McKBrew's suggestion above.
Click to expand...

really appreciate it everyone--I don't know much about materials & compounds.

I sent an email off to McMaster Carr asking them what they recommended since their site is so huge.
 
maltMonkey said:
really appreciate it everyone--I don't know much about materials & compounds.

I sent an email off to McMaster Carr asking them what they recommended since their site is so huge.
Click to expand...

I'd be interested in what they recommend. I'm trying to find a good food safe sealant as well.
 
McMaster-Carr has the following:

These RTV silicones (formerly GE silicones) form a tough, rubbery solid in 24 hours at room temperature (unless noted). Not recommended for underwater, concrete, or mortar applications. The 10.1-oz. cartridges fit a standard caulk gun.

(102, 103, 108, & 109) Multipurpose— Use for sealing, bonding, and gasketing. Won't run on overhead and vertical surfaces. Adhere to metal, glass, wood, silicone resin, vulcanized silicone rubber, ceramics, natural and synthetic fiber, and plastics. Begin to harden in 20 minutes. Temp. range is -75° to +400° F. Meet MIL-A-46106B, Group I, Type I. FDA compliant and USDA approved. NSF-51 certified for use with food equipment materials. UL recognized.

102 2.8-oz. Tube White 7545A451 3.27

102 10.1-oz. Cartridge White 7545A452 5.46

103 2.8-oz. Tube Black 7545A461 3.27

103 10.1-oz. Cartridge Black 7545A462 5.46

108 2.8-oz. Tube Translucent 7545A471 3.27

108 10.1-oz. Cartridge Translucent 7545A472 5.46

108 10.3-oz. Tube Translucent 7545A473 20.25

109 10.1-oz. Cartridge Aluminum 7545A482 5.46
Click to expand...
 
What about regular epoxy for plastic that's used by plumbers?
 

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