copper contamination in wort

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BOBTHEukBREWER

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Hi, like a few others I guess I separate out the wort from the grain by running through a rectangle of 21 mm copper tube that has slots cut in it. I tie a sparging bag round this rectangle before I pitch the grain. I mash for 1 hour at 68 deg c, then drain, sparge etc. The copper tube is dull and brownish at start, but bright pink at the end, and the bag is coloured light brown. Brews with only pale malt grain and hops are artificially dark in colour, presumably dissolved copper. I am making a new device using stainless steel tubing, but any thoughts, anybody ?
 
I think a huge percentage of HBT members would be dead by now. Copper is OK pre-ferment; and if huge quantities were leaching wouldn't our chillers, and MLT tubing eventually disappear? If stainless helps you sleep at night then go for it, but I'll be one of MANY who say don't worry about it.

-OCD
 
hmmm i think it gets shiny and new looking after mashing because the high temperature and slightly acidic nature of the wort remove the oxidation on the copper (the reason why it looks brown and dull) So yes you are "leaching" some copper but it's copper oxide not copper metal and you do need copper in your diet in probably small amounts so it's a benefit!

anyways it's like cleaning pennies when you were a child

Chemistry Fun with Pennies
 
lmg is right, what you're getting is Copper Oxide. It's perfectly safe. Actually, I know several brewers who toss copper pipe/wire into their boil kettle because (according to unverified sources) it leaches minerals that the yeasties like.

I don't know if it actually helps, and don't do it personally, but they're all still walking and talking.
 
Water pipes are copper. A LOT of smaller brewers use copper tanks.

While some copper compounds are VERY poisonous, I don't think you have anything to worry about here.
 
lmg is right, what you're getting is Copper Oxide. It's perfectly safe. Actually, I know several brewers who toss copper pipe/wire into their boil kettle because (according to unverified sources) it leaches minerals that the yeasties like.

I don't know if it actually helps, and don't do it personally, but they're all still walking and talking.

Yeah, and also some old school books/brewers threw in a galvanized washer into either their mast tun or their kettle for a small amount of zinc.
 
Yeah, and also some old school books/brewers threw in a galvanized washer into either their mast tun or their kettle for a small amount of zinc.

Throw some new pennies in there and you have the best of both worlds!
 
Actually, I know several brewers who toss copper pipe/wire into their boil kettle because (according to unverified sources) it leaches minerals that the yeasties like.

Pretty good discussion of that in the Brew Strong podcast from 9-29-08. Copper in the boil starts at about 45 minutes in.
 
as long as you're not getting green tarnish on the copper yer old.

if its green, that can harm you (see - verdigris)
 
Many thanks for all the replies. I am not worried about being poisoned. But I am worried about the coloration of the beer.
 
Yeast will use that copper. Its post ferment that you want to keep away from copper. They did a study in California. The goal was to get all brewers to switch to SS. They took copper measurements pre-ferment, and compared to post ferment.

No difference, needless to say if the state of CA can't find anything wrong with preferment copper, then it MUST BE OK.
 
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