I have considered the loc-lines, and I like the flexibility they offer. But as I mentioned above, I'm trying to avoid plastic in the mash tun, and I also have concerns about being able to keep them clean. Lots of nooks and crannies to catch wort and grow bugs if my sanitation isn't top notch.
Something to keep in mind is only certian black plastic loc line components are food grade.... I'm using some orange and black stuff myself and technically its not foodgrade. It has something to do with the Dye used I believe and those selling it as sparge arms are aware of it although there was no comment when I brought it up. It would be nice to know if its just a certification cost thing or something we should actually be concerned about. in any case from all the reading Ive done on using copper I believe the plastic has got to be the lesser of 2 evils here...
Everyone has a different opinion on this but.. Beer brewing is the ONLY instance where copper is allowed to be used in contact with food/ beverage and that looks like its going to change soon. I spoke with a brewery owner who was also a biologist in Belgium who told me copper was discouraged from being used and the copper equipment is being replaced/phased out because of health effects and not just the cleaning advantages that are popularly attributed to going to stainless.. Its an extremely costly thing to phase out and because of the large amount of older copper equipment its is being done slowly. The same reasons its been banned from use for cooking utensils. Like leeching non food grade plastics it likely wont kill you and the yeast supposedly eat and take the heavy metals to the bottom /trub with their corpses but I'd like to avoid all of it if possible myself. Copper toxicity is a real thing and some people do get it from things like cooking in non lined copper pots.
People are often misinformed with comments like copper is good for you and its found naturally in your blood but its not that simple..
Here is a quote from wiki,
"Nutritionally, there is a distinct difference between organic and inorganic copper, according to whether the copper ion is bound to an organic ligand.[2][3] Organic copper, like that found in food, is a beneficial micronutrient needed for good health.[4] Inorganic metallic copper, like that found in electrical wire, plumbing pipes, brass fittings, redox water filters, sheet metal, cooking utensils, jewelry and pennies, is a neurotoxic heavy metal linked to physical and psychiatric symptoms on par with mercury and lead"
