Vinyl tubing and high temps question

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chungking

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Ok, I'm getting into all grain and I've seen a few videos that go over the process. Some say to not splash when transfering the wort from the mash tun to brew kettle as not to oxidize at high temps. Ok, fine. But can you use vinyl tubing to transfer from mt to bk? Not sure if vinyl will handle the higher temps without producing off flavors, ie plastic like tastes.

Some videos show a special high temp tubing, others show what looks like vinyl...
 
I've been looking to upgrade my tubing ... I've seen them online on beer sites , anybody know a where to get them offline ? I've looked at Loews and Home Depot but couldn't find it
 
I've been looking to upgrade my tubing ... I've seen them online on beer sites , anybody know a where to get them offline ? I've looked at Loews and Home Depot but couldn't find it

The stuff at Lowes and Home Depot is PVC.
If you are talking about tubing for a brewing system you need silicone tubing.
If you are talking about raking tubing then vinyl is the answer.
Any local HBS worth a hoot will have at least vinyl tubing.
Otherwise you will have to go with an online HBS or homebrew hardware dealer.
 
aubiecat said:
The stuff at Lowes and Home Depot is PVC.
If you are talking about tubing for a brewing system you need silicone tubing.
If you are talking about raking tubing then vinyl is the answer.
Any local HBS worth a hoot will have at least vinyl tubing.
Otherwise you will have to go with an online HBS or homebrew hardware dealer.

I don't think think my LHBS does , I was looking for another store that had silicone tubing
 
acidrain said:
Don't use Vinyl tubing.
BTW, high temp oxidation is a myth.

That's also what I have heard. Can't I just skip the tubing and just open the ball valve to the mash tun and let her rip into bk?

If it isn't worth the risk, ill get some silicon tubing...
 
That's also what I have heard. Can't I just skip the tubing and just open the ball valve to the mash tun and let her rip into bk?

If it isn't worth the risk, ill get some silicon tubing...

That's exactly what I do. I've never had "hot side oxygenation". Most will tell you it doesn't exist.
 
If you want the cadillac of flixible tubing get some Norprene. It's specifically designed for hot food and beverage applitcations. I've had great luck with it and it will outlast silicone tubing making it worth the extra $ IMO.
 
Why? I understand for boiling wort, but why not to gravity transfer 170F wort?

Heat a cup of water to 170F, drop a piece of vinyl in, let steep for 15 minutes and then taste. You be the judge. :)

Besides, why not just let it drain directly into the BK?
 
acidrain said:
Heat a cup of water to 170F, drop a piece of vinyl in, let steep for 15 minutes and then taste. You be the judge. :)

Besides, why not just let it drain directly into the BK?

To avoid hot side aeration. Some say it matters, some say it doesn't matter. I'm new the this debate, and not sure which side of the fence to believe!

Btw, while it is boiling away and bubbling, isn't this exposing it to oxygen?
 
The boil drives off o2.

I havent noticed any off flavors from vinyl. Ill give it a try with just water and see if i notice anything. I dont like it splashing all over the place. It is just more brewing ocd on my part.
 
I was looking to upgrade the hoses on my wort chiller to silicone because my ****ty little vinyl or PVC hoses that I have start to bend and pinch as soon as I throw my chiller in my boiling wort
 
I use the tubing as a system requirement. My mashtun is a keggle and I have the standard ball valve weldless setup with diptube and false bottom. The hose is needed to provide suction so it empties the mashtun.
Dont use vinyl or PVC due to the high temps.
Use silicone tubing and CPVC (the same kind that you will find on your water heater).

I should mention that I only use CPVC for my sparge arm.
 
If boiling drives off oxygen, then won't any oxygen introduced during mashing be driven off during the boil?

Ill check the local hw stores to see if they have silicon tubing, if not I'm thinking of just letting it fall from mash tun into brew kettle, or maybe try to tilt the bk like its a huge beer glass and let it slide in...
 
Well damnit, my tubing is vinyl that I just used for my first AG brew. My wort tasted delicious, and I didn't taste any plasticy notes. Does it leach bad chemicals to where I should be worried and pitching my batch? I don't want to get poisoned lol
 
Vinyl is not temperature rated for anything about 70F or so. So with the 170F wort you are siphoning from your Mash Tun to your Kettle, you are going to seep some nasty chemicals.

I just used some vinyl tubing and was pretty creeped out with how soft and spaghetti like it turned when siphoning to my kettle. After that batch I ordered silicone tubing to use from now on. I don't want to worry about drinking plastic chemicals.

+1 to silicone tubing!
 
If boiling drives off oxygen, then won't any oxygen introduced during mashing be driven off during the boil?

The theory is that oxidation reactions happen much quicker at high temps and the damage is done before the boil.
 
Lowes/home depot carry reinforced hot water hose for like 25 cents a foot!
1831.jpg


I've laudered 15 AG batches with this hose, never an issue.
 
Lowes/home depot carry reinforced hot water hose for like 25 cents a foot!
1831.jpg


I've laudered 15 AG batches with this hose, never an issue.

I've used these as well, haven't had an issue other than the fact they do not bend very well.
 
Even if these braid-reinforced vinyl tubes have held up well, they are still vinyl. This means you are still leaching potentially toxic chemicals into your beers when siphoning wort that is 100F+

If you are okay with that, then no worries. But the healthy alternative is a $10-15 section of silicone tubing, temperature rated up to 500F... easy fix to avoid some long term damage to your body.
 
Even if these braid-reinforced vinyl tubes have held up well, they are still vinyl. This means you are still leaching potentially toxic chemicals into your beers when siphoning wort that is 100F+

If you are okay with that, then no worries. But the healthy alternative is a $10-15 section of silicone tubing, temperature rated up to 500F... easy fix to avoid some long term damage to your body.

My theory is IF there were potentially toxic chemicals leached from my hose...it all came out in the first batch. :p

Pretty sure this type of hose is used to feed hot water to dishwashers and coffee makers so it is likely food rated or at least not proven harmful enough to prevent it's use for potable water.
 
I just figure I am killing my liver enough as is with my homebrew, if I can spare it some other harmful chemicals at minimal cost, why not?

Either way, RDWHAHB! After a few, you probably will forget what you were trying to figure out in the first place.
 
If boiling drives off oxygen, then won't any oxygen introduced during mashing be driven off during the boil?

You're confusing "oxygen" with "oxidation." Oxygen is an element (and yes, any introduced during mashing will be driven off during the boil), oxidation is a reaction. Once the reaction has occurred, boiling won't "undo" it.
 
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