Copper or SS as Beer Lines?

[Yankeehillbrewer]

Searched a little on this but no luck.....

Is it possible to use small diameter Copper or SS tubing as Beer Line?

I just got my keezer going and have the nasty plastic taste in all of my pours. I've read the thread on using Poly but I thought this may be a possibility.

The drawbacks would be cost and maybe super long lines due to less resistance. You shouldn't get any off flavors from SS but I'm not sure about copper.

Yay or Nay?

 

[Yooper]

You should NEVER use copper with finished beer! It's poisonous.

Stainless should be ok.

 

[P-J]

Why not just but 3/16" ID beer line?
3/16" ID Beverage Tubing
Most LHBS's carry it. The "stuff" you buy at HD & Lowes won't cut it. It's Not beverage line.

 

[Yankeehillbrewer]

Yooper...Didn't know that, glad I asked. Must be the pH of the finished beer that draws out some poisons?

P-J...I have 3/16" Beer Line from Keg Connection(Bevlex 200), but I'm getting nasty Plastic off-flavors and after reading a lot of threads on here it seems to be a very common problem. I need to try a couple of other things before I determine 100% that it's the lines, but I want to let the beer condition a little more. If I can't fix it I'll just get rid of the Keezer and go back to bottling. I'm just trying find some other options

 

[Yooper]

I bought some semi-rigid line from McMaster-Carr that I use for soda. My beer line is just "regular" beer line, without plastic taste, but I bought the McMaster-Carr line because it was noted to have no plastic taste, plus it was cheap! I bought 50' (I needed 30' for the soda tap) at $.15/cents a foot. It's harder to work with, because it's not as flexible, but it coils up nicely and went on the QDs and tap just fine.

 

[shortyjacobs]

I bought some semi-rigid line from McMaster-Carr that I use for soda. My beer line is just "regular" beer line, without plastic taste, but I bought the McMaster-Carr line because it was noted to have no plastic taste, plus it was cheap! I bought 50' (I needed 30' for the soda tap) at $.15/cents a foot. It's harder to work with, because it's not as flexible, but it coils up nicely and went on the QDs and tap just fine.

Yooper is talking about 5181K424 from McMaster-Carr. Just go to www.mcmaster.com and search for that product #.

 

[jkarp]

P-J...I have 3/16" Beer Line from Keg Connection(Bevlex 200), but I'm getting nasty Plastic off-flavors and after reading a lot of threads on here it seems to be a very common problem.

Are you certain it's the lines? Can't say I've seen people here claiming beer line causing off-flavors. Never had an issue with my kegerator from the very day I put it in service and even now when I rinse the lines with scalding hot water after cleaning, the water picks up zero plastic flavor or odor...

 

[shortyjacobs]

Are you certain it's the lines? Can't say I've seen people here claiming beer line causing off-flavors. Never had an issue with my kegerator from the very day I put it in service and even now when I rinse the lines with scalding hot water after cleaning, the water picks up zero plastic flavor or odor...

You have some weird lines then. I can easily find the vinyl flavor if I only pour 1 oz out of my lines....pouring a whole pint though dilutes it to where I can't taste it. When I ran hot water through my vinyl lines though, the stink of plastic was intense.

 

[giligson]

Possibly infected line?
I have never had an off flavour problem using vinyl line that is meant as beverage line (not the stuff from home depot) - this stuff also works better than the standard hardware store line b/c it does not become rigid at refrigerator temperatures.

 

[ThatGuyRyan]

I bought some semi-rigid line from McMaster-Carr that I use for soda. My beer line is just "regular" beer line, without plastic taste, but I bought the McMaster-Carr line because it was noted to have no plastic taste, plus it was cheap! I bought 50' (I needed 30' for the soda tap) at $.15/cents a foot. It's harder to work with, because it's not as flexible, but it coils up nicely and went on the QDs and tap just fine.

Yooper I am installing a soda tap in my new room what diameter line are you using?

 

[wildwest450]

If your getting off flavors from your line, it's the wrong kind, plain and simple. Go to micromatic.com and get some real beer lines.


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[robertvrabel]

If your getting off flavors from your line, it's the wrong kind, plain and simple. Go to micromatic.com and get some real beer lines.


_

I don't think this is true at all. I bought good hose from my LHBS - Bevlex 200 by kuriyama PVC tubing NSF-51 . Standard stuff.. and when I made my first german pilsner, the beer tasted HORRIBLE when it sat in the lines for a day. I didn't notice it as much in my other beers because they were always more flavorful. In anycase, i tested 3oz from the lines, then poured another 3oz, and its VERY clear which one tastes better. Even if i pour a full 12oz glass, that 3oz I can still pickup.

So honestly, i'm very skeptical about any other lines. I'm in the process of trying 1/4" poly lines (replaced 1 so far), but i'm very unhappy with how fast it flows and how much foam i get (even with 27' lines).

Are these ones from micromatic THAT good?

 

[bruin_ale]

never detected any off flavors in my lines.. can't recall for sure, but I think I got it at beveragefactory.

 

[a_shorething]

I can't imagine the tap makers would ship their product with lines that could affect the taste and they come with plastic lines, don't they?

I know the double tap that I just put in came with plastic lines and I just replaced the ends so I could use them with the corny kegs. I haven't tasted any kind of plastic and I've sampled very small amounts of beer as I was waiting for full carbonation.

 

[robertvrabel]

never detected any off flavors in my lines.. can't recall for sure, but I think I got it at beveragefactory.

Have you tried light beers? And have you poured only 3-4oz out, and tasted it against the next 3-4 oz straight from the keg? I thought the same thing until i brewed a german pilsner... now I can pick up the flavor on all my other beer lines.

It doesn't matter as much with most beers and especially where your pouring 12-16oz out of the tap... but when someone wants a "taste" in a small 3oz glass, I don't want them to think that's what the beer really tastes like.

If you've tried all this and still don't have off flavors. I'd love to know the exact lines you are using... because i'd really love to solve my problem with 3/16" lines.

 

[Yankeehillbrewer]

Possibly infected line?
I have never had an off flavour problem using vinyl line that is meant as beverage line (not the stuff from home depot) - this stuff also works better than the standard hardware store line b/c it does not become rigid at refrigerator temperatures.

No I don't think so, the lines are brand new and were flushed with both oxyclean & iodophor.

 

[jkarp]

You have some weird lines then. I can easily find the vinyl flavor if I only pour 1 oz out of my lines....pouring a whole pint though dilutes it to where I can't taste it. When I ran hot water through my vinyl lines though, the stink of plastic was intense.

I could very well be lucky. I just used what KegConnection sent me. No complaints whatsoever.

 

[Yankeehillbrewer]

If your getting off flavors from your line, it's the wrong kind, plain and simple. Go to micromatic.com and get some real beer lines.


_

I'll check it out, but my expectation would be that Keg Connection would be selling the appropriate line.

 

[bruin_ale]

I haven't made anything truly light tasting.. I've got a cream ale that's ready to go on tap, that'll probably be the mildest beer I've ever made. I'll be on the lookout I guess.. Maybe I don't want to know if I have this problem - ignorance is bliss.

 

[shortyjacobs]

This has been beaten half to death already:
https://www.homebrewtalk.com/f35/beer-line-tests-solution-plastic-taste-60380/

If you don't notice the flavor, no issue, but many (using "real" beer line, as I do!), notice it. It's not the end of the world, but it can be a PITA. The poly line from McMaster does solve the issue. The only downside to the poly line is that it's not flexible, and it's a royal biatch to get 3/16" poly line over 3/16" barbs, even with heat.

 

[Homercidal]

Yooper is talking about 5181K424 from McMaster-Carr. Just go to www.mcmaster.com and search for that product #.

Good info. I need to get some more line and this will do me nicely. Cheap too, and I can just have my shop add it to their next order!

 

[Yankeehillbrewer]

This has been beaten half to death already:
https://www.homebrewtalk.com/f35/beer-line-tests-solution-plastic-taste-60380/

If you don't notice the flavor, no issue, but many (using "real" beer line, as I do!), notice it. It's not the end of the world, but it can be a PITA. The poly line from McMaster does solve the issue. The only downside to the poly line is that it's not flexible, and it's a royal biatch to get 3/16" poly line over 3/16" barbs, even with heat.

Yeah I know, and I didn't want this thread to go that direction, but it did.

 

[shortyjacobs]

Yeah I know, and I didn't want this thread to go that direction, but it did.

Hah, I see. That's actually why I posted the link, to try and derail the discussion. Well to answer your original question...as yooper said, copper would be very much so bad. SS should work fine, if you can get a lot of 3/16" SS tube and have it bent to work for you. If you get 1/4", you'll need 3-4 times as much for flow resistance. Or use short sections of SS line and use those epoxy mixers from the "Cure to your short hose troubles" thread.

Given the cost of SS, and the fact that the McMaster poly tubing (while rather inflexible), is flexible and much easier to work with, I say go with Poly. If you can make it work though, I see no reason why SS wouldn't work if you are willing to put up with the $$ and PITA of bending it.

 

[-TH-]

I am actually using mcmaster #5181K39 which is the .17 ID 1/4 OD at only $.09/ft. However I second the royal biatch comment about getting it on the barbs. Otherwise, works great.

 

[a_shorething]

I am actually using mcmaster #5181K39 which is the .17 ID 1/4 OD at only $.09/ft. However I second the royal biatch comment about getting it on the barbs. Otherwise, works great.

I used a heat gun to put the 3/16" hose on my 1/4" barbs. Just a quick shot, enough to soften it up, slides right on.

Should work with any plastic lines if you're careful.

 

[Yooper]

Yooper I am installing a soda tap in my new room what diameter line are you using?

dunno. The part number was posted by shortyjacobs. I mean, the ID is 3/16" but the OD is smaller than the bevflex stuff, since it's pretty rigid and smaller.