copper tube vs stainless pipe for cooler manifold?

[Olive Drab]

I see a lot of the mash tuns using copper pipe or cpvc. what i was wondering is why no one is using stainless steel pipe for their manifold. is it due to the ease of obtaining copper and its malleability or something else?

 

[TrubDog]

I've got two - one copper, one cpvc. both work great and do not impart any off flavors. I don't see why stainless wouldn't work as well. Take your pick!

 

[lincoln]

Ex Machinist here, SST tubing is a R-PITA to work with using hand tools or what most blokes have in the shed. Copper can be a little difficult to slit. Plastics can snap if handed to vigorously. They are both cheaper than SST and available form hardware store. not to mention how nasty SST slivers can be. (cant tell you how many times I have cut the **** out of my self with a bur or sst chip)

there is also SST braid, thats what i use but then i batch sparge

 

[ChemE]

+1 to what lincoln posted. Slitting my copper manifold was challenging, I cannot even imagine undertaking the same task with stainless (presumably 316 or 304). Plus I don't know that there would be any benefit whatsoever.

 

[Snafu]

+3 As i just finished up a SS HERMS coil last night, the stuff is a royal PITA, not to mention my hands look like I got in a fight with a razor or mad dog. I have made IC's and CFC out of copper its real easy to work with and easy to find parts in your local hardware store or the big orange store if you don't mind Chinese made stuff. My "H" pattern sparge arm is CPVC and that's real easy to work with also. The only reason I moved to SS is that I've been at this for about 10 years now and I'm just replacing all my copper and brass stuff with SS because "eventually" that stuff corrodes and looks "old".

 

[Bobby_M]

I've contemplated making up rings and rectangles of thinwall stainless tubing for that very purpose but it's the slitting operation that takes a long time. I metal band saw would be awesome.