Drying tubing by forcing warm dry air through it

[glutarded-chris]

I live in Florida with with high humidity and it takes forever for tubing etc. to dry. I would really like to quickly dry out the wart side of the counter flow chiller after cleaning to insure that nothing grows in there in the moist environment while it slowly dries out. I would like to be able to send warm dry air through it for a few hours to insure that it is dry before storing it.

Anybody have a good method?

I was thinking something like the boot driers that ski lodges use to dry their rental boots over night. I don't see anything that you can just buy that would work well for our tubing.

Maybe a fish tank air pump with a simple filter to keep out dust etc.. Also maybe something to warm up the air before it goes through the tubing.

Some blow air through from their compressor, but I would worry about oils and such coming from the compressor. Maybe with a really good compressor line dryer, the bulk of the oils and moisture would be out before it goes through the chiller tubing.

 

[seatazzz]

I wouldn't worry about drying it. Some nasties can grow in dry conditions too. Just flush the heck out of the wort side with hot water (180° is good) when you're finished chilling (BOTH ways). That should take care of any residual wort in there and leave it clean. I do the same with my plate chiller and nothing nasty has ever grown in it for the 3+ years I've been using it. Next brewday, make sure you run hot wort through the wort side before starting your cold hose for about 5-10 minutes; that will sanitize the chiller to a fare-thee-well.

 

[IslandLizard]

Adapt one of a hair dryer's nozzles so the tubing will fit somewhat tightly inside it. Then blow cold or warm (not super hot) air through it.

I drape mine over the corner of a storage rack so both ends point downward, and let them drip out, and dry that way. Takes a few days. They are clean and Starsaned before they get draped. I've never had anything growing in them. Some have been in use like that for over 13 years.

Some hoses/tubing I use frequently remain submerged inside a Starsan bucket. They become semi-opaque, but still work the same. Of course they get rinsed every time and occasionally brushed inside.

 

[shoengine]

I wouldn't want to blow air through tubing unless it is HEPA filtered. Just clean and sanitize.

 

[glutarded-chris]

Interesting, thanks!

I drape mine over the corner of a storage rack so both ends point downward

I do that for sure so that both the wart side and the coolant side drain and don't have water pooling in them.

I was thinking that actively drying would introduce less potential for mold etc than letting the moisture sit in there although it is clean water on clean surfaces to start with. Maybe not. Before actively cooling, I always run the hot wart completely through the chiller without cold side flow for long enough to kill anything in there, but also don't want "polution" entering even if it has no infection potential.

I could also just put a quick slug of alcohol through it which would evaporate most of the moisture.

 

[IslandLizard]

I was thinking that actively drying would introduce less potential for mold etc than letting the moisture sit in there although it is clean water on clean surfaces to start with. Maybe not.

Moisture won't sit in there long enough, IMO, when left to drip out and air dry, but may take a few days. The worst is putting wet or damp hoses in a bucket or tote with a lid on it. That's inviting mold spores (they're everywhere) to the test...

1/2" ID (brewing) silicone hoses dry quicker than 3/8" ID vinyl (racking) hoses. Now after cleaning/rinsing, all hoses do get soaked in Starsan before hung up to dry. And the cold side ones get re-sanitized with Starsan right before next use, of course.

I usually hang silicone (brewing) hoses by the Camlock rings from a screw in the wall, they drip out, next day they're dry.

I could also just put a quick slug of alcohol through it which would evaporate most of the moisture.

Sounds like waste of alcohol, but heck, if it helps ease your mind, it shouldn't hurt.

Before actively cooling, I always run the hot wart completely through the chiller without cold side flow for long enough to kill anything in there

A stainless plate chiller? That's good practice, just in case something was growing in there. I do the same.

But that plate chiller will never get thoroughly dry by just sitting there. I shake mine out, each side back and forth, until no more drops come out of it.
You could stick the plate chiller in an oven for a few hours too, with a couple loaves of bread, or so. At 325-400F (or higher) that will get it dry and sanitize/sterilize it at the same time. I do that semi-regularly, but not every time I brew.