- Joined
- Aug 31, 2017
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I brewed my first batch on my new BIAB rig, which is inspired by @Bobby_M's great work, but not designed by @Bobby_M (although he did make me some custom parts that I will post about later). More details on the rig below, but perhaps having gone a little too far down the low-oxygen rabbit hole, I decided to use EPDM gaskets on all of the (many) TC connections in my rig. EPDM is rated for 300F and I figured that so long as the kettle had water/wort in it, nothing could get too much above 212F.
Long story short, this does not seem to have been a great decision. As you can see in the photo below, the EPDM seems to have melted onto the TC fittings.
So first question. Any recommendations for cleaning off the melted EPDM? It seems to come off with some elbow grease and a thumbnail, but just doing one that isn't as bad as the one in the photo left a bunch of EPDM embedded in my thumbnail. A metal scraper seems like a bad idea, but a plastic scraper needs to be harder than EPDM.
Second, I can replace the EPDM gaskets with silicone gaskets, which are rated for over 400F, which should prevent this from happening again. However, the reason I am using TC connections is so I can clean-in-place (CIP) as much as possible. And another issue that came up is that my system is a mix of "full-size" 1.5" TC parts, like the valve above, and reduced 3/4" parts (also with 1.5" TC flanges). Using standard 1.5" gaskets between two reduced parts leaves a pocket that CIP does not properly clean. I could switch to 1" gaskets, available from multiple sources, which would reduce the depth of the pocket, but not eliminate it. Aliexpress has some 19mm x 50.5mm (which actually have a 16mm i.d.) which would be the perfect size, but I'm not sure I trust the vendor's assertion that they are "food-grade". Any suggestions for a domestic source of gaskets for reduced piping?
Lastly, since someone is sure to ask, here is a photo and summary of my new rig. Almost everything is sourced either directly from Spike (which is local in Wisconsin) or from @Bobby_M at brewhardware.com.
20 gallon custom Spike tank, SpikeFlow pump, Spike solo table, heat exchanger from Duda Diesel with 1.5" TC ports on beer side welded by @Bobby_M, custom mash cap also fabricated by @Bobby_M (clip and shock cord are because the lid is so heavy it sank during my test in plain water but it seems to float fine in a mash). The manifold lets me split recirculation between below the false bottom (also from brewhardware.com) and through the TC connection on the mash cap. The manifold also allows me to direct flow through the heat exchanger without moving hoses. The wort path is all TC connections, with a mix of full and reduced piping.
Long story short, this does not seem to have been a great decision. As you can see in the photo below, the EPDM seems to have melted onto the TC fittings.
So first question. Any recommendations for cleaning off the melted EPDM? It seems to come off with some elbow grease and a thumbnail, but just doing one that isn't as bad as the one in the photo left a bunch of EPDM embedded in my thumbnail. A metal scraper seems like a bad idea, but a plastic scraper needs to be harder than EPDM.
Second, I can replace the EPDM gaskets with silicone gaskets, which are rated for over 400F, which should prevent this from happening again. However, the reason I am using TC connections is so I can clean-in-place (CIP) as much as possible. And another issue that came up is that my system is a mix of "full-size" 1.5" TC parts, like the valve above, and reduced 3/4" parts (also with 1.5" TC flanges). Using standard 1.5" gaskets between two reduced parts leaves a pocket that CIP does not properly clean. I could switch to 1" gaskets, available from multiple sources, which would reduce the depth of the pocket, but not eliminate it. Aliexpress has some 19mm x 50.5mm (which actually have a 16mm i.d.) which would be the perfect size, but I'm not sure I trust the vendor's assertion that they are "food-grade". Any suggestions for a domestic source of gaskets for reduced piping?
Lastly, since someone is sure to ask, here is a photo and summary of my new rig. Almost everything is sourced either directly from Spike (which is local in Wisconsin) or from @Bobby_M at brewhardware.com.
20 gallon custom Spike tank, SpikeFlow pump, Spike solo table, heat exchanger from Duda Diesel with 1.5" TC ports on beer side welded by @Bobby_M, custom mash cap also fabricated by @Bobby_M (clip and shock cord are because the lid is so heavy it sank during my test in plain water but it seems to float fine in a mash). The manifold lets me split recirculation between below the false bottom (also from brewhardware.com) and through the TC connection on the mash cap. The manifold also allows me to direct flow through the heat exchanger without moving hoses. The wort path is all TC connections, with a mix of full and reduced piping.
![Craft A Brew - Safale S-04 Dry Yeast - English Ale Dry Yeast - For English and American Ales and Hard Apple Ciders - Ingredients for Home Brewing - Beer Making Supplies - [3 Pack]](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/41vpOQ2OvTL._SL500_.jpg)
