heating element toxicity?

[thevalkrye]

Has there been a discussion of the high acidity of wort leeching metals from heating elements?

The Camco ULWD is listed as being made from "Highest grade nickel and chromium incoloy". That is basically Stainless steel isn't it?

I was talking to a guy last night over a few pints and he felt it was a major concern and I would like to have some valid point to bring up to him next time I see him.

Thoughts?

 

[TipsyDragon]

are you putting the heating elements IN your brew? if not i would be more concerned about the composition of the brew pot. people claim that aluminum pots leach into a brew and cause ALZ. this is mostly untrue, the amount of aluminum leached is less than what you find in a typical antacid and you don't see those being pulled off the shelf. stainless steel pots have been around forever and i haven't heard any problems with them.

assuming you are right about the composition of the heating element being basically stainless steel it shouldn't be any more dangerous than a stainless steel pot being heated by an element.

 

[android]

there might be SOME leaching, but i highly doubt the amount of it coming off the element is anything to be concerned about... i mean, no one has died from drinking any homebrews made from an electric system have they? i would think your beer would taste pretty bad if there were large amounts of nickel or chromium.

 

[thevalkrye]

Chromium is a big part of stainless steel, and is an essential mineral as is copper, but like most metals can be toxic in large amounts. Wort is more acidic than water but still fairly neutral its not a strong acid or anything.

 

[TipsyDragon]

there might be SOME leaching, but i highly doubt the amount of it coming off the element is anything to be concerned about... i mean, no one has died from drinking any homebrews made from an electric system have they? i would think your beer would taste pretty bad if there were large amounts of nickel or chromium.

i agree.890

 

[GreenMonti]

If it is a incoloy, It is in the family of super alloys such as inconel. I wonder wich alloy it is? They vary a lot in composition.

For instance-832 stainless is mostly iron. At 60-70%

The 028 austentic stainless is almost equal parts of chromium, iron, and nickle. Nickle being the highest. All right around 30%