Is brass for sparge water ball valve a problem?

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Brew2Be

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Hi all.

I read basically everywhere that i should use stainless steel for everything in my brew setup (brewing parts + keg). I have done this so far. I now want to install a ball valve in my second kettle which i will dedicate to heating sparge water. My question is whether this ball valve and it's hose connector (I don't know what it's called..) which only comes into contact with water should also be SS? I gathered that the problem with using brass for example is that beer's acidity may make it leach heavy metals (e.g. lead) in time. My choice is between CW602N (the brass) and SUS-316 (the stainless steel).

Thanks in advance for your insights.
 
I'd advise to just get the stainless. It's worry-free.

FYI there is a procedure to remove surface lead from brass.
 
I have brass on my mash tun which I made back in the dark ages before you could get SS as easily as now. It's fine, and I don't worry about it.
 
Used a brass valve on my previous mash tun for years. No problem except I now find myself often repeating myself often repeating myself. It's like I'm doubling what I'm saying what I'm saying...

no not really haha. No issues with it. I think most now have lower lead levels. But, for a few dollars difference just go with stainless. And the hose connector is called a barb.


Rev.
 
Brew2Be said:
Hi all.

I read basically everywhere that i should use stainless steel for everything in my brew setup (brewing parts + keg). I have done this so far. I now want to install a ball valve in my second kettle which i will dedicate to heating sparge water. My question is whether this ball valve and it's hose connector (I don't know what it's called..) which only comes into contact with water should also be SS? I gathered that the problem with using brass for example is that beer's acidity may make it leach heavy metals (e.g. lead) in time. My choice is between CW602N (the brass) and SUS-316 (the stainless steel).

Thanks in advance for your insights.
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nope , most brass made for potable water applications is lead-free nowadays . Perfectly safe.
Both the ball valves and barbs are available at your local hardware store.
 
Thanks for your replies, guys. I guess it's safe as long as it's just for water. Cheers!
 
Brew2Be said:
I guess it's safe as long as it's just for water.
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If there's lead on the hardware it will leach into water.

However, many brass fittings nowadays have low lead. Or you can remove the surface lead yourself, as I already mentioned.

FYI "Lead-free" doesn't mean zero lead, but just low enough that it shouldn't cause harm.
 
RPh_Guy said:
If there's lead on the hardware it will leach into water.

However, many brass fittings nowadays have low lead. Or you can remove the surface lead yourself, as I already mentioned.

FYI "Lead-free" doesn't mean zero lead, but just low enough that it shouldn't cause harm.
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Oh.. Alright. Thanks for the extra input and explanation. Sounds like SS is the way to go just to be sure.
 
Lol. I wonder if the water company will change the water meter that feeds your house. What about the faucets you draw the water from? And the brass fittings used in the majority of leak free pex installations? If you're on a well you probably have a pump with a good deal of brass in it. Unless your pump doesn't work very well, then maybe it's stamped stainless. Anyway....carry on.
 
RPh_Guy said:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Argumentum_ad_populum

https://www.newscientist.com/articl...s-drinking-water-is-leaching-from-brass-taps/

We're on a forum about making a toxin, so it's all good :)
Click to expand...

My favorite quote from the article:
"This fallacy is similar in structure to certain other fallacies that involve a confusion between the justification of a belief and its widespread acceptance by a given group of people"

I'm surprised the second article does not speak to the role that ph plays in those findings.

I grew up in the water business. In the early '80's we had a tremendous amount of pressure from the state concerning the use of pumps with brass impellers. Only one brand of pump (Grundfos) was being spec'd for the large municipal wells we were constructing. We find out later that Grundfos (all SS) paid for all the testing and had been lobying for brass restrictions. Which worked for them. We installed a lot of their pumps. Problem was that their pumps were garbage.
Good grief, How did I get on that subject? Oh yeah, nevermind.
 
brass for water is fine (if its a low lead brass fitting meant for water use like you would find in many homes plumbing systems and not some sort of repurposed gas line fitting or such.) Brass is not good when it comes to wort or beer exposure, it will turn black and leach metals into the liquid over time..
 
Homergah said:
Lol. I wonder if the water company will change the water meter that feeds your house. What about the faucets you draw the water from? And the brass fittings used in the majority of leak free pex installations? If you're on a well you probably have a pump with a good deal of brass in it. Unless your pump doesn't work very well, then maybe it's stamped stainless. Anyway....carry on.
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dont forget 90% of all beer taps in bars are chrome plated brass and the plating is long gone on the inside where its in contact with the beer...(that said bud actually specs stainless taps now ive heard for new setups.)
 
RPh_Guy said:
If there's lead on the hardware it will leach into water.

However, many brass fittings nowadays have low lead. Or you can remove the surface lead yourself, as I already mentioned.

FYI "Lead-free" doesn't mean zero lead, but just low enough that it shouldn't cause harm.
Click to expand...
same goes for copper water pipes so for many this is sort of a non issue. especially those that still use copper chillers.
 
Others have posted the views on brass vs lead so I will not. However, I will post that brass is a soft metal and easily stripped or cross threaded. If lead in brass is no longer a concern, then I'd be very careful using brass due to the soft metal.
 
augiedoggy said:
same goes for copper water pipes so for many this is sort of a non issue. especially those that still use copper chillers.
Click to expand...
That was my first thought, but....yeah it's been beat to death. Trying to not start the inevitable argument. Cause, you know what they say about arguing with an idiot, right? He's doing the same thing.
And copper is good for yeast. At least that's what I tell myself.
 
Tobor_8thMan said:
Others have posted the views on brass vs lead so I will not. However, I will post that brass is a soft metal and easily stripped or cross threaded. If lead in brass is no longer a concern, then I'd be very careful using brass due to the soft metal.
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As a plumber I can tell you, plumbers love brass, and hate stainless. Brass seldom leaks. Probably all that lead making a good lubricant for making up fittings. Stainless, more prone to leak. And stainless will lock itself together to the point nothing will take the pieces apart, even though the frign thing is leaking! However, if you're getting Chinese brass, who knows what's in that stuff and what pitch the threads will actually be, and if there are any starter threads on the fittings, and.... ARGH!!
See what you done gone did? Got me goin'.
 
Homergah said:
That was my first thought, but....yeah it's been beat to death. Trying to not start the inevitable argument. Cause, you know what they say about arguing with an idiot, right? He's doing the same thing.
And copper is good for yeast. At least that's what I tell myself.
Click to expand...
Yeah all on how you want to see it.. Copper is bad for oxidizing wort in the eyes of the lodo brewers.
 
RPh_Guy said:
If there's lead on the hardware it will leach into water.

However, many brass fittings nowadays have low lead. Or you can remove the surface lead yourself, as I already mentioned.

FYI "Lead-free" doesn't mean zero lead, but just low enough that it shouldn't cause harm.
Click to expand...
No. Lead free means exactly that , no lead. Just like lead free soldier. Different alloys .
 
Homergah said:
As a plumber I can tell you, plumbers love brass, and hate stainless. Brass seldom leaks. Probably all that lead making a good lubricant for making up fittings. Stainless, more prone to leak. And stainless will lock itself together to the point nothing will take the pieces apart, even though the frign thing is leaking! However, if you're getting Chinese brass, who knows what's in that stuff and what pitch the threads will actually be, and if there are any starter threads on the fittings, and.... ARGH!!
See what you done gone did? Got me goin'.
Click to expand...
Regardless if he chooses brass , copper or stainless steel threaded fitting should all have teflon thread tape on them. Just good practice.
 
Soulshine2 said:
No. Lead free means exactly that , no lead. Just like lead free soldier. Different alloys .
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not to disagree but all the lead free solder I have does in fact say in small print that it has a low safe level of lead and I know that "lead free brass" does in fact have low amounts of lead in it to make it safe by todays standards.. even the special red california rated brass I believe.
 
Soulshine2 said:
Regardless if he chooses brass , copper or stainless steel threaded fitting should all have teflon thread tape on them. Just good practice.
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even with the tape stainless is more difficult to get a good seal I have a lot of stainless threaded fittings in both my home brewery as well as some at the brewpub and sometimes you just have to keep adding more and more teflon... brass is way softer and tends to seal much easier. like mentioned the threads are not all cut on the same dies.. through in the misadvertised BS threads and its can be a nightmare... my bayou classic fitting for example has threads that do not match most of my stainless fittings. american or british standard...
 
Tobor_8thMan said:
If the Teflon tape is on the threads how is it coming into contact with anything?
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have you ever had to take your fitting apart with the tape on them? ever notic how some of the tape can be stained.. it does contact the beer not that I think its any cause for concern myself.
 
Tobor_8thMan said:
If the Teflon tape is on the threads how is it coming into contact with anything?
Click to expand...
That was mostly just a bit of a joke. But... any thread sealant you put on the threads WILL be in the product you put thru the piping with said sealant on said threads. You just need to flush your piping before running any product through it. Teflon is not going to hurt you. Or is it.......
 
augiedoggy said:
have you ever had to take your fitting apart with the tape on them? ever notic how some of the tape can be stained.. it does contact the beer not that I think its any cause for concern myself.
Click to expand...

I can understand the threads, but the threads are not in contact with the liquid flowing thru the item (pipe, ball valve, etc).
 
Tobor_8thMan said:
I can understand the threads, but the threads are not in contact with the liquid flowing thru the item (pipe, ball valve, etc).
Click to expand...
unless the stars align just right you always have some female threads exposed where the two pipes didnt quite bottom out or had different length threads.. and usually the seal isnt at the exact lead edge of the male threads from what Ive seen.. sometimes it could be.. not not likely. This is one reason threaded joints are not considered sanitary.
 
When did brass, an alloy of copper and zinc, contain lead? If it has lead it should not be called brass.
 
DiscDuffer said:
When did brass, an alloy of copper and zinc, contain lead? If it has lead it should not be called brass.
Click to expand...
plumbing fittings are not made of pure brass.. same with copper pipes. they contain lead because it made the material easier to work and reduced cost I believe.. now days the amount of lead found in them is very little from what Ive read. the older solder was the worst offender for lead.

https://www.angieslist.com/articles/there-lead-copper-or-brass-plumbing-pipes.htm
 
augiedoggy said:
why, you gave solid advice..
Click to expand...
I guess I didn't expect to have to argue that it's best to avoid lead exposure wherever reasonably possible. It's toxic.
I guess it's a personal preference. I doubt anyone will actually be harmed by using brass fittings, so whatever.

My stainless fittings never leak, so I don't see that being an issue.
 
RPh_Guy said:
I guess I didn't expect to have to argue that it's best to avoid lead exposure wherever reasonably possible. It's toxic.
I guess it's a personal preference. I doubt anyone will actually be harmed by using brass fittings, so whatever.

My stainless fittings never leak, so I don't see that being an issue.
Click to expand...
I understand your frustration. Sometimes we answer a post with personal answers more than fact but with a certain personal point of view bias in our reply. One extreme to the other causes an online argument and we regret trying to help. We're all just here to trade information. Don't take it personally. Relax, dont worry and have a homebrew.
 
RPh_Guy said:
I guess I didn't expect to have to argue that it's best to avoid lead exposure wherever reasonably possible. It's toxic.
I guess it's a personal preference. I doubt anyone will actually be harmed by using brass fittings, so whatever.

My stainless fittings never leak, so I don't see that being an issue.
Click to expand...
Hopefully I wasn't argumentative. Just expressing a personal view point based on experience. I personally do not have brass in my brewery. Does not play well with the acids I use. Anyway, no offense meant, and none taken.
 
yeah... same here.. a lot of folks are still cooking and brewing with water from hot water tanks and that honestly a lot worse than using a few lead free brass fittings..
 

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