Is there a food grade Teflon tape?

[Snafu]

I use this stuff everywhere in my system, after each brew day I remove it, clean and replace for next brew day. I noticed the tape in the keggle seems to turn sorta clear, maybe from the high temps and only on the inside connection. Transfers from Mash/Lauter and HLT tanks are done with gravity and the smallest air leak will prevent good suction and stops me from hitting the volumes I have set up in my software. If it has threads, it gets tape. In theory, no wort should touch the tape, it should be all on the inside of the pipe, not the threads. The only real place of concern is inside the keggle, I have a connection to the dip tube/strainer. Those threads are exposed inside the keggle and those are the one that end up clear.

 

[Cpt_Kirks]

I think Teflon is food grade, period.

 

[Ace_Club]

Check out this doc, it looks like it is fine to use.

 

[Snafu]

whew, thats good news, so according to the MSDS as long as you don't exceed 500 deg and don't smoke it, its fine!

 

[Mike_A]

I wouldn't bother to unthread all the NPT fittings and replace the tape. At least not every brew, maybe every 5. Sounds like a major PITA but to each their own. I will be using camlock QD's and definitely replacing the tape only as-needed.

 

[Snafu]

Oh, its a major PITA all right, but I don't want to risk any water or wort getting left behind, thats where dem bugs grow.

 

[Breck09]

So is it safe to say then that if I have some tape exposed to my wort I will be okay?

 

[JonW]

I never undo any of my threaded fittings. Repeatedly doing so can may leaks as the threads of NPT fittings create their seal by deforming and wedging against each other. Yes, the teflon tape can perform some sealing in the joint, but it is mainly there to alleviate friction and lubricate the threads.

 

[Ace_Club]

I never undo any of my threaded fittings. Repeatedly doing so can may leaks as the threads of NPT fittings create their seal by deforming and wedging against each other. Yes, the teflon tape can perform some sealing in the joint, but it is mainly there to alleviate friction and lubricate the threads.

You're confusing NPT fittings with NPTF fittings. NPT threads are not meant to deform to seal. That is only the case for NPTF fittings.

That's not to say that frequently disassembling and reassembling can't cause thread deformation over time which will affect the seal integrity, however, the threads aren't designed to deform to make a mechanical seal like threads on NPTF fittings.

 

[JonW]

You're confusing NPT fittings with NPTF fittings. NPT threads are not meant to deform to seal. That is only the case for NPTF fittings.

That's not to say that frequently disassembling and reassembling can't cause thread deformation over time which will affect the seal integrity, however, the threads aren't designed to deform to make a mechanical seal like threads on NPTF fittings.

Thanks - learned something new today! I always assumed that was true for NPT.

Still, once mine are in place and sealed, I do not undo them. I flush my system well when I'm done brewing and usually at the start of a brew also. Any small bugs that are present will be killed in the boil.

 

[Ace_Club]

Thanks - learned something new today! I always assumed that was true for NPT.

Still, once mine are in place and sealed, I do not undo them. I flush my system well when I'm done brewing and usually at the start of a brew also. Any small bugs that are present will be killed in the boil.

This is the key. A good flush will ensure no mold is growing in between brews and anything that does survive is killed off in the boil.

 

[Snafu]

I'm not using any kind of pump system, and the NPT parts are weldless valves for coolers and such, plus valves for kettle. Not too big of a hassle "yet"