Labeling Silicone Hoses?

[mongoose33]

I want to label my silicone hoses so I can easily pick them off the hooks and install them where I need them. I have a RIMS setup as well as using a pump for moving wort and hot water around.

I've tried using a sharpie marker but it's not optimal; is there a good way someone's discovered to do this?

 

[JugDog]

I use colored electrical tape on my co2 lines and serving lines to make them easy to trace around the keeper when they get all twisted around each other

 

[Kickass]

Color coded zip ties

 

[schematix]

Nail polish on the QDs.

I used sharpie at first and it works for a while but it does wear off.

 

[mongoose33]

Nail polish on the QDs.

I used sharpie at first and it works for a while but it does wear off.

Oho! I have some of that I use to refresh the front sights of firearms!

 

[Gozie Boy]

Oho! I have some of that I use to refresh the front sights of firearms!

Bumping @mongoose33 to see how this solution worked out. I also want to label my hoses, and as you said, sharpies fade away too quickly. Thx!

 

[Dr_Jeff]

Name tags for pets are cheap enough if one looks around.

 

[Golddiggie]

Has anyone tried using a label maker? I have an Epson labeler that I use often enough (put names on the kegs and whatever else I need to). I might try making some labels for my brewing hoses, or maybe the gas lines inside my keezer (to make sure I turn the correct ones on/off at the manifolds) soon. At this point, I've made the brewing hoses long enough to reach from the kettle(s) to pump and such easily. The one going from the MT and BK outlet to the pump inlet is the same one. The same is from the wort pump to the HERMS coil inlet and the BK whirlpool/inlet (same hose). I typically 'dry fit' the hoses before use to make sure things are correct. That way I'm not rushing on brew day. Labeling some of them would make that less of a process, but some are obvious as to where they go.

 

[mongoose33]

Bumping @mongoose33 to see how this solution worked out. I also want to label my hoses, and as you said, sharpies fade away too quickly. Thx!

I chose to go a different route. I'm writing the hose labels on the silicone hoses themselves, and I'm setting it so each hose has a specific hook--labeled--to hang on.

The sharpie writing on the silicone hoses has to be refreshed from time to time, but it's worked fairly well for me.

 

[day_trippr]

K.I.S.S.
Years ago after stressing on coming up with an alternative that totally made sense I ended up just using black sharpies to mark my sixteen corny keg shells and their lids. Yes, the refresh thing is necessary, but Sharpie's are cheap

[edit] wrt the topic at hand...on my 3v2p single tier herms I have five brew rig hoses:

• the really short one from hex output to MLT autosparge input, which can't be confused with any of the others
• one BK output to pump #1 input, which has an elbow at the BK end and a straight shot into the pump at the other
• a similar hose from HLT output to pump #2 input. This one is always clean while the other gets stained the first time it's used
• one pump #1 output to BK input, with elbows at both ends.
• a similar hose from pump #2 output to HLT input - or hex input, depending on brew phase. Again, clean, vs the other - stained on Day 1.

I never get these mixed up...

Cheers!

 

[Vale71]

I wouldn't write directly on silicone hoses. The material is so porous some of the ink will actually get into the beer/wort and I wouldn't want to drink that.

 

[schmurf]

I wouldn't want to drink ink either, but surely that has to be negligible in this case?

 

[Vale71]

You'd be surprised how porous silicone actually is. I personally wouldn't bet my health on "surely"....

 

[mongoose33]

You'd be surprised how porous silicone actually is. I personally wouldn't bet my health on "surely"....

I use a sharpie because once the vehicle in which the black ink is suspended is dry, it's DRY. There's nothing to seep through the silicone. It's not liquid, it's dry.

If you're truly concerned that dry sharpie marker can somehow seep through silicone hose and contaminate your beer, then your best approach is to not use it.

As for me, I've looked above and the sky is not falling.

 

[Vale71]

As for me, I've looked above and the sky is not falling.

Very droll, as usual.

Plastic is actually solid and yet when it comes in contact with liquids under certain conditions the wrong kind of plastic could release all sorts of stuff that you don't necessarily want to put into your body. Amazing, isn't it?

BTW, not to burst your bubble but my response was not directed solely at you as I was aware it would probably be just a waste of my time. It was for the benefit of all that might have read your post and thought, "Hey, if he's doing it then it must be safe" instead of, "Maybe he doesn't have the foggiest idea that what he's doing might potentially be dangerous to some extent".

 

[mongoose33]

Very droll, as usual.

Plastic is actually solid and yet when it comes in contact with liquids under certain conditions the wrong kind of plastic could release all sorts of stuff that you don't necessarily want to put into your body. Amazing, isn't it?

BTW, not to burst your bubble but my response was not directed solely at you as I was aware it would probably be just a waste of my time. It was for the benefit of all that might have read your post and thought, "Hey, if he's doing it then it must be safe" instead of, "Maybe he doesn't have the foggiest idea that what he's doing might potentially be dangerous to some extent".

I think it's fabulous that you offer up your expertise without so much as a scintilla of evidence that you're qualified to do so.

And if you think a sharpie, whose vehicle for the "ink" evaporates almost immediately, is a major (or even a tiny) health threat, then you go ahead and continue to think that. It's a free country (at least the one I live in), and you have all the right in the world to hold your opinions.

Think about this for just a second: if sharpies were dangerous, i.e., they somehow "leak" through silicone into beer, then I wonder how we've all survived getting it on our hands and breathing the vehicle, And if silicone can, through contact with sharpies, create other compounds, wouldn't you think this would be common knowledge?

If you have real evidence, please reveal it. I'm more than willing to change my mind.

So, let's have it. Links to reputable sources, things that we won't need to accept your "expertise" to believe.

 

[GoeHaarden]

Always a controversial topic...

 

[Vale71]

Always a controversial topic...

It wouldn't be controversial if those bags were made of silicone. Which they aren't and for a very good reason...

 

[Vale71]

From the horse's mouth:

"While Sharpie markers are AP-certified non-toxic, we do not recommend using them on areas of items that may come in contact with food or the mouth. Sharpie has not been tested as an oven proof product and should not be used anywhere where a consumer could possibly ingest the ink. Sharpie markers are only recommended for use on ceramic or glassware when the product is being used for decorative or display purposes."

 

[GoeHaarden]

It wouldn't be controversial if those bags were made of silicone. Which they aren't and for a very good reason...

Just food for thought...

Take a deep breathe and maybe calm down

 

[Jayjay1976]

You'd be surprised how porous silicone actually is. I personally wouldn't bet my health on "surely"....

Once the ink is dried it's non toxic. The warnings against use on food contact surfaces is to avoid mechanical transfer, not the same as seeping through silicone into beer. Let's not get silly, it's certified non toxic, and while that still doesn't make it edible, whatever nano-scopic amount might migrate through the wall and into your beer is still far less harmful to your health than the ethanol already in the beer.

 

[Grizwold1]

Obsess Over Minutia And Have A Homebrew

 

[day_trippr]

As acronyms go, I don't see ^that one^ making it

 

[IslandLizard]

As acronyms go, I don't see ^that one^ making it

Works great:
O-OMAHA-H

 

[day_trippr]

Nope...

 

[IslandLizard]

I think color coding (with tape) beats writing. Safe and sound, while easily recognizable even from across the room.

@mongoose33 I really don't see the problem.
Looking at your rack, they're different lengths (and levels of tarnish ) and really "fit" only one way in your system.

 

[Jayjay1976]

At least he's not ordering others to dump their beers...yet

 

[Jayjay1976]

I think color coding (with tape) beats writing.

A classier and even more permanent solution would be brass tags, a set of letter punches, and split rings to attach them to the camlock fittings. My camlocks came with split rings.

 

[Tom R]

I think color coding (with tape) beats writing. Safe and sound, while easily recognizable even from across the room
[

I wouldn't try it.
That sticky adhesive can permeate through the silicone hose and the tape can off-gas harmful vapors and... Well, you know the rest.

 

[IslandLizard]

A classier and even more permanent solution would be brass tags,

Classier, indeed. But gold plating them would really put the crown on it.

 

[IslandLizard]

I wouldn't try it.
That sticky adhesive can permeate through the silicone hose and the tape can off-gas harmful vapors and... Well, you know the rest.

Use color zip ties then.
If there are a lot of connections, color code them, like the bands on resistors.

 

[Tom R]

Use color zip ties then.
If there are a lot of connections, color code them, like the bands on resistors.

Have you ever read the MSDS sheet on zip-ties? Scary stuff.
Ok, I'm done now. Carry on.

 

[Jayjay1976]

Have you ever read the MSDS sheet on zip-ties? Scary stuff.
Ok, I'm done now. Carry on.

I was just about to say, only the clear zip ties are certified safe for beer hose contact, unfortunately that makes them useless for color coding.

 

[IslandLizard]

I wouldn't try it.
That sticky adhesive can permeate through the silicone hose and the tape can off-gas harmful vapors [...]

Wow!

Have you ever read the MSDS sheet on zip-ties? Scary stuff.

Wow, wow!

How about putting a good layer of Kapton (Polyimide) tape underneath, as a barrier? The adhesive is a silicone product.

 

[T Murph]

Ok now after 30+ yrs of brewing I'm afraid of using silicone hoses. NOT. Don't really understand the problem in the first place. I use eight hoses in my system and amazingly I have always managed to use the right ones in the right places. Length, discoloration and size along have kept them easily identifiable. Oh yeah, and condition, they don't last forever you know. Good or bad I'm not marking mine. I prefer to keep a cleaner more professional look to my equipment than to have messy hand written scribbles on high dollar hoses. To each his own. Stress over it if you may. I'll relax and have a home brew.

 

[JAReeves]

Not to poke the bear, but do the hoses need to be labelled at all? It's kind of like Goldilocks: this hose is too long, this one is too short, and this one is just right.

 

[day_trippr]

In my case, as I indicated earlier, the hoses on my rig were "built to suit", and between length, terminations - and very quickly, color - are strongly self-labeled

Cheers!

 

[mongoose33]

Not to poke the bear, but do the hoses need to be labelled at all? It's kind of like Goldilocks: this hose is too long, this one is too short, and this one is just right.

Before I labeled them, I always, eventually, got the right ones here and there. In my setup, there's just enough ambiguity that it takes a little fiddling, and I'm all about doing everything I can to make things easy and quick.

I like it when things are optimal.

 

[Golddiggie]

Got my manifold setup complete yesterday. Currently using barb fittings on pretty much all the connections and hoses. Not sure if I'll label them, or not, at this point. Mostly because it's pretty obvious as to what goes where. Everything has TC connections, so easy to install/remove (not as fast as QD's but still not bad at all).