Mash bags and microplastic

[ginkgo]

When heated, wouldnt they emit a lot of microplastic into your beer?

 

[WNKbrew]

My take, if microplastics are a concern, alcohol consumption is far worse. Plastics are everywhere now, heated shrink wrapped foods and millions of food products. Is the filter basket on our coffee makers plastic? Hot plastic. Do we microwave food in plastic? Hot plastic.

If microplastics from heating cause health problems, 95% of the developed world are screwed.

EDIT: I don't mean to sound snarky, had a few today.

 

[bu_gee]

Microplastics are generally created on purpose using mechanical industrial processes and are generally made as a filler material. Creating microplastics at home is a difficult process involves repeated breakdown of the plastics into smaller and smaller pieces. Well before you would get appreciable breakdown, you'd probably notice that your BIAB bag wasn't working so well separating the grains from the liquor.

 

[AntonioMartins]

When heated, wouldnt they emit a lot of microplastic into your beer?

Very probably yes.
But... As WNKbrew said, plastic is in every place... in the water we drink, in the food we eat, in the air we breath.
Micro plastic was found on humans internal organs, and also on Arctic ice.
The plastic in our beer is just a drop on a ocean.

 

[NTexBrewer]

You can always mash in a basket.

https://www.arborfab.com/64qtMeshBasket

 

[ginkgo]

Weird enough no one sells those here in finland

You can always mash in a basket.

https://www.arborfab.com/64qtMeshBasket

Weirdly no one sells those in Finland so gotta order somewhere

 

[ginkgo]

Very probably yes.
But... As WNKbrew said, plastic is in every place... in the water we drink, in the food we eat, in the air we breath.
Micro plastic was found on humans internal organs, and also on Arctic ice.
The plastic in our beer is just a drop on a ocean.

When heated plastic is omitted more, when boiled, probably so much more

My take, if microplastics are a concern, alcohol consumption is far worse. Plastics are everywhere now, heated shrink wrapped foods and millions of food products. Is the filter basket on our coffee makers plastic? Hot plastic. Do we microwave food in plastic? Hot plastic.

If microplastics from heating cause health problems, 95% of the developed world are screwed.

EDIT: I don't mean to sound snarky, had a few today.

Radium used to be used in every sort of things before, maybe science hasnt figured everything yet
https://www.mentalfloss.com/article/12732/9-ways-people-used-radium-we-understood-risks
I wouldnt eat microwave heated food with plastic etc.

It definitely causes problems but to what degree is still largely unstudied
https://www.researchgate.net/public...ences_of_health_risk_assessment_in_Bangladesh
"Plastics are used widely everywhere in our life and without plastic, modern civilization would indeed look very diverse. This study focuses on the toxic effects of plastic on human health and environment and possible consequences of health risk assessment in Bangladesh. Plastics are essential materials in modern civilization, and many products manufactured from plastics and in numerous cases, they promote risks to human health and the environment. Plastics are contained many chemical and hazardous substances such as Bisphenol A (BPA), thalates, antiminitroxide, brominated flame retardants, and poly- fluorinated chemicals etc. which are a serious risk factor for human health and environment. Plastics are being used by Bangladeshi people without knowing the toxic effects of plastic on human health and environment. Different human health problems like irritation in the eye, vision failure, breathing difficulties, respiratory problems, liver dysfunction, cancers, skin diseases, lungs problems, headache, dizziness, birth effect, reproductive, cardiovascular, genotoxic, and gastrointestinal causes for using toxic plastics. Plastics occur serious environment pollution such as soil pollution, water pollution, and air pollution. Application of proper rules and regulations for the production and use of plastics can reduce toxic effects of plastics on human health and environment. "

 

[WNKbrew]

BIABers don't boil the bag. Brewers have mashed in plastic coolers for decades. We're drinking beer, and, depending on quantity, is KNOWN to cause health problems. Of all the things that can kill you, a car, an airplane, your crazy neighbor, a little plastic seems like a minor concern. If you don't want plastic, don't BIAB. If your health overrides all other things, don't drink.

EDIT: Bangladesh is about as third world as they come. They have little to no healthcare system and drink from their toilets. Studying plastic's effects on their health without resolving the thousands of other health problems they face is silly.

 

[Birrofilo]

When heated, wouldnt they emit a lot of microplastic into your beer?

If you keep them at boiling temperature for one hour, they would release substances for sure.

A guy on an Italian forum boiled a mash bag for one hour in 1 litre water, and then the water had an awful taste. You won't taste this taste in a 30-litre batch only because it is diluted, but you are going to drink all that stuff in any case.

I can tolerate the idea of plastic at mashing temperatures, which for most batches is 60°C and then a short ramp up to 78°C if you do "mash-out", but not at boiling temperatures for 60-90 minutes, especially considering there are viable and more sensible alternatives.

Those nylon or voile bags are marked as "food safe" but they do release "substantial" substances after a long boil.

For hop pellets you can use 300-micron stainless steel hop baskets, for pellets in cones you can use natural tissue bags.

Those nylon hop bags are fine IMHO if you use them for dry hopping or for filtering wort when transferring from the kettle into the fermenter.

YMMV.