PEX pipe for mash manifold

[rtockst]

Hello all, I just decided to build a mash tun so I can start brewing some grainage soon. I went with a 5 gal round rubbermaid. After buying this I realized it would be hard to get a manifold in there, seeing as there is so little space.

I decided to use PEX pipe because it was way more flexible than cpvc and I only had to by a 5' piece. Has anyone ever used this before? I was wondering why I never see anyone say anything about it. It's rated for temps and chemicals just as highly as cpvc, so I don't see why there would be any problems. I bought this 5' piece of 1/2" ID 5/8" OD for a little under $2. So it was just as cheap as cpvc!

 

[BargainFittings]

It will work fine. It is made of HDPE. Same stuff as plastic fermentation buckets.

It is a very safe and stable plastic that does not leach plasticizers like other plastics including CPVC and PVC

Cross-linked polyethylene - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia


PEX Information

 

[Gonefishing]

this is good to know as I've seen this stuff and wondered if it would work

 

[Bullbythehorns]

I would love to see some pics when you are done because that sounds like a great idea. I have over 1300' of PEX pipe in my radiant floor heat system and have a lot of scraps left over. That sounds like a great way to recycle some of them.

 

[rtockst]

well awesome! thanks for the help. I will definitely put up some pictures... after I figure out how to do that. Oh and for any one who is thinking about it... a manifold in a 5 gal round cooler is a bad idea. I'm just slipping the pex on to cpvc fittings, and the damn fittings are so big, there is hardly and length left on the pex to make slits. There would be major dead spots. So, since for some reason I'm stuck on the manifold route, I'm taking a saw to the ends of the fittings to shorten the coupling parts. I think it will give me a little more length for cutting slits, although I'm going to spend most of tomorrow morning cutting the damn fittings.

Does anyone have any idea about the cheap vinyl tubing, like the stuff at lowe's? I don't think it is rated for such high temps is it? It seems like many many people use it... or they've found other stuff that just looks like the vinyl.

 

[BargainFittings]

Vinyl tubing is too soft at mash temps inside the mash tun. I think you found the downside of pex. There is no easy way to shape it without fittings and all the fittings are brass or the quest type plastic fittings.

CPVC fittings cannot be glued to pex.

 

[rtockst]

Vinyl tubing is too soft at mash temps inside the mash tun. I think you found the downside of pex. There is no easy way to shape it without fittings and all the fittings are brass or the quest type plastic fittings.

CPVC fittings cannot be glued to pex.

Do you know if you can use braided vinyl? I know that won't crush, but chemicals may still be leached out at that temp. As for the pex fittings.... I don't plan on gluing them at all. It's going to be hard getting the manifold in and out of the cooler, so I don't plan on gluing. I think they will fit tight enough that you wouldn't need to glue them. So no worries there!

 

[nathan]

silicon tubing is available by the foot at US Plastics or morebeer.com For the short piece you need on a mash tun, it's pretty cheap.

 

[rtockst]

That's good. I hope I can order that small of a piece. I've got my manifold almost completely done. All I have to do is cut the slits and test it out so see how much water it leaves in the bottom. Can someone tell me how to upload pics onto this thing so I can post pics of the finished product?