Sparge Arm Librication

[mbaker33]

Hey Guys,

I got a new all grain setup only about 6 to 9 months ago and when I was brewing yesterday I could not get my sparge arm to spin at all unless I stood there spinning it manually. It appears as if the insides has stiffened up quite a bit as it used to spin very freely when I first got it, and now it hardly spins even when I do it manually.

My question is, what should I use to lubricate it, and how should I go about doing so? Obviously the normal household lubricants (i.e. WD-40 or something of the like) would NOT be cool to use since it's going into beer. Please let me know what you think.

In case you are wondering, the sparge arm is in the link below:
http://www.northernbrewer.com/brewing/review/product/list/id/1972/category/107/



Thanks,

Mark

 

[suprchunk]

Might be mineral build-up. Try soaking it in vinegar and rinsing it. If that doesn't do it you might want lube it lightly with some vegetable oil. And be sure to wipe off the excess.

 

[Pickngrin]

Silicone keg lube?

 

[suprchunk]

Silicone keg lube?

That stuff is thicker than molasses. It's only used to keep the rubber lubed. Read: not dry out. I wouldn't actually use it to try and lube moving parts, because it's not that type of lubrication.