Brass Brewing Components and Pickling
I recently bought a new kettle with a brass ball valve and hose barb. I was a little concerned about the lead leaching into the wort, and spent quite a bit of time researching this online. Not much is available on the subject of "pickling" brass to reduce the leaching of lead, in fact, about the only thing I could find was from John Palmers How To Brew book:
"Cleaning Brass
Some brewers use brass fittings in conjunction with their wort chillers or other brewing equipment and are concerned about the lead that is present in brass alloys. A solution of two parts white vinegar to one part hydrogen peroxide (common 3% solution) will remove tarnish and surface lead from brass parts when they are soaked for 5-10 minutes at room temperature. The brass will turn a buttery yellow color as it is cleaned.
If the solution starts to turn green and the brass darkens, then the parts have been soaking too long and the copper in the brass is beginning to dissolve, exposing more lead. The solution has become contaminated and the part should be re-cleaned in a fresh solution."
http://www.howtobrew.com/appendices/appendixB.html
Does anyone have any other knowlege or first hand advice about this procedure? Is it even worth worrying about?
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that's right
It is worth doing before you start to use the brass fittings and then anytime after that if the brass gets scratched, exposing new brass. John Palmer knows his stuff when it comes to metallurgy. I haven't seen another procedure that claims to be better than the one he lists.
So, you bought a new kettle? Any luck on getting the used kegs?
Hey Mike, Thanks for the
Hey Mike,
Thanks for the advice. I haven't had a chance to look at the kegs yet. They are open like 8:30 to 4:30 or something rediculus like that, so getting there durring the week is pretty tough for me. I may need to pass the batton to someone that has a week day off...?
As for the kettle, it's supposed to be getting here today, so I'll bring it to the meeting tonight and let everyone drool over it. It's a brand new Polarware, 15 gallon, fully welded kettle with integrated thermometer. Only the best right? ;)
forget the brass!
if you're going to get that kettle you better go with s.s. all the way!
are you bringing it tonight to put it in the raffle? ;)
...it does have a SS ball
...it does have a SS ball valve, but they were out of the SS MPT to Barb fittings, so I'll have to upgrade on my next order. Besides, a little brass in there should give it more "bling" anyway! ;)
...and that's a big ixnay on tha affleray. ;0)
Brass vs. S/S
The problem with going all stainless, especially with bulkhead fittings, is that the stainless compression fittings will eventually "cold weld" or fuse tigether, and cause the compression nut to be forever bonded to your union that's attached to your ball valve. It's the heating, and cooling that causes this to happen, even in the presence of teflon tape (unless *all* the threads are completely covered up, and the tape is thick enough to prevent galling). Brass on stainless is ok, and only those brass parts made out of the USA will contain surface lead. What John Palmer says is true, but it's fairly common knowledge afaik, and he's simply passing along the same info that has been on the HBD, and the brewery.org. IMHO, brass is best to connect the dip tube to the union, or else use a brass union with S/S compression, and ball valve fittings. I've used all brass fittings on my keggles w/o incident, and even soaked them in the acetic acid and hydrogen peroxide mix. The dip tubes are made of copper, and the compression band that holds on the S/S screen is also S/S, but that's about it for S/S fittings in my system. Makes pretty good beer, and I don't really see the point of using all S/S unless it's a psychological or an appearance decision.
Prost!
Michel
Beer is living proof that God loves us and wants us to be happy!
attributed to Ben Franklin