# Hoses And Pipes



## olskoolsoulja (10/1/08)

HI All,
My Name is Rich Ive been overseas for the last 6 months and when i get back and move into my new house im going to change a few things on my set up.
I have a march pump , HLT , tun and kettle on a frame i also have a heat exchanger but I dont use it much and ill be making hop back . Im looking for ideas on Hoses or pipes, connections etc could you please post some pictures of how you run your plumbing. 

Happy new year
Rich


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## mika (10/1/08)

No Pics, but it's pretty simple. Silicone hose, stainless hose barbs and el cheapo Bunnings hose clamps with the big thumb pads. I've been thinking about cam lock or triclover fittings, but it gets exy.


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## domonsura (10/1/08)

Forget the tri-clovers Mika, they are a complete pain in the ass - you need three hands to get them on, and that's when they are cold.......
The camlocks are good though, but as another option though, I have barrel unions on my brewery at the moment, and they are less than half the price of camlocks, and damned easy to use.
My advice Rich would be to try and keep it as simple as possible and do the type of research you are doing here to find out the best option to you before you fork over the dollars. Fittings can get very expensive, especially if you decide that you want to change them after a short while....(which I have done a couple of times now......)


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## sah (10/1/08)

I've had hoses and fittings on my mind lately too.

Currently I use garden hose quick disconnects.

I'm wondering if john guest fittings for my HLT and tun would work.

regards,
Scott


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## mika (10/1/08)

I've lost something in the translation. My understanding of a barrel union is a threaded coupler for joining threaded pipes... don't understand how that's working as a fitting for you ?? :huh:


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## domonsura (10/1/08)

I'll find you a pic when I get home Mika (I'm over in nz burying family members atm.... )


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## mika (10/1/08)

Damn, that's no good. My condolences to you and your family


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## domonsura (10/1/08)

Hey, death's part of life and at 87 she had a good run. Just a shame Nana can't be around for the party......She always was better at drinking whisky than I was.....
So a few more in the old girl's honour and then I'm hitting the hay before my family goes pear shaped like they usually do.....


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## Screwtop (10/1/08)

olskoolsoulja said:


> HI All,
> My Name is Rich Ive been overseas for the last 6 months and when i get back and move into my new house im going to change a few things on my set up.
> I have a march pump , HLT , tun and kettle on a frame i also have a heat exchanger but I dont use it much and ill be making hop back . Im looking for ideas on Hoses or pipes, connections etc could you please post some pictures of how you run your plumbing.
> 
> ...




To save you a search and lots of reading posts, I've tried all, and two hoses that work best are 1. Silicone hose available from the site sponsors at the top of this page. and 2. 12mm Reinforced Petrol/food Safe Hose from Clark Rubber. 

For fittings: 3/4"M x 1/2" Hose Barb fittings secured using bunnings clamps with the coloured (yellow) wing nuts are good. My preference is the (Neta Screw Hose Connector 12mm - 9 314212 016072). These work and seal well with the (Neta 12mm Brass Hose Fitting 3/4"M Sprinkler Adaptor - 9 314212 030061) brass quick connect fitting, these require a 1/2"M x 3/4"F socket to screw into. Other brass quick connect types with a screw on ring and plastic clamp are hopeless, especially with hot wort. 

Screwy


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## domonsura (10/1/08)

Screwtop said:


> To save you a search and lots of reading posts, I've tried all, and the only two hoses that work are 1. Silicone hose available from the site sponsors at the top of this page. and 2. 12mm Reinforced Petrol/food Safe Hose from Clark Rubber.
> Screwy



Damn shame about that Screwy, guess I'll be throwing a whole heap of hose out seeing as it doesn't work......apparently... :blink:


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## olskoolsoulja (10/1/08)

Screwtop said:


> To save you a search and lots of reading posts, I've tried all, and the only two hoses that work are 1. Silicone hose available from the site sponsors at the top of this page. and 2. 12mm Reinforced Petrol/food Safe Hose from Clark Rubber.
> 
> For fittings: 3/4"M x 1/2" Hose Barb fittings secured using bunnings clamps with the coloured (yellow) wing nuts are good. My preference is the (Neta Screw Hose Connector 12mm - 9 314212 016072). These work and seal well with the (Neta 12mm Brass Hose Fitting 3/4"M Sprinkler Adaptor - 9 314212 030061) brass quick connect fitting, these require a 1/2"M x 3/4"F socket to screw into. Other brass quick connect types with a screw on ring and plastic clamp are hopeless, especially with hot wort.
> 
> Screwy


 Thanks Guys , this is what i have now I might up date to silicone hose and clean it all up a bit with some pipe and taps

I was just looking though the gallery and notice a few people had there pumps mounted at the bottom of the frame .does this make the pump work better I did have some trouble with mine not flowing?? 

Cheers
Rich


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## mika (10/1/08)

They're still a pain to prime, or at least can be. Been a bit of discussion on the subject in the past. Don't think the ultimate solution has been found though.


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## Screwtop (10/1/08)

domonsura said:


> Damn shame about that Screwy, guess I'll be throwing a whole heap of hose out seeing as it doesn't work......apparently... :blink:




Sorry if what I had to say upset you Domonsura, might have been a bit OT.

Have rearranged my choice of words:



> To save you a search and lots of reading posts, I've tried all, and two hoses that work best are 1. Silicone hose available from the site sponsors at the top of this page. and 2. 12mm Reinforced Petrol/food Safe Hose from Clark Rubber



Simply providing a brother brewer with some info from experience. So what type of hose do you use? If you use something which you consider better and less expensive let us know, always happy to learn, have wasted a lot of dollars learning here. I find the Bunnings fittings good and simple to use, and possibly less expensive than the type you suggest above. 

Screwy


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## Back Yard Brewer (11/1/08)

Screwtop said:


> To save you a search and lots of reading posts, I've tried all, and two hoses that work best are 1. Silicone hose available from the site sponsors at the top of this page. and 2. 12mm Reinforced Petrol/food Safe Hose from Clark Rubber.
> 
> For fittings: 3/4"M x 1/2" Hose Barb fittings secured using bunnings clamps with the coloured (yellow) wing nuts are good. My preference is the (Neta Screw Hose Connector 12mm - 9 314212 016072). These work and seal well with the (Neta 12mm Brass Hose Fitting 3/4"M Sprinkler Adaptor - 9 314212 030061) brass quick connect fitting, these require a 1/2"M x 3/4"F socket to screw into. Other brass quick connect types with a screw on ring and plastic clamp are hopeless, especially with hot wort.
> 
> Screwy



Ditto to all of the above. I have tried using the SS snaplock fittings on my march pump. Whilst I love SS they can become very hot to handle. Brass is OK if you pickle it, but the Neta gear is cheap and reliable.What i will try down the track is the reinforced hose that Beer Belly has (aka domonsura) provided it fits on to my Neta fittings.

BYB


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## Screwtop (11/1/08)

Back Yard Brewer said:


> Ditto to all of the above. I have tried using the SS snaplock fittings on my march pump. Whilst I love SS they can become very hot to handle. Brass is OK if you pickle it, but the Neta gear is cheap and reliable.What i will try down the track is the reinforced hose that Beer Belly has (aka domonsura) provided it fits on to my Neta fittings.
> 
> BYB




Possibly the same reinforced hose that I get from Clark Rubber here, they stock two grades, petrol/food which is rated for food and drinking water but not for standing water (long periods), it can withstand high temps. And drinking water which is good for food/drinking water and standing water. When I tried the latter it became so soft at sparge temp that the hose came away from the connectors even though the rings were done up tightly. If Beerbelly stocks the same petrol/food grade reinforced hose I'd be interested to see what he retails it for as Clark Rubber prices here in QLD are up there.

Screwy


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## olskoolsoulja (11/1/08)

Hi,
Whats the best way to make the the "clear hose (glass) look in things" ? , probaly been posts on it before so just head me in the right direction.

cheers


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## AUHEAMIC (11/1/08)

Not exactly sure what youre after but if you mean a sight glass type thing to enable you to see when your wort is running clear during recirculation this is how I made one. It's just a piece of racking tube.


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## Back Yard Brewer (11/1/08)

Screwtop said:


> If Beerbelly stocks the same petrol/food grade reinforced hose I'd be interested to see what he retails it for as Clark Rubber prices here in QLD are up there.
> 
> Screwy



Look here Beer Belly Is it similar.

BYB


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## Lukes (11/1/08)

> Whats the best way to make the the "clear hose (glass) look in things" ?



Polycarbonate tubing for lower temps and glass for extreme would be the best as some have posted pics of melted poly on kettles.

Depend where you are as you have no location in your details.
Last time I got some offcuts from this place as it is local for me but not maybe for you.
G&G our sponsor have some racking canes on the web if you want one for racking.

- Luke


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## Screwtop (11/1/08)

quote name='Back Yard Brewer' date='Jan 11 2008, 09:10 AM' post='275976']
Look here Beer Belly Is it similar.

BYB
[/quote]


This is Beerbelly's: 
helical wire wound $10.95 M 

This is the hose from Clark Rubber: 

reinforced food contact, petrol resistant $4.50 M

May be easier to see the wort through the hose from Beerbelly. You can just see the light coloured wort in the hose coming from the kettle valve in the pic above.


Screwy


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## TidalPete (11/1/08)

Lukes said:


> Polycarbonate tubing for lower temps and glass for extreme would be the best as some have posted pics of melted poly on kettles.



G'day Lukes,

I have not had the opportunity to use polycarbonate tubing yet but have bought some to use in the near future.
I Googled polycarbonate & came up with this ---



Polycarbonate Physical Properties 
Specific Gravity
Units g/cm3
1.2 
Continuous Operating Temperature
Unit C - 5,000Hrs / 20,000Hrs 125/115 
Tensile Strength
Units MPa 65 
Impact Resistance
Units Charpy KJ/m2 20 
Impact Resistance
Units Izod KJ/m2 9 
Hardness
Units Rockwell M 75 
Co-efficient of Thermal Expansion
Units mm/(mmxK) x 10-6
avg value 23-60C 65 
Dielectric Strength
Units KV/mm 28 
Surface Resistivity
Units Ohms 1x1018 
Flammability
Oxygen Index % 26 
Flammability
UL94 V2 
Light Transmittance
Units ASTN D 1003 (%) 89 
FDA Approved 

As you can see, the stuff should be ok for well over boiling point which is the max temp that us brewers need. Perhaps the melted plastic in the pics you saw was not polycarbonate?  
12mm od poly tubing will fit tnto the Clark Rubber hosing quite nicely.

TP :beer:


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## domonsura (11/1/08)

I reckon the melted poly on the kettle will be as a result of it getting too much heat from the burner. Polycarbonate tubing will withstand boiling water with no issues whatsoever.


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## olskoolsoulja (11/1/08)

Thanks guys ,


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## Lukes (11/1/08)

Yep, burner not the liquor.
I use a stainless metal ruler in the kettle with a few scratches for diferent volume levels.

- Luke


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## Back Yard Brewer (11/1/08)

Screwtop said:


> quote name='Back Yard Brewer' date='Jan 11 2008, 09:10 AM' post='275976']
> Look here Beer Belly Is it similar.
> 
> BYB
> ...




The gear you show is what I also use. I have brewed all darker wort beers so far but when the lighter ones are made I may have the same issue you have. Also found that the hose will start to discolour after a while. It would be of interest to hear from other brewers whether the heli-coil hose has the same problem after a lot of use.

BYB


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## SpillsMostOfIt (11/1/08)

Before poking a hole in my kettle and installing a tap, I would use a Canadian device - branded as 'Facile Siphon' (or Easy Syphon) and which claimed to be made of polycarbonate - to get hot wort out. It bent with sub-boiling-point heat and is now not 'As New'.

I'm guessing the term 'polycarbonate' is both well-defined and used flexibly by suppliers and manufacturers.

Caveat Brewer.


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## mashdog (11/1/08)

Can one really use the wirewound clear PVC hose for hot liquids? The specs i have been able to find (eg IPSF at http://www.pirtek.com.au/HOApps/pirweb.nsf...+additions.pdf) seem to have a limit of around +65degC which would make the hose (technically) unsuitable for almost everything brew-related - i.e. hlt-mashtun (~75degC), kettle-chiller (~100degC), etc.

Is Beerbelly's hose (shown in an above post) rated to 100degC?


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## browndog (11/1/08)

Hi Rich,
I used silicone hose and devised a small sight tube from polycarbonate tubing.




cheers

Browndog


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## domonsura (11/1/08)

mashdog said:


> Can one really use the wirewound clear PVC hose for hot liquids? The specs i have been able to find (eg IPSF at http://www.pirtek.com.au/HOApps/pirweb.nsf...+additions.pdf) seem to have a limit of around +65degC which would make the hose (technically) unsuitable for almost everything brew-related - i.e. hlt-mashtun (~75degC), kettle-chiller (~100degC), etc.
> 
> Is Beerbelly's hose (shown in an above post) rated to 100degC?



Technically- yes. Actually - no. The specs provided basically mean that they aren't prepared to guarantee it food grade past 65 degrees, however according to the information provided directly to me it's good for 105 degrees before it will deteriorate. I've been using it for 3 years now, and I have never had an issue. It does discolour from the hops after time, I think just about any hose is going to do that over a period of time.


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## olskoolsoulja (11/1/08)

Nice pic Browndog


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## mashdog (11/1/08)

domonsura said:


> Technically- yes. Actually - no. The specs provided basically mean that they aren't prepared to guarantee it food grade past 65 degrees, however according to the information provided directly to me it's good for 105 degrees before it will deteriorate. I've been using it for 3 years now, and I have never had an issue. It does discolour from the hops after time, I think just about any hose is going to do that over a period of time.



Cheers domonsura.

So i wonder what "food grade" means? That no chemicals leak/leech out of the plastic into the liquid? If so, then the manufacturer is essentially conceeding that the plastic is starting to impart something into the liquid if it's over 65deg.


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## Kai (11/1/08)

domonsura said:


> Forget the tri-clovers Mika, they are a complete pain in the ass - you need three hands to get them on, and that's when they are cold.......




You get used to them... eventually. I wouldn't bother with them in my brewery though.


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## domonsura (11/1/08)

mashdog said:


> Cheers domonsura.
> 
> So i wonder what "food grade" means? That no chemicals leak/leech out of the plastic into the liquid? If so, then the manufacturer is essentially conceeding that the plastic is starting to impart something into the liquid if it's over 65deg.



Food grade does mean that no chemicals will leech out of the plastic into the liquid up to the limit they have stated, however your statement is not entirely correct. What they are conceeding is that they are _not prepared to guarantee that it will not_ leach anything over that temperature, not that it will if that temperature is exceeded - I know that sounds like the same thing you said, but what I have been told by more than one supplier of this product is that the PVC tubing is stable to well over that temperature, but because it gets used for a variety of different things by different people that the manufacturer has no control over, they cover their own asses by putting a limit on it. It's very common for manufacturers to 'dumb down' their products specs, just to make sure that they don't run up against liability issues (particularly here in Australia and the US).
But anyway. Yes it is PVC. Yes it is only officially rated food grade to 65 degrees C, the same as any other PVC hosing.


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## mashdog (14/1/08)

domonsura said:


> Food grade does mean that no chemicals will leech out of the plastic into the liquid up to the limit they have stated, however your statement is not entirely correct. What they are conceeding is that they are _not prepared to guarantee that it will not_ leach anything over that temperature, not that it will if that temperature is exceeded - I know that sounds like the same thing you said, but what I have been told by more than one supplier of this product is that the PVC tubing is stable to well over that temperature, but because it gets used for a variety of different things by different people that the manufacturer has no control over, they cover their own asses by putting a limit on it. It's very common for manufacturers to 'dumb down' their products specs, just to make sure that they don't run up against liability issues (particularly here in Australia and the US).
> But anyway. Yes it is PVC. Yes it is only officially rated food grade to 65 degrees C, the same as any other PVC hosing.



Thanks. Well after seeing the subject PVC hose in operation over the weekend (and your comments above) i think i'm off to buy some. Should be able to use it for pretty much all the hosing on the brewery.


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## Ross (14/1/08)

domonsura said:


> Food grade does mean that no chemicals will leech out of the plastic into the liquid up to the limit they have stated, however your statement is not entirely correct. What they are conceeding is that they are _not prepared to guarantee that it will not_ leach anything over that temperature, not that it will if that temperature is exceeded - I know that sounds like the same thing you said, but what I have been told by more than one supplier of this product is that the PVC tubing is stable to well over that temperature, but because it gets used for a variety of different things by different people that the manufacturer has no control over, they cover their own asses by putting a limit on it. It's very common for manufacturers to 'dumb down' their products specs, just to make sure that they don't run up against liability issues (particularly here in Australia and the US).
> But anyway. Yes it is PVC. Yes it is only officially rated food grade to 65 degrees C, the same as any other PVC hosing.



Hope you don't mind me asking, but what temperature are they saying it's safe to?? 65c is a fair way off boiling.

Cheers Ross


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## BOG (18/1/09)

Interesting comments regarding 65 deg limit.

I had Witworths (ship chandelers) call the supplier to confirm if I could put boiling liquid down their hoses.

They responded that Taint Free was only applicable to 65 deg. Over that the hose doe not meet specificaltions. (Arse Covering)

The hose was 1/2inch at $4.00 per meter.

Link to site http://www.whitworths.com.au/main_itemdeta...tAbsolutePage=1

It seems other than Silicon Hoses they all have the same problem.



BOG


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## schooey (18/1/09)

If the leeching of flavour into your beer is such a worry, silicon hose is only $16/m from the sponsors above. I really can't see how you could use any more than 4 metres of it in a home brewery? $64 is probably the cost of the ingredients of 2 brews, or less. Cheap insurance...... 

The silicon will probably see you all in the grave if you look after it


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