Biab Voile (bag) Poll

[roddersf]

Hi all,

Seeing that the recommended equipment for BIABing is Swiss Voile - and its often recommended to get it from Spotlight, I asked Spotlight what their Swiss Voile was made out of so as to guage melting points etc.

Well they came back with a recommendation that their voile should not be used for food prep, that there are food certified voiles out there but its not theirs. Thus this poll.

Would be great to get comments from brew shops and BIAB guru's here.

Cheers,
Rodders.

 

[pk.sax]

I used cotton this week for my first try ever, def food safe.

 

[QldKev]

How many times does this question have to be asked!

QldKev

 

[Rodolphe01]

On the subject of BIAB bags... My mum is an ace seamstress, but the damn bags keep failing at the stitching! Any tips?

Edit: With regard to the actual topic, Spotlight sell nylon, polyester and cotton voile - all of varying types. Voille is a pretty generic term. I also suspect their response is a pretty generic arse-covering respone which is totally understandable. I'd be interested to hear more about voille intended for food production though...

 

[drtomc]

Find an acer seamstress?

I make no claims about the aceness of my seaming, but I sewed a double row of zigzag along all the seams on mine and it has held up to a dozen brews so far, though I'm thinking of upgrading and doing a slightly flasher job of it second time around.

T.

 

[Guysmiley54]

My Mum is a sewing teacher. She used an overlocker and even sewed in a very nice drawstring at the top.

 

[pk.sax]

On the subject of BIAB bags... My mum is an ace seamstress, but the damn bags keep failing at the stitching! Any tips?

Edit: With regard to the actual topic, Spotlight sell nylon, polyester and cotton voile - all of varying types. Voille is a pretty generic term. I also suspect their response is a pretty generic arse-covering respone which is totally understandable. I'd be interested to hear more about voille intended for food production though...

I didn't sew in the first place out of sheer laziness (and the sewing machine was broken).. no problems yet with 3 kilo of grain. Just used a big enough piece of fabric.

 

[Banshee]

Go for a nylon or polyester. Cotton will more likely rot as it is a natural fibre and retains moisture. Also cotton may have been treated durring produstion with chemicals where nylon and polyester are made from molten materials.

 

[Cocko]

Award winning beers are obviously not enough any more...


Sad really.

 

[pk.sax]

Go for a nylon or polyester. Cotton will more likely rot as it is a natural fibre and retains moisture. Also cotton may have been treated durring produstion with chemicals where nylon and polyester are made from molten materials.

meh.. I just washed the cloth before and after, with hot water before and the garden hose after, strung it on the lines and sprayed it... No stitching means dry on the line in the sun with zero chance of anything remaining wet for storage. ie., no rot... Just remembered that none of my cotton clothes (including some voile thickness summer shirt) have ever rotted even in bad heat and copious amounts of sweat and toil applied Has anybody's cotton undies ever rotted?! n thats got plenty of stitching in there, not to mention the obvious treatment! Well, the whole scaring ppl off cotton is silly. Handle anything properly and it will work, besides, cotton won't melt either, and not burn while in contact with fluid (basic science principle).

 

[~MikE]

honestly, screw the AHB polo shirts, we need to organise "food safe" stickers that everyone can slap on everything they own...

 

[Thirsty Boy]

You have addressed your own concern and answered the question of many other people

"there are food certified voiles out there"

And there indeed are - Swiss voile from spotlight, if you are using the 100% polyester stuff that is recommended, is made of the same stuff that many food applications are also made from, so I am happy to use it, and happy that I amnot endangering anyone when I suggest it as an appropriate material.

BUT - as you have found out - it is NOT a product which is officially certified for food production, so if that concerns you... Then in the knowledge that there are products out there which are certified - go seek them out and make your bag out of them.

It'd be great if you then made a post to let us all know what the details of the product are and where they can be sourced so that this forum and the BIABbrewer forum can steer similarly concerned people towards them.

Cheers

Thirsty

 

[Bribie G]

Many people would consider beer to be non-food-safe B)

 

[drtomc]

Depends on the beer, I guess.

T.

 

[roddersf]

Many people would consider beer to be non-food-safe B)

HA! Tis' true!

OK OK - so I'll shut up and just use it!

Peer pressure is a powerful force... Truth be told I couldn't find the stuff and have been happily brewing with cotton muslin without any side effects.

Beer me good want more of - I suppose the important thing is that you're brewing it... :icon_cheers: