Food-safe Sealant?

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Ross said:
Batz said:
I think your on the mark there Ross , if they said it was food grade I would think it would open a can of worms.
Still I have been using it with no ill affects.........apart from feeling a little sleepy now and then. ;)

Batz
[post="95895"][/post]​

I thought maybe that's how you sleep upright - siliconed joints :D ...
[post="95897"][/post]​

No Ross, you forgot to supply a meat hook. All Batz like to hang on to something whilst they rest upside down. Since he was missing that he had no choice but to sleep upright. How uncomfortable is that? Poor old Batz must have been overworked trying to keep up with his casual work...

Cheers,
PeterS.... :D :beer:
 
I found my "knead it" at the Bunnings down here in Sydney (Bankstown to be precise).

Haven't used it anywhere yet though.....

Jez
 
FROM SELLEYS VIA EMAIL:

The only silicone sealant that Selleys make approved for incidental food contact is Silicone 401. This should be available through Bunnings, Mitre 10 and most local harwares.

After asking if it was on their website I got the following reply:

It is only known as Silicone 401. On our website it is located on the trade side under specialist silicones. Unfortunately there is no image available for this product.

The tube is fairly plain, white with a grey panel.

The product code is: 930069760697601. If the store is having trouble locating the product this barcode should help.


:beer:
 
I'm glad soldering is out of the question as lead is a common ingredient (even in silver solder) which is not good for you ! :blink: If you are so keen to accurately monitor your wort temp why don't you measure a batch of water with the probe and compare to the external reading and do a conversion chart ? I'm told that infections are unpleasant....
 
Doogiechap said:
If you are so keen to accurately monitor your wort temp why don't you measure a batch of water with the probe and compare to the external reading and do a conversion chart ? I'm told that infections are unpleasant....
[post="96046"][/post]​

Because the difference in temp between ambient fridge & the wort is not consistant - When the yeast are most active, they can lift the brew temp quite a few degrees above ambient, especially if the brew kicks off before the temp has been fully reduced...

Putting a temp probe via a dip tube in your fermenter lid is a very simple exercise & gives you far better control than just measuring fridge ambient or sticking your probe on the fermenter wall...

cheers Ross
 
FB,
I ask what you are going to once you have read the temp of your ferment and it is 2-4 degrees to high?
An internal probe gives an indication of temp, but in no way provides temperature control.
I am still unsure what adding a probe to the fermenter adds if you have no way to rapidly heat or cool the ferment.
If it is just curiosity, I would simply hang the probe into the ferment from above (ie under the lid)

cheers
Darrren
 
Darren said:
FB,
I ask what you are going to once you have read the temp of your ferment and it is 2-4 degrees to high?
An internal probe gives an indication of temp, but in no way provides temperature control.
I am still unsure what adding a probe to the fermenter adds if you have no way to rapidly heat or cool the ferment.
If it is just curiosity, I would simply hang the probe into the ferment from above (ie under the lid)

cheers
Darrren
[post="96082"][/post]​

FB, never mentioned what he wanted the sealent for if you read the posts Darren ;)
Sluggerdogs, will be contolling his thermostat - so will be providing temp control :)

cheers Ross
 
Hi all,
Revisiting this thread and asking how everyone's sealant is going after a few years?
I have used a non-food grade silicon and now my finished beer tastes like a chemical cocktail - very sad...

Is that Selleys Aquarium sealer the way to go?
What is the hottest temp that anyone has used it under? - I need to use some on a mash tun where I cant weld?

Thanks for your help.

Adam
 
I used aquarium caulking to seal my first mash tun (an esky) and I used it without issues for approx 8 years. When I built my HERMS, I used it to seal around the electric heating element in my hot liquor tank. That was about 4 years ago now. No leaks, no chemical taste, no issues at all. The max temperature the caulking has seen is 75C (mashout).

Just give it a week to cure properly before you use your mash tun. Don't be alarmed by the vinegar aroma while it cures - that's normal.
 
I used aquarium caulking to seal my first mash tun (an esky) and I used it without issues for approx 8 years. When I built my HERMS, I used it to seal around the electric heating element in my hot liquor tank. That was about 4 years ago now. No leaks, no chemical taste, no issues at all. The max temperature the caulking has seen is 75C (mashout).

Just give it a week to cure properly before you use your mash tun. Don't be alarmed by the vinegar aroma while it cures - that's normal.

Fantastic
Thanks, I was worried about the temperature rating.
Cheers
Adam
 
Hi guys,

I saw this in another thread and though I might comment. I just got onto Dow Corning for some feedback about which silicones are appropriate for pH 4.5-6 (e.g. barley mashes/phosphoric acid or lactic acid) and temps of 80-120°C:

Hi Adrian,

Thanks for your enquiry.

Once fully cured, both the 732 and 747 should not dissolve/leach chemicals into food. Also, both are of silicone chemistry, which makes them both inert upon complete cure.

Do note that 732 is food grade FDA approved sealant (see its attached technical datasheet), so I would recommend it instead of 747.

By the way, what are the material(s) of the substrates that you are sealing?


Regards,


Looks as though the following are appropriate for mash tuns, temp probes etc:
Selleys 401 Engineering (~200°C) - ok, but unfortunately takes 14-21 days to fully cure
Dow Corning 732, 739, 747, 748 (748 ideal) - ranges from 177°C and up
I am going to do a test run of the Bostik 936 in the next few days to see if any bad flavours come up.

Enjoy...
 
Ross said:
FB, never mentioned what he wanted the sealent for if you read the posts Darren ;)
And to be honest, after all these years I cannot remember for the life of me! LOL

PZ.
 
This is food-safe silicone sealant made for the food industry.

Food grade silicone. Colour: Aluminium Grey, suitable for use with stainless steel. High temperature formula heat resistant to 200ºC (400ºF). Premium grade. Air cures overnight. Tack-free in 15 minutes. Uses: Waterproof adhesive bonds better than generic sealants. Won't peel. Tube volume: 304ml.

$20 per tube from CRH Australia (http://www.crh.com.au/products/fabrication-supplies/sealants/kason-sil-kason-food-grade-silicone/)

Kason.jpg
 
TidalPete said:
And yet another! (rather similar to Feldon's!

TTBOMM $14 from the big green shed last year.

http://www.selleys.com.au/trade/building-products/silicone-sealants/silicone-401-rtv
Yes, but what it only tells you on the tube - not in any Web literature - is that it takes 21 days to properly cure. And until it does, it will continue to release small amounts of the acetic acid compound, which could leach into what you're using it on.

Although not exactly a sealant, I have now had great success with the Knead It Aqua, as Ross originally recommended. Funny for Ross to give great information. :)
 
Adr_0 said:
Yes, but what it only tells you on the tube - not in any Web literature - is that it takes 21 days to properly cure. And until it does, it will continue to release small amounts of the acetic acid compound, which could leach into what you're using it on.
Thanks for that Adr_O.
I used it to vermin-proof the insulation around the vessels on my HERMS years ago & can't recall what the label said. Not that I'm doubting you of course. :)
I don't have any on hand but will check out a tube next time I'm at Bunnings FMI.
 
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