Is this going to kill me?

[mosto]

So I drilled a hole in my BIAB rig to install a temp gauge. I under estimated the power of my new drill and it ripped through in no time and basically I wasn't holding it steady enough and the hole ended up larger than it needed to be and now there is a bit of a leak. Off to the local hardware store to get some silicone sealant. Found some roof and gutter sealant that is temp rated from -60c to +150c. Perfect! Ran it around the join last night, poured a few litres of water in this morning and all good, no leak. It's only now, after the fact, that I've wondered if this is safe to use at higher temps. I know it will hold it's form up to 150c as per the tube, but will it leach anything out sitting in 100c wort for an hour or so. I've found the MSDS here. Basically, with my limited knowledge, I'm thinking it is OK to use. I'm going to do a trial boil with plain water to test the seal under pressure anyway, so hopefully I can see if anything leaches into the water, and maybe have a small taste to see if I can taste anything. Maybe someone with more of a chemical background than myself could give some advice.

 

[Yob]

why would you test it under pressure? It only needs to be tested for the conditions it'll be used with yeah?

I have Water Tank Silicone sealant on some of my vessels, probably the same thing.

 

[JDW81]

I don't know if it will cause you any health problems, but if you're worried why not remove the sealant and get yourself a silicone baking sheet and cut some custom sized washers out of that. Those sheets are rated to about 300 degrees and are food grade as they are designed to have stuff baked on them in the oven. Can get them from K-mart, homeware stores, ebay etc? Might be a bit harder to source in down town manildra, but orange is just up the road….

JD

 

[Phoney]

Or remove it and get some food grade stuff like this:

http://www.selleys.com.au/trade/building-products/silicone-sealants/silicone-401-rtv/

more reading:

http://aussiehomebrewer.com/topic/7922-food-safe-sealant/

 

[zappa]

On a corrugated iron roof in the middle of summer in some of Australia's hotter regions, I'd imagine that sort of temperature would be typical. I don't believe silicone is toxic, even if it were to leach a little under those temps. I'm not chemist though, so you can take this with a grain of salt. Personally, I wouldn't be worried in the slightest. There's plenty of stuff out there that's more likely to kill you that you wouldn't give a second thought to.

 

[mosto]

Sorry Yob, not testing under pressure. It's the same stuff I used to fix a pool pump leak and had that in my head when typing. Just going to do a boil to see if it holds at elevated temps is what I meant to type. Think I'll go with the boil test and if it doesn't look/taste nasty I'll run with it. If I don't post for a few weeks, you'll know I've made the wrong call.

 

[TSMill]

I don't think the MSDS is going to give you the answer, that is really addressing exposure to/ingestion off the uncured product during usage. Boiling water may give you a definitive no, but may not indicate it is ok to use because the acidic conditions of a wort boil may extract leachates that water alone will not.

Personally I would go the silicone baking tray gasket option, and if that fails, JB Water Weld Epoxy, which is specified as being potable water safe (slightly hipocritical as again, nothing to state this will be safe in an acidic environment).

 

[fletcher]

yyyyeah, i wouldn't risk it. taste isn't going to give you an indication of whether it's technically bad for you. i wouldn't risk it mate. for a bit of extra work, isn't it better to be safe than sorry?

 

[Pickaxe]

+1 gasket option. Easier cleaning and replacement too

pickaxe

 

[Beerisyummy]

Given that the product doesn't deteriorate much over twenty or so years, when used on guttering which experiences much worse conditions, I'd hazard a guess that you'll be alright mate.

Personally, I didn't like using the silicone baking trays (or commercially available washers), as I found them to be clumsy at best. They tend to leave a bit of give in the tap fitting and squish out the sides when over tightened.
IME, I found it easier to apply a small amount of 401in place of the washer(although many other products are suitable), gently snug up the fitting, then tighten it after a few hours. This will give a good, long lasting seal.

Admittedly, I don't stress too much about removing all fittings after the boil. I'm sure others have different opinions on this, but this is what works for me.

 

[mosto]

A quick update, I haven't done the boil test yet, but I did email Selley's with my situation. They have advised against using it for this purpose. My gut feeling is it would probably be OK, but given JDW81's helpful and easy alternative, I'll err on the side of caution and go down that route.