Plastic a big No No

[QLD.Andy]

We had a little discussion earlier about plastic.
So I figured it should be here in the safety section.
Plastic and high % alcohol should never come together.
I do understand that certain plastics will tolerate alcohol better than others but, most household plastics have no place amongst brewing kits.
Discus :arrow:

[Heffers]

I just bought some silicone hose from my LHBS to make a siphon feed filtering system. I was assured that the silicone hose was suitable for high % alcohol. Have I been had or is silicone alright for that duty.

Cheers, Heffers

[MacStill]

Heffers,

If your going to use it for move wash to boiler or racking wash's I say it will be ok to use, but if your thinking of using it for high ABV% distilled spirit transfer I'm not sure I would be comfortable using it, especially if that spirit is going to be in contact with it for any length of time.

Cheers.

[maheel]

Heffers could you replace the silicone with copper pipes (or even ss)

that way no "danger"

some say silicone and teflon are inert and are using both as seals in their stills (i use PTFE tape.... and have some teflon circles)
but i would be reluctant to use a piece that alchol sits in for hours

silicone makes great transfer hose :) does not kink and can handle boiling wash no problems, i use it for my beer wort transfer.

[Heffers]

Heffers could you replace the silicone with copper pipes

I think that's the way I'll end up going. I'm planning on making a rising column type of filter with a tapped demijohn as the header tank, feeding into the bottom of a filter cylinder (either copper or stainless depending on what I can find) then flowing out the top to a collection tank.