Anyone using stainless pipe instead of copper?

[Cazamodo]

I have a new build coming, all in stainless, and most of it will be hard plumbed in, so I'm hoping to go with stainless rather than copper. Plus it means I can bring some chemicals home from work and not worry about the copper parts of my set-up.

Never used stainless pipe before, so not even sure on a good price.
A local metal shop gave me these quotes.

1 x 6mtr random 1/2" o/d x 0.9mm wall seamless tube 316 £ 7.70 mtr del 2 days
Or
1 x 6 mtr 1/2" o/d x 1.5mm wall welded ornamental tube 304 mirror polished £ 3.50 mtr del 1 day

I wasn't sure with the second lower grade as its 'welded ornamental' tube.

Also another dumb question but, I have all 1/2" ball valves, so I obviously want 1/2" OD pipe. Obviously... right?

[Dabooka]

Isn't that stuff still copper on the inside though? I've used similar on a house job a couple of years ago, albeit I think that was polished chrome not stainless, but if it is the same 'type' then you'll negate the point as copper will be the exposed surface to brews and chemicals.

Sorry if I've misread the description

[Cazamodo]

Sorry, its my bad wording! I can see that now

I mean using stainless pipe, over the choice of copper pipe!

Not actual plated copper! Oops. Better re-word that!

[Full Mental Jakey]

I'm interested in this too, for much the same reasons. Trouble is that stainless compression fittings for joining pipes and taps, etc, are very expensive. It seemed to me that it would work out ok if you could cut your pipe to length and tap the ends to screw into the usual 1/2" BSP taps/elbows/tees/etc. But I'm clueless about metal-work and I suspect tapping stainless isn't easy...

edit BES sell stainless tube for threading...

http://www.bes.co.uk/products/165a.asp

[paulg]

cazamodo
I think 1/2" bsp threads are not 1/2" outside diameter but inside diameter see below

BSP British Straight and Taper Pipe Taps

BSP and BSPT
Nominal Size
(inches) T P I Major Diameter
(inches)
1/8" 28 0.383
1/4" 19 0.518
3/8" 19 0.656
1/2" 14 0.825
5/8" 14 0.902
3/4" 14 1.041
7/8" 14 1.189
1" 11 1.309
1-1/4"
11
1.650
1-1/2"
11
1.882
1-3/4"
11
2.116
2"
11
2.347
2-1/4"
11
2.587
2-1/2"
11
2.960
3"
11
3.460

[scotia]

I have used stainless pipe but 1" o/d and fully welded so cant comment on olive fittings for this, you are looking for hygienic or sometimes called dairy tube which are both seamless or (d.o.m) drawn over mandrel. It is worth shopping around as there can be a massive difference in price especially on the smaller dia as it is not so commonly used.

[Full Mental Jakey]

Scotia - do you think it's feasible to consider threading 1/2" BSP stainless pipe oneself, without specialist equipment? Using something like...

http://www.tap-die.com/contents/en-uk/p ... _dies.html

[barneey]

A £20 set of threaders will work but you will eventually break them.

[Full Mental Jakey]

Hmm, given that a stainless compression fitting can easily cost £10, you don't have to get many threads out the die to make it pay for itself!

[barneey]

You should get (1/2" ss stuff) at least 20 odd threads out of a die, maybe even more. IMO the cutters will either then be blunt or broken, your right compared the cost of compression fittings, its a no brainer.

Just lube, take it slow and clear the swarf out every turn or so

[Fil]

u will be looking at tube closer to 21mm OD for threading into a 1/2" bsp fitting..

[scotia]

Scotia - do you think it's feasible to consider threading 1/2" BSP stainless pipe oneself, without specialist equipment? Using something like...

http://www.tap-die.com/contents/en-uk/p ... _dies.html

Hi,

if the wall thickness is heavy enough but defo not on 1.2/ 1.5 wall threaded pipe usually works on bore size and sched 40 (heavy wall tubing) if you are threading go for a cobalt die as staandard dies rip the thread on stainless also use cutting fluid or paste when threading.

Sam

[mabrungard]

Be careful! Brewing without any contact with copper in the process has tripped up several brewers. Copper provides for several yeast and reductive processes in brewing and you DO want them. An important thing that copper provides is the removal of sulfide and other sulfurous compounds.

If you do go all stainless, be sure to include a short length of copper tubing in your boil kettle to infuse some copper into the wort. Your beer will be better for it.

[Jim]

Be careful! Brewing without any contact with copper in the process has tripped up several brewers. Copper provides for several yeast and reductive processes in brewing and you DO want them. An important thing that copper provides is the removal of sulfide and other sulfurous compounds.

If you do go all stainless, be sure to include a short length of copper tubing in your boil kettle to infuse some copper into the wort. Your beer will be better for it.

Interesting. So it's just as well I have a copper hop strainer in my SS boiler!

[Cazamodo]

Be careful! Brewing without any contact with copper in the process has tripped up several brewers. Copper provides for several yeast and reductive processes in brewing and you DO want them. An important thing that copper provides is the removal of sulfide and other sulfurous compounds.

If you do go all stainless, be sure to include a short length of copper tubing in your boil kettle to infuse some copper into the wort. Your beer will be better for it.

Very interesting.

I work in a small microbrewery and to my knowledge it is all stainless.

I use antiformin and caustak to recirc the system so i doubt theres any hidden copper. And as of yet (touch wood)ive not had any issues with the beers brewed.

One of my reasons for going all stainless at home too