• Welcome to National Homebrew Club Ireland. Please login or sign up.
July 19, 2025, 06:16:57 PM

News:

Renewing ? Its fast and easy - just pay here
Not a forum user? Now you can join the discussion on Discord

Copper vs stainless steel

Started by Metattron, September 04, 2013, 05:03:16 PM

Previous topic - Next topic
Print
Go Down Pages1
User actions

Metattron

September 04, 2013, 05:03:16 PM
Is there a good reason for choosing stainless steel over copper, other than it's shiny?  Copper is cleaner and kills off microbes, so I'm starting to think I should go for copper and brass for pipes, taps etc, rather than the lure of the shiny.  Here's some science:

http://youtu.be/2RZXDOdrAdI
In primary:
In secondary: Wine, Melomel
In keg: Teddy Hopper, Coconut stout, 4 Cs, Buzz bomb, Never Sierra, Bock, OD
In the fridge: Helles Lager, Hob Gob

DEMPSEY

September 04, 2013, 05:12:29 PM #1
excellent story. If you had asked me before I saw that clip I would have said stainless steel but now I can rethink this.
Dei miscendarum discipulus
Forgive us our Hangovers as we forgive those who hangover against us

Hop Bomb

September 04, 2013, 09:49:53 PM #2
I hate the way anything copper in my setup changes colour frequently & can even build up that green oxide if I havent brewed in a while. Stainless doesnt oxidize & keeps its lovely shine.
On tap: Flanders, Gose,
Fermenting: Oatmeal Brown, 200ish Fathoms,
Ageing: bretted 1890 export stout.
To brew:  2015 RIS, Kellerbier, Altbier.

Metattron

September 04, 2013, 10:07:19 PM #3
Quote from: Hop Bomb on September 04, 2013, 09:49:53 PM
I hate the way anything copper in my setup changes colour frequently & can even build up that green oxide if I havent brewed in a while. Stainless doesnt oxidize & keeps its lovely shine.

There's your problem right there!  :)
In primary:
In secondary: Wine, Melomel
In keg: Teddy Hopper, Coconut stout, 4 Cs, Buzz bomb, Never Sierra, Bock, OD
In the fridge: Helles Lager, Hob Gob

Covey

September 04, 2013, 11:16:55 PM #4
who cares, make beers. 1 Billion rand to the first person who can taste the difference.
i wam wee todd did i am sofa king wee todd did

Hop Bomb

September 04, 2013, 11:51:37 PM #5
I care.
On tap: Flanders, Gose,
Fermenting: Oatmeal Brown, 200ish Fathoms,
Ageing: bretted 1890 export stout.
To brew:  2015 RIS, Kellerbier, Altbier.

Covey

September 05, 2013, 12:06:47 AM #6
You dont really. your just a tech whore as you told me ;).
i wam wee todd did i am sofa king wee todd did

Hop Bomb

September 05, 2013, 12:30:27 AM #7
Over building & over thinking things is way better craic than actually brewing. The clean up is easier too.
On tap: Flanders, Gose,
Fermenting: Oatmeal Brown, 200ish Fathoms,
Ageing: bretted 1890 export stout.
To brew:  2015 RIS, Kellerbier, Altbier.

wallacebiy

September 06, 2013, 12:24:42 PM #8
I think it's purely the corrosive and structural concerns that tips us the way of stainless steel

Copper is absolutely fine , however some corrosion products of copper are poisonous
so if it's somewhere you can't see , you could be poisoning yourself .

Structurally copper is weaker and softer so you need a thicker wall than steel.

That said a little copper somewhere in your setup is good for promoting yeast growth .
( I use a small length of copper to connect taps to the boiler / mash tun etc .)


Didn't watch the above video , but I presume it's purely dealing with microbial stuff ?
User actions
Print
Go Up Pages1