Dowty seals...

[MacKiwi]

Apologies for spamming the forum this morning...

Has anyone used these as washers for mounting taps on boilers/mashtuns?

http://www.the-home-brew-shop.co.uk/aca ... cwjLJyUV0Q

They look to be a lot easier to use than my regular technique of cutting a silicon washer by hand... and they're shiney!

I guess the seal is rubber - is there any problem with using this in a pot full of boiling wort (it does say food-grade)?

 

[jamesb]

NOT food grade.

Oddly, I'm playing with one at the moment.

 

[MacKiwi]

Interesting, the description says "Dowty Seal Stainless and Food Grade 1/2", best to make those mash tuns and boilers water tight". Which sounds like exactly what I'm trying to do.

What are you using yours for? And does it work?

 

[cnelsonplumber]

Fairly pricey for a seal but cast iron solid reliability even at boil temperatures. :thumb:

 

[MacKiwi]

I like the sound of that :) I agree it's pricey, but I only need a couple per vessel, and the cost is "in the noise" compared to all the other shiney stuff...

 

[MacKiwi]

I've done a test brew on the new system, and I'm afraid I won't be using these seals after all.

There was a very fine film of black left around the top of the boiler, and the wort has the acrid taste of rubber.

This is with the seals all being used on the outside of the pot, not the inside.

So I've removed them and managed to get the fittings to seal with a silicon washer on the inside and lots of PTFE tape.

Oh well, it was worth a try. Sadly, this is the first batch of beer I've had to tip down the sink...

 

[PD]

thanks for that....its good to hear of things that don't work as well as those that do.

 

[Intelekt]

I bought 2 sight glass kits from the home brew shop, and they come with dowty seals! :hmm:

I hope these will be ok I don't want them melting into me brew, surely they wouldn't sell them on a home brew website if they didn't work?

 

[MacKiwi]

Well, I can't completely discount the possibility that there was some other left-over residue in the pot, but I did give it a thorough clean, with oxy-clean and then hot soapy water...

Give it and go and see how it turns out. I replaced my seals with a whole lot of PTFE tape, and that seemed to work ok

 

[thedrayman]

I've been using these Dowty seals for about a year now in a couple of my vessels and (so-far) have not had any adverse effects with the taste of the final product or 'scum-lines' in the vessels. I've found them very effective to-date. :thumb:

 

[MacKiwi]

That's good news Drayman, I'm glad they're working out for someone

 

[rpt]

There are two types of Dowty seals. You need the stainless steel ones.

 

[MacKiwi]

Indeed, that's what the place I purchased them from sold them as...

 

[chastuck]

I use SS dowty seals on boilers and fermenters and have never had taste or deposit issues. I believe the black seal is nitrile not rubber.

 

[asd]

I use Dowty seals on all my 1/2" and 1" fittings - I have never had a problem with them.

Simon.