Make my own immersion wort chiller

[davidgrace]

I want to make an immersion wort chiller. I already have sufficient copper pipe for this, but a video I watched advised using "Food Grade" copper pipe. Is this really necessary or will the copper pipe I already have do just as well?

 

[Ciaran12s]

I'm not saying I'm right in saying that copper is copper, but ive never heard of foodsafe copper. The only copper.pipe that I've ever come across for sale is for plumbing. This is going to carry water through homes for people to drink.

 

[Chippy_Tea]

I have never heard of food grade copper -

Man has exploited the inherent antimicrobial properties of copper since the dawn of civilisation. It has been demonstrated clearly in many scientific studies conducted over several decades that copper has rapid, broad spectrum antimicrobial efficacy against some of the most toxic species of bacteria, fungi and viruses.

.

 

[Gunge]

Never heard of food grade copper. Being an element, copper is copper. Unless food grade means it is coated with something. My CFC chiller is plumbers grade from B&Q - been using it for years and I'm still alive.

 

[BarnBrian]

Dutto used to be a copper and I'm sure he wasn't food grade:whistle:

 

[foxbat]

Maybe it just means they've cleaned off any chemicals used in the manufacture of the pipe, e.g. cutting fluids.

 

[sdt7618]

Never heard of anything so daft! all our buildings are predominately copper pipework that serves our drinking water.

What it may be referring to is the solder that used to be used on pipework when joining. That used to contain lead.

 

[Thumper]

I've never heard of food grade copper piping. As has already been pointed out, since copper is an element I'm not even sure it makes sense to say that there would be food grade and non-food grade versions. Copper is copper.

On a more practical level, I would assume that if it can carry drinking water then it'll be fine.