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Author Topic: Smelly Gas Lines  (Read 1151 times)

Offline Phil_M

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Smelly Gas Lines
« on: March 14, 2019, 05:31:32 pm »
Bought new gas lines for the nitro setup...they reek of plastic. (well, they are plastic, but you get it...)

Any chance this will affect the beer? I'll cannibalize my CO2 lines if need be, but I'd rather not have to...
Corn is a fine adjunct in beer.

And don't buy stale beer.

Offline Robert

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Re: Smelly Gas Lines
« Reply #1 on: March 14, 2019, 05:48:53 pm »
Is that vinyl tubing, and if so did you get it from a brew shop or a hardware?  I used to buy vinyl interchangeably but lately everything from the hardware store has a God-awful stench, presumably plasticizers (it even seems little extra flexible and tacky.)  Only the brew shop now has anything I'd let near beer (it is after all rated as food grade I gather, hardware probably isn't.) 

Anyway my take is, if some molecules are flying off into my nose like that, they're going to fly off into the beer as easily.
Rob Stein
Akron, Ohio

I'd rather have questions I can't answer than answers I can't question.

Offline Phil_M

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Re: Smelly Gas Lines
« Reply #2 on: March 15, 2019, 06:38:52 am »
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01BKWWMB6/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o01_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

It's listed as food grade...maybe I'll try soaking it in something and see what that does...

And it's the legit stuff, two distinctly different layers of plastic.
Corn is a fine adjunct in beer.

And don't buy stale beer.

Offline Robert

  • Official Poobah of No Life. (I Got Ban Hammered by Drew)
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Re: Smelly Gas Lines
« Reply #3 on: March 15, 2019, 06:45:01 am »
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01BKWWMB6/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o01_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

It's listed as food grade...maybe I'll try soaking it in something and see what that does...

And it's the legit stuff, two distinctly different layers of plastic.
Wait, if it's two distinct layers, could the stink just be from a more flexible outer layer, with a more impervious liner?  If you felt experimental you could cut a little piece off and try to open it up and delaminate it to investigate.  And by investigate I mean sniff, of course.
EDIT You could also just hook up your system, leave gas in the line for a bit, and smell what comes out before hooking up to your beer.  Either approach is the kind of stuff that would give me peace of mind.   But I suppose given that it is legit beverage gas line, maybe it should be trusted.... nah I'm always a skeptic.
« Last Edit: March 15, 2019, 06:52:40 am by Robert »
Rob Stein
Akron, Ohio

I'd rather have questions I can't answer than answers I can't question.

Offline Phil_M

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Re: Smelly Gas Lines
« Reply #4 on: March 15, 2019, 07:53:38 am »
Wait, if it's two distinct layers, could the stink just be from a more flexible outer layer, with a more impervious liner?  If you felt experimental you could cut a little piece off and try to open it up and delaminate it to investigate.  And by investigate I mean sniff, of course.
EDIT You could also just hook up your system, leave gas in the line for a bit, and smell what comes out before hooking up to your beer.  Either approach is the kind of stuff that would give me peace of mind.   But I suppose given that it is legit beverage gas line, maybe it should be trusted.... nah I'm always a skeptic.

Trust, but verify.

Split it open as suggested...the inner tubing has no odor at all. Thanks for the good idea!
Corn is a fine adjunct in beer.

And don't buy stale beer.