Polypropylene Fittings

kjball · Post by **kjball** » Mon Jan 09, 2012 11:37 am

Does anyone have any opinions about using polypropylene fittings? I'm considering using Gator-lock fittings to connect my herms and HLT to my mash tun. I know I probably should use Stainless for all the cam-lock fittings i have, but I find it hard to justify. Polyprop. melting point is more than 300F (It's autoclavable), it's used in several food packaging applications. I just don't see why it would work for warm-side applications (mashing, HLT). I have stainless fittings on everything that will come into contact with boiling liquid. Anyway, I know someone will have an opinion about this, so let me know.

Matt F · Post by **Matt F** » Mon Jan 09, 2012 11:47 am

They work for me. I have been using these fittings for a long time.
http://www.minibrew.com/index.php?main_ ... ea387b8971

I got them simply because they were the cheapest available when I started using them in 2004. Still the cheapest. I use them for all my connections including pumping boiling wort through my pump for the last ten minutes of my boil and have had no problems. This plastic material was the standard for quick disconnects in homebrewing for a long time until stainless connections became more available recently. Same material used in the popular March 809 pump too.

kjball · Post by **kjball** » Mon Jan 09, 2012 12:13 pm

THank you Matt, I figured you would have some good info. Splitting hairs here, though, doesn't the march 809 use polysulfone?

DrPaulsen · Post by **DrPaulsen** » Mon Jan 09, 2012 12:24 pm

http://www.mcmaster.com/#polypropylene- ... gs/=fqdvj2

It's my understanding that there is regular PP, which is black, and then there is FDA PP, which is white. I use the white FDA PP connectors for garden hose to tubing adapters on the HLT side of my system. All my other connectors are stainless or brass.

I suppose I can only chalk my choice up to laziness. Since the stainless fittings are pretty cheap at Bargain Fittings, I didn't bother doing any more research to see why the black PP isn't NSF certified as "food safe". As I re-read the comments on the McMaster Carr site, above, I can't help but wonder if the white FDA PP cam lock fittings only have a 180F temp NSF-61 certification, simply b/c of the nitrile o-rings. If you used silicone o-rings, maybe it would be rated to a higher temp?

Note that the March Pump heads use polysulfone, not polypropylene. http://www.marchpump.com/beerpump/

Since March sells both polysulfone and polypropylene heads for their various pumps, maybe it would be worth giving them a call and talking to an application engineer about the material differences and why you would want to use polysulfone vs polypropylene vs stainless.

If you decide to dig into the science behind this a bit more, I'd be very interested to hear what you discover.

BrewHound · Post by **BrewHound** » Mon Jan 09, 2012 12:53 pm

My 2 cents. Stay away from the Poly quick connects sold by northern brewer. link below.

They have a cross hair in them that plugs up pretty quick when used with pellet hops and immediately when used with whole hops. In order to use without issue you have to grind out the cross hair section or cut out then sand smooth again.

http://www.northernbrewer.com/shop/cpc- ... -barb.html

Matt F · Post by **Matt F** » Mon Jan 09, 2012 1:12 pm

Good info. If I were starting from scratch I would go with the stainless steel stuff available. I would want every connection to be compatible too. Right now I not only have the same QD's on my brewing equipment but also the hose on my sink and my recirculating pump. The QD on a hose is very useful for easy filling of kettles, rinsing hoses and back flushing my pump without getting water everywhere which is a bigger concern indoors than out.

tompb · Post by **tompb** » Mon Jan 09, 2012 5:32 pm

These are the ones I use. At this price for stainless it's hard to beat.
http://store.proflowdynamics.com/module ... C12074.cfm
It seems like shipping was reasonable too.

JimF · Post by **JimF** » Mon Jan 09, 2012 8:18 pm

tompb wrote:These are the ones I use. At this price for stainless it's hard to beat.
http://store.proflowdynamics.com/module ... C12074.cfm
It seems like shipping was reasonable too.

I use these too. Just make sure you order the food grade seals.

Matt F · Post by **Matt F** » Mon Jan 09, 2012 9:31 pm

Those are what I would get if I was looking for new ones.

bf514921 · Post by **bf514921** » Tue Jan 17, 2012 9:36 pm

Use the same fittings, think i got them from

http://www.bargainfittings.com/index.ph ... uct_id=133.

I think the place sells them/ or sends the food grade fittings seals with them.