I'm making a wort chiller. That's just a spiral of copper tubing to cool
boiling hot beer brew to put into the fermenter. I need to join the ends,
and in the configuration it's in, it would be easier to use a sweat fitting
than a compression. Is there any problem with that small amount of solder
regarding lead?

Steve

On 10/7/2011 11:36 PM, Steve B wrote:
I'm making a wort chiller. That's just a spiral of copper tubing to cool
boiling hot beer brew to put into the fermenter. I need to join the ends,
and in the configuration it's in, it would be easier to use a sweat fitting
than a compression. Is there any problem with that small amount of solder
regarding lead?

Steve



There are billions of leaded solder joints on potable supply lines in
the world. But...my blood/lead level is high, maybe I'm dismissive.

On 10/7/2011 8:36 PM, Steve B wrote:
I'm making a wort chiller. That's just a spiral of copper tubing to cool
boiling hot beer brew to put into the fermenter. I need to join the ends,
and in the configuration it's in, it would be easier to use a sweat fitting
than a compression. Is there any problem with that small amount of solder
regarding lead?

Steve



if it worries you, use silver solder or use the no-lead solder now sold
for plumbing

On Fri, 07 Oct 2011 20:36:21 -0700, Steve B wrote:

I'm making a wort chiller. That's just a spiral of copper tubing to
cool boiling hot beer brew to put into the fermenter. I need to join
the ends, and in the configuration it's in, it would be easier to use a
sweat fitting than a compression. Is there any problem with that small
amount of solder regarding lead?

I believe that if you use Plumber's solder (50-50) you're supposed to be
OK -- but then, the rules have been a-changing, and wort is going to be
more acidic than water.

What happens when you Google "food safe solder" or "potable solder"?

--
www.wescottdesign.com

On Oct 7, 10:36*pm, "Steve B" wrote:
I'm making a wort chiller. *That's just a spiral of copper tubing to cool
boiling hot beer brew to put into the fermenter. *I need to join the ends,
and in the configuration it's in, it would be easier to use a sweat fitting
than a compression. *Is there any problem with that small amount of solder
regarding lead?

Steve

The last time I bought solder from a home store, it was lead free,
this was over 20 years ago.
I don't think you can get leaded solder unless it's for electronic
use. Even that has gone to RoHS (Restriction of Hazardous Substances)
in electronic manufacture to non lead as pure tin.
Ignator

In article ,
"Steve B" wrote:

I'm making a wort chiller. That's just a spiral of copper tubing to cool
boiling hot beer brew to put into the fermenter. I need to join the ends,
and in the configuration it's in, it would be easier to use a sweat fitting
than a compression. Is there any problem with that small amount of solder
regarding lead?

Use lead-free silver-tin solder:

http://www.howtobrew.com/appendices/appendixC.html

http://www.howtobrew.com/appendices/appendixB-2.html

The google search string that yielded the above was "wort copper solder".

Joe Gwinn

Steve B wrote:
I'm making a wort chiller. That's just a spiral of copper tubing to cool
boiling hot beer brew to put into the fermenter. I need to join the ends,
and in the configuration it's in, it would be easier to use a sweat fitting
than a compression. Is there any problem with that small amount of solder
regarding lead?

Steve



Just use lead free solder, lot's of it out there.

--
Steve W.

On 08-Oct-2011 10:14, Steve W. wrote:
Steve B wrote:
I'm making a wort chiller. That's just a spiral of copper tubing to
cool boiling hot beer brew to put into the fermenter. I need to join
the ends, and in the configuration it's in, it would be easier to use
a sweat fitting than a compression. Is there any problem with that
small amount of solder regarding lead?

Steve


Just use lead free solder, lot's of it out there.


In fact if you go looking, that is virtually all you will find.

The only applications for 60/40 or 50/50 in plumbing any more is
for drains, and copper and wiped lead and such are rarely being
repaired, just ripped out and replaced with plastic.

--
__________________________________________________ __________________
Gardner Buchanan gbuchana(a)teksavvy(dot)com
FreeBSD: Where you want to go. Today.

On Fri, 7 Oct 2011 20:36:21 -0700, "Steve B"
wrote:

I'm making a wort chiller. That's just a spiral of copper tubing to cool
boiling hot beer brew to put into the fermenter. I need to join the ends,
and in the configuration it's in, it would be easier to use a sweat fitting
than a compression. Is there any problem with that small amount of solder
regarding lead?

Yes, there would be a problem with food contact, since it's too easy
to over do it and have big drips and runs of solder on the inside you
can't see - but that's okay, when you go looking for plumbing solder
it's ALL going to be lead-free now by law, mostly Tin with a little
Silver alloyed in.

Even electronics is being forced to get rid of the lead. They're
going to get burned with $1 Billion satellites dying and falling from
the sky due to Tin Whiskers causing shorts on circuit boards, but the
few Rocket Scientists can't out-shout the many Enviro-Nuts.

There is also Silver-Braze if you need to stay away from Tin too -
that's mostly Copper and Silver. You need a little more heat, but
MAPP and Air-Acetylene will get there for smaller sizes.

-- Bruce --

The problem is the heat increases the amount of lead dissolving in the
brew. I remember as a kid in the early 50's my father explicitly
telling me do not use the hot tap water for anything you eat or drink.

John

Steve B wrote:
I'm making a wort chiller. That's just a spiral of copper tubing to cool
boiling hot beer brew to put into the fermenter. I need to join the ends,
and in the configuration it's in, it would be easier to use a sweat fitting
than a compression. Is there any problem with that small amount of solder
regarding lead?

Steve

"Bruce L. Bergman (munged human readable)" wrote:

On Fri, 7 Oct 2011 20:36:21 -0700, "Steve B"
wrote:

I'm making a wort chiller. That's just a spiral of copper tubing to cool
boiling hot beer brew to put into the fermenter. I need to join the ends,
and in the configuration it's in, it would be easier to use a sweat fitting
than a compression. Is there any problem with that small amount of solder
regarding lead?

Yes, there would be a problem with food contact, since it's too easy
to over do it and have big drips and runs of solder on the inside you
can't see - but that's okay, when you go looking for plumbing solder
it's ALL going to be lead-free now by law, mostly Tin with a little
Silver alloyed in.

Even electronics is being forced to get rid of the lead. They're
going to get burned with $1 Billion satellites dying and falling from
the sky due to Tin Whiskers causing shorts on circuit boards, but the
few Rocket Scientists can't out-shout the many Enviro-Nuts.


Aerospace, military and medical applications are exempt from ROHS
lead free solder. They know that it's worthless ****, and that it will
kill people in mission critical applications. It was the idea of idiot
bureaucrats in Brussels with no science to back it up.

--
You can't have a sense of humor, if you have no sense.

john wrote:

The problem is the heat increases the amount of lead dissolving in the
brew. I remember as a kid in the early 50's my father explicitly
telling me do not use the hot tap water for anything you eat or drink.


Was the water distilled or acidic? If not, the minerals in the water
build up a layer over the walls of the pipe that covered the solder and
the copper. If it didn't, the water would dissolve not only the lead,
but the copper pipe.


--
You can't have a sense of humor, if you have no sense.

On Sat, 08 Oct 2011 17:54:58 -0400, "Michael A. Terrell"
wrote:


Even electronics is being forced to get rid of the lead. They're
going to get burned with $1 Billion satellites dying and falling from
the sky due to Tin Whiskers causing shorts on circuit boards, but the
few Rocket Scientists can't out-shout the many Enviro-Nuts.


Aerospace, military and medical applications are exempt from ROHS
lead free solder. They know that it's worthless ****, and that it will
kill people in mission critical applications. It was the idea of idiot
bureaucrats in Brussels with no science to back it up.

Thank Lord for that. That lead-free stuff just does not flow nearly as
well.

OTOH maybe I shall start hoarding just in case.

Michael Koblic,
Campbell River, BC

wrote:

On Sat, 08 Oct 2011 17:54:58 -0400, "Michael A. Terrell"
wrote:

Even electronics is being forced to get rid of the lead. They're
going to get burned with $1 Billion satellites dying and falling from
the sky due to Tin Whiskers causing shorts on circuit boards, but the
few Rocket Scientists can't out-shout the many Enviro-Nuts.


Aerospace, military and medical applications are exempt from ROHS
lead free solder. They know that it's worthless ****, and that it will
kill people in mission critical applications. It was the idea of idiot
bureaucrats in Brussels with no science to back it up.

Thank Lord for that. That lead-free stuff just does not flow nearly as
well.

OTOH maybe I shall start hoarding just in case.


I'm down to about 5 pounds. I used to use that much a year. Now it's
$30/Lb, and up for decent solder.


--
You can't have a sense of humor, if you have no sense.