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Food Grade thread sealent

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  • Food Grade thread sealent

    Hello All-

    We have a brite tank that has a threaded sight tube that is giving us some trouble. The tank outlet has a threaded fitting welded on, into which we have threaded a NPT hex coupler, then a stainless ball valve, then a ss hose nipple for a sight tube that runs up to a corresponding nipple on the top of the cip arm.

    We are getting a small but persistent leak at the bottom fittings. I have applied and re-applied Teflon tape a number of times and can't get this think to stop weeping.

    I am looking into food grade thread sealants and found Loctite 2046:

    <http://www.henkelna.com/industrial/food-beverage-threadlocker-loctite-2046-8063.htm>

    Does anyone have experience using this stuff on brewing equipment? It looks like it would be the ticket, but I'm a bit reluctant to just slather something on without asking around first.

    Any advice or alternative solutions to get this tank sealed up would be greatly appreciated.

    Thanks- Mike

  • #2
    Put the Teflon tape down and step away from it! It breaks apart into little bits that float around, clogging valves and regulators and showing up in undesired places (like a customer's glass of water). Worse, in contact with wort and trub (especially hops residue), it turns into a nasty black gel-like substance that cannot be cleaned. I've been using LocTite 542 thread sealant/locker since we threw out the tape. At the time, LocTite did not have an FDA certified thread sealant, but the folks at LocTite assured me the 542 was totally inert after setting, which takes about 24 hours. It works perfectly, and the thread-locking part means you can position gauges and such just where you want them, without over-tightening them. In most applications, the 542 can be loosened without heat; when heat is needed, a few seconds with a soldering gun does the trick.

    The 2046 looks promising. The only thing that worries me is the two-part bit, and the mixing tubes that are needed. I use the 542 daily, and I would need a big pile of those mixing tubes (which isn't all bad, considering my father gets a royalty on them), not to mention the considerable waste to fill the tubes every time they're used. Of course, the FDA approval is great, and I'm sure you'll pay a premium for it.
    Timm Turrentine

    Brewerywright,
    Terminal Gravity Brewing,
    Enterprise. Oregon.

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    • #3
      Excellent info Timm, thanks!

      You are correct, the 2046 is ridiculously expensive. Over five times the price of 542 per ounce. I will look more into the 542 and probably give that a go.

      Cheers- Mike

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