Tubing

[Brittney81895]

EVA barrier, PVC free, PEX, vinyl, silicone......what is the best beverage tubing for a kegerator? And what is the best one for transferring hot liquid? Can I use the same one for both situations? Thanks for your opinion and cheers to a new year!

 

[Blackmuse]

I use this stuff and love it!
https://www.morebeer.com/products/ultra-barrier-pvc-free-tubing-316.html

The EVA tubing is something I have tried to with duotight fittings and have liked the results! (Though it may have been pex? - it was rigid and held a nice coil which made things look neat and tidy)

Regardless of what I type of line I use - I use 10-12 feet and make a coil that I twist tie and tuck behind the keg. Keeps it neat. (The rigid stuff did keep a neater coil though!)

 

[Donoroto]

I use thick wall silicone tubing for hot liquids (from cold and colder). Their silicone is very clear, but the thin wall stuff is kind of flimsy.

 

[Craigerrr]

1/2" or 3/8" ID silicone for hot or cold transfer, 3/16"ID x 10' long for beer lines

 

[Ward Chillington]

I'm with @Donoroto for the hot stuff. I don't keg but in using some clear thin wall stuff in a cold setting, it's just not got the flexibility I like to work with. I got this thick translucent stuff a few years ago from Amazon ( FASTFERMENT PRECUT 1/2" ID Silicone Tubing - 10 ft., White (HOZQ8-1135) ) and granted it gets stained when I brew dark stuff but I love it for its rigidness when putting boiling water through it and its flexibility with Ice water when I am chilling down a kettle with my coil. I use barbed fittings on all my valves except for the input lines to my mash tun and HLT which are nothing but PVC pipe this stuff makes a snug fit over as well!

What are you brewing up this year? It doesn't look like you post too often?

 

[BOB357]

I use Silicone on the hot side and 3/16" vinyl for beer lines. I disassemble the lines, QDs, shanks and faucets every year (faucets more often), and either replace the lines or trim the ends where beer stone likes to resist cleaning. The vinyl is perfectly fine for a couple of years if cleaned regularly.

 

[Mark Farrall]

Silicone on the hot side and EVA Barrier on the cold side for me. The coated tubing will be better at keeping gases in/out than uncoated, but whether it's worth the money...

 

[Brewer #412841]

Silicone on the hot side and EVA Barrier on the cold side for me. The coated tubing will be better at keeping gases in/out than uncoated, but whether it's worth the money... puppet hockey

I disassemble the lines, QDs, shanks, and beer stone and replace the lines or trim the ends where the stone loves to resist washing.

 

[Minbari]

Silicone on the hot side and EVA Barrier on the cold side for me. The coated tubing will be better at keeping gases in/out than uncoated, but whether it's worth the money...

old post, but I second this.

EVA barrier seems to be worth it. my foaming issues went away when I changed to this. silicon seems to gas permiable and causes the beer to foam up on the first couple ounces. plus you dont need 10+feet of it. my kegerator lines are only long enough to reach the taps. about 4ft and no foaming.

 

[Bigbre04]

EVA barrier, PVC free, PEX, vinyl, silicone......what is the best beverage tubing for a kegerator? And what is the best one for transferring hot liquid? Can I use the same one for both situations? Thanks for your opinion and cheers to a new year!

Bevlex or a similar EVA barrier tubing for draft stuff, replace it every year or 2 it can eventually get gross. The harder tubing (i am blanking on the name of it, but it is similar to PEX but designed for draft lines is the best by far, but it cannot be used on things that need to move(like your keg coupler).

Moving hot liquid i would NOT use anything that was Vinyl as it is not usually rated over 140 or 150F at any kind of pressure. I guess that only applies if you are pumping the liquid. Vinyl gets very soft at higher temps and i have seen it burst on more then one occasion(but this was pumping 180 Hot Liquor).

We use specific rubber hoses designed for food applications, but it is EXPENSIVE(>$15 a foot). I also was able to find a braided Silicone hose for high temp use but it was also very expensive. It held up really well for our applications, but we used it sparingly.

I use washdown hose Continental Contitech washdown hose(white) for my hoses in the brewery. It is pricey, but it holds up super well, is food grade, and rated to transfer boiling temp water at pump pressures(from a hot liquor tank). Once again, probably not applicable.

Basically if you use vinyl, use braided, and understand that it be like a wet noodle when it gets hot. Silicone is pretty good overall, but it can pinch and tear.