Oddball question: Bicycle inner tube in contact with must...

[CiderJoel]

I'm looking at replacing the rubber gasket that goes around the outside edge of a lid, in a "floating lid" / variable volume stainless steel fermentation tank.

So, they are expensive as heck.

And they basically look like 10-speed bike tire inner tubes...

SO: Assuming proper fit, and cleaning, etc...

Would the material from which a common "rubber" (no longer actually rubber I'm sure) inner-tube leach bad stuff into wine must, given the PH, long-term contact, various additives, sugars, etc.... ?

 

[aiptasia]

Probably. A bicycle tire isn't going to be made of food grade rubbers/plastics. I'd be very leery of using one as such. Save your pennies and keep searching around for the right gasket. Check some of the restaurant supply places.