"Stainless" Hop Spider - is it safe?!

[cod3ck]

I picked this up off of Ebay:
https://www.ebay.com/itm/192169991281

Has anyone else purchased something similar?

The spider came in a plastic envelope with a Chinese return address and flattened out. Near as I can tell the material appears to be aluminum at best... My reason for thinking this is anything else I have that's stainless doesn't bend without either a death grip a a tool [emoji13]

For long term health reasons, I'm big into keeping materials stainless and silicone, what do you think, is it safe to brew with?!

Here's a couple extra photos:
View attachment ImageUploadedByHome Brew1501996814.605629.jpg
View attachment ImageUploadedByHome Brew1501996826.672665.jpg:

 

[Kharnynb]

did you try popping a magnet on it?

 

[Gonefishing]

DO magnets stick to stainless? It seems to me that they don't. They also don't stick to aluminum, so a magnet might not be a reliable test.

 

[Pkrd]

Do magnets stick to stainless?

Yes and no. It depends on the grade of stainless.

 

[FunkedOut]

magnets won't stick to either stainless or aluminum.

just because it flexes, doesn't mean it's not stainless.

make up a lye bath; 1 tbsp of lye granules from the hardware store into a gallon of water. this will leave stainless alone and eat aluminum.
usually starts to bubble a few minutes in the batch.
don't breathe the fumes or get any in your skin.

 

[pigroaster]

Brilliant idea!

 

[cod3ck]

Honestly, this spider cost $10... I was hoping someone else has gotten their hands on one and can confirm stainless or not. These spiders are pretty standard and all over ebay.

The lye bath is a great idea, just not sure I want to bother with that (yet at least).

 

[Turkeyshot]

Honestly, this spider cost $10... I was hoping someone else has gotten their hands on one and can confirm stainless or not. These spiders are pretty standard and all over ebay.

The lye bath is a great idea, just not sure I want to bother with that (yet at least).

The mesh part has too much of a sheen to be aluminum. It would look a more dull gray color, and even if it was polished it would fade after one good use.

Also if the band was polished aluminum and you rubbed your fingers on it for awhile they would turn black. Just like handling aluminum ladders or an aluminum pot and things of that nature.

 

[getack]

For long term health reasons, I'm big into keeping materials stainless and silicone, what do you think, is it safe to brew with?!

Can you elaborate on this long term health reasons? What materials are you trying to avoid?

 

[augiedoggy]

Honestly, this spider cost $10... I was hoping someone else has gotten their hands on one and can confirm stainless or not. These spiders are pretty standard and all over ebay.

The lye bath is a great idea, just not sure I want to bother with that (yet at least).

Its very likely stainless... I have a few of these.. two from arbor fab including a 14"x6" one I paid like $75 for and an almost identical clone I just bought for $27 shipped from china... Mine is not as economically made as the one you pictured but chances are your frame is just thinner metal.... its really just cosmetic..


I will say get the largest spider you can for hops. I started with the smaller one and the walls plugged too easily with much less hops and I got low utilization as a result.. this is why I have two larger ones now.

 

[augiedoggy]

Can you elaborate on this long term health reasons? What materials are you trying to avoid?

We all know theres dozens of threads on this already and people in both camps on this... lets not ruin this thread with another one.

 

[cod3ck]

Well said on both accounts augiedoggy! [emoji482]

You don't have any links on the larger hop spiders do you? I can dig around -- just figured I'd ask

 

[augiedoggy]

Well said on both accounts augiedoggy! [emoji482]

You don't have any links on the larger hop spiders do you? I can dig around -- just figured I'd ask

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Homebrew-Be...d=162520256015&_trksid=p2047675.c100005.m1851

 

[SpeedYellow]

If you don't want to go buy a ton of lye, just spray it with a little oven cleaner. Oven cleaner will dramatically corrode and pit aluminum, but shouldn't affect stainless.

But honestly, the main risk here is probably lead, not aluminum. No idea how to test for lead.

 

[shoo]

Can you elaborate on this long term health reasons? What materials are you trying to avoid?

Just to get in before this thread derails into pseudoscientific nonsense: the hypothesis that aluminum causes Alzheimer's has been thoroughly debunked.

The concern about lead, however, is probably worth considering.

Source: phd in health evidence, with a sub-specialty in the intersection of science and public consumption.

As for testing for lead, no clue.

 

[SpeedYellow]

You can get cheap lead testing kits intended for testing paint; they may work on this. Personally, I wouldn't use this without testing for lead, since lead is really unhealthy and China has a long-running problem with using lead inappropriately (like kids toys). Some may see that as overly-cautious, but I call it experience and prudence.

 

[cod3ck]

You can get cheap lead testing kits intended for testing paint; they may work on this. Personally, I wouldn't use this without testing for lead, since lead is really unhealthy and China has a long-running problem with using lead inappropriately (like kids toys). Some may see that as overly-cautious, but I call it experience and prudence.

Great advice -- I actually went ahead and ran the test. Figured what's $10 (and my health) if I can avoid dropping $40+ on some well known suppliers here in the states...

Lead test checked out just fine. As was said before, cosmetically this thing is mediocre at best, but the function appears to be all there! [emoji482]

 

[kristiismean]

For those that are reading this and looking for a good stainless spider that is cheap, I went with this https://www.aliexpress.com/item/304-Stainless-Steel-Hop-Spider-Strainer-Homebrew-Beer-Pellet-Hop-Filter-100x255mm-400-Micron-Filtering-for/32739880355.html?spm=a2g0s.9042311.0.0.57ywbI And I could not be happier.

mine made it from china direct and was just fine, looks great. yours, just sad and the seller should be left negative feedback for it's condition.

 

[Kharnynb]

For those that are reading this and looking for a good stainless spider that is cheap, I went with this https://www.aliexpress.com/item/304-Stainless-Steel-Hop-Spider-Strainer-Homebrew-Beer-Pellet-Hop-Filter-100x255mm-400-Micron-Filtering-for/32739880355.html?spm=a2g0s.9042311.0.0.57ywbI And I could not be happier.

mine made it from china direct and was just fine, looks great. yours, just sad and the seller should be left negative feedback for it's condition.

I got the same one, but from ebay, decent condition, needed a bit bending due to postal service behaviour.......but good and useful