Popcorn oil & butter dispensing tubing

[Buck Wilson]

Hey there!

For years we've used vinyl tubing for the oil and butter BIBs/dispensers. The tubing regularly needs replacing at least once every couple years if not every 6 months or so. They get so hard and brittle and start leaking everywhere.

Just recently I thought, my god, why not silicone?! So I got some silicone tubing and did up both butter dispensers. My lord, what an improvement in flexibility, it's wonderful....

BUT!

Apparently silicone is oil permeable; it is very slowly seeping through the entire length of the hose. No drips yet after a couple months but the lines are noticeably oily and I can't imagine it'll get any better.

So... What do you all use? What should I be using? Is there a better solution?

Thanks!!! Happy weekend

[John Eickhof]

I would recommend tubing from the mfr of the dispenser. ,remember any food service device including the tubing must be NSF certified in the USA for use when handling food products like popcorn oil and butter topping. Otherwise you may be held liable if a customer suffers illness or injury. The tubing is probably stiffening not from the oil but from the constant heating and cooling of the liquid inside of it.

[Frank Cox]

Maybe you're using the wrong kind of plastic.

I use a plastic pump that screws onto the top of the jugs that the popping oil comes in. I bought it at a restaurant supply store over twenty years ago and I've never done anything with it other than wipe off the exterior once in a great while. The bottom of the pump has a tube that sits in the oil all the time and it's never got brittle or changed in any way.

My point is that there is oil-impermeable plastic. Maybe a restaurant supply store could tell you what they use for feeding oil for deep fryers.

[Buck Wilson]

I would recommend tubing from the mfr of the dispenser.

I've been told that they use vinyl too but I'm not sure of that.

[Mark Gulbrandsen]

What John said!!! If it isn't food service rated, then do not buy it.

[Buck Wilson]

Y'all. I know that much. Was just wondering what others were using and what their recommendations were.

[Marcel Birgelen]

Do those tubes have to be flexible? Acrylic PMMA based tubing comes in food safe versions, is UV stable, safe for oils and lasts a lifetime in normal conditions.

[Phil Ranucci]

Tygon tubing from Cretor's.
About $8/ft but worth it
Stays flexible

[Buck Wilson]

Tygon tubing from Cretor's.
About $8/ft but worth it
Stays flexible

Excellent, thank you very much!

[Jason Sharp]

Another vote for Tygon tube.