Brass and Brewing: Compatible?

I've had several discussions with people about the use of brass fittings and brass ball valves in brewing. If you have read my blog on building an Igloo Cube Cooler Mash Tun, you can see that I did use brass to keep cost down. Yes, the use of stainless steel fittings and valves is optimal, but at times it can be cost inhibitive.

For those that are worried about using brass, but don't want to shell out the cash for stainless, John Palmer discusses brewing metallurgy in his book How to Brew. For more information about removing lead from brass, you can reference the 'Cleaning Brass' section in Appendix B in his online book. The appendix also discusses the use and cleaning of other metals as they relate to brewing. If you don't already have this book in your brewing library, it is a MUST READ!