Dip tubes with tri clover valves

Because tri clover valves hook onto tri clover ferrules, it is more difficult to mount a dip tube because there are no interior threads inside the keg or kettle. When using a 1/2" or 3/4" tri clover ferrule, you can use a 1/2" or 3/4" swagelock coupler to the dip tube, however, they do not come cheaply. I am using 1" tri clover valves, so to buy a 1" swagelock coupler, you would probably have to put a second mortgage on your house! I ended up using 3/4" stainless for a dip tube. I used the end of a ball pein hammer to bell the mouth of the tube. I place the round end of the ball pein hammer into the tube and smack it with another hammer. It take some time because you are forming the tube into the bell shape. Take your time and angle the ball pein in different directions to form the bell evenly. I had to hit it probable 60 or 80 times to get the bell formed large enough.

Once expanded enough it will fit into the end of the 3 piece tri clover valve tightly. Make sure and take the teflon seal out before welding.

Then weld or have your welder fill in the gap with a nice tig weld.

My 3/4" dip tube has around a 8" or 9" radius bend in it. It easily slips into a 1" ferrule. A slightly tighter radius would also fit.

That's a pretty clever way to do it.

One idea I had (although haven't tested) was to use a TC gasket orifice plate to mount a diptube to.

Something like this:

http://www.newmangasket.com/orificeplategaskts.htm

The removable variety would be the best for welding - just take the disc out, drill it out to the right size for your tube, TIG it in place, and you're good to go. Naturally, it wouldn't be CIP-able because of the dead space and the abrupt diameter change from small to large, but it would be easy to pull out and swap in a regular gasket if you were circulating a CIP wash.

Yea, the orrifice plate looks like a good idea, and that company is in my home state. Sometimes these companies only like to sell in large quantities or wholesale. That would be the only problem. My solution requires the dip tube to be positioned pretty much where you need it before welding. The orrifice plate would not matter because it could be rotated. I have a similar tube welded to a valve that I am using as a racking port on a homebuilt conical fermenter. With a teflon gasket it makes it easy to loosen the triclamp and just rotate the valve.

gunmetal said:

Yea, the orrifice plate looks like a good idea, and that company is in my home state. Sometimes these companies only like to sell in large quantities or wholesale. That would be the only problem. My solution requires the dip tube to be positioned pretty much where you need it before welding. The orrifice plate would not matter because it could be rotated. I have a similar tube welded to a valve that I am using as a racking port on a homebuilt conical fermenter. With a teflon gasket it makes it easy to loosen the triclamp and just rotate the valve.

Click to expand...

As I was browsing last night, I actually saw that Stout now offers a dip tube assembly that would also probably work well, is rotatable, and appears to be reasonably priced. It's in their "spare parts" section.

I have the stout assembly. It's just ok. for one, it's a small opening and easily clogs even with my 17 gpm pumps. And also, it uses a threaded connection that must be installed from the inside eliminating any way of removing it easily or using a CIP on it.

also, I was hoping they would extend to the center of my mash. They don't come close.

I picked up some High-purity silicone stoppers, size 3 (24D) and a Cork Borer Set.

I bored a hole in the stopper, and am going to use a stainless steel dip tube inserted into the stopper, and then insert the whole shebang into my 1" Tri-clover from the inside of the kettle. This will allow me to adjust the length and position of the dip tube, and remove the assembly for cleaning.

The TC gasket looked like a pretty good idea, but I haven't found anywhere that I can get one that disassembles so I can solder the dip tube onto it.

jimmayhugh said:

I picked up some Video Link: http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B003NV5SL4/ref=oh_o01_s00_i00_details and a Video Link: http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B005QDX2JM/ref=oh_o00_s00_i00_details.

I bored a hole in the stopper, and am going to use a stainless steel dip tube inserted into the stopper, and then insert the whole shebang into my 1" Tri-clover from the inside of the kettle. This will allow me to adjust the length and position of the dip tube, and remove the assembly for cleaning.

The TC gasket looked like a pretty good idea, but I haven't found anywhere that I can get one that disassembles so I can solder the dip tube onto it.

Click to expand...

That's an even more clever idea. Kudos!

jimmayhugh said:

I picked up some High-purity silicone stoppers, size 3 (24D) and a Cork Borer Set.

I bored a hole in the stopper, and am going to use a stainless steel dip tube inserted into the stopper, and then insert the whole shebang into my 1" Tri-clover from the inside of the kettle. This will allow me to adjust the length and position of the dip tube, and remove the assembly for cleaning.

The TC gasket looked like a pretty good idea, but I haven't found anywhere that I can get one that disassembles so I can solder the dip tube onto it.

Click to expand...

Tried it today, works great, only a few ounces in the bottom of the keggle.

jimmayhugh said:

Tried it today, works great, only a few ounces in the bottom of the keggle.

Click to expand...

Awesome. Glad to hear it worked well!

jimmayhugh said:

Tried it today, works great, only a few ounces in the bottom of the keggle.

Click to expand...

jimmayhugh, does the stopper assembly stay in place through a vigorous boil?
This looks like a great solution, but I'd hate to have a stopper pop out in the middle of the boil, then have to figure out how to reassemble everything with 200 degree wort in the way

wolfman_48442 said:

jimmayhugh, does the stopper assembly stay in place through a vigorous boil?
This looks like a great solution, but I'd hate to have a stopper pop out in the middle of the boil, then have to figure out how to reassemble everything with 200 degree wort in the way

Click to expand...

Haven't tried a vigorous boil yet, but the stopper fits VERY tightly in the 1-inch TC, and since I put the stopper in from the inside, I doubt that it's going to go anywhere.

Wow-

Ran across this thread just browsing. I am honored to be a member of a group of geniuses like you guys. Kudos. Someone always finds an ingenious and inexpensive way to do something that could otherwise costs hundreds. LOVE this community!

Klaus

Did my first brewing session with Barney yesterday, and the dip tube worked great.

Not everything went well, though.

Great information in this thread! I know it's been a few months but I'd like to bring this one back to life

beardedirishman said:

I have the stout assembly ... it uses a threaded connection that must be installed from the inside ...

Click to expand...

Is the Stout Dip Tube Kit a 3 part assembly in that the tube threads into the first TC fitting and the second TC fitting threads onto the first? I was thinking, if that were the case, I could just replace their tube with a new tube that I've threaded and bent to the correct length. Finding a back to back ferrule like this has been more difficult than expected. Something like the Brewers Hardware "1in. TC Style Pickup Tube" would also be great if it weren't too short for a keggle.

I'd like to put a side pick-up tube (maybe center) in a BK and a center dip tube in my HLT ... both will have 1.5" TC ferrules welded on the outside.

Just exploring what options are out there before realizing I'll need to weld something up myself ... a small price to pay for the overkill of TC fittings on the hotside

Wow, I'm loving this solution! -I want a side-pickup dip tube for my brew kettle (because I'll be whirlpooling and want to avoid all the hop crud and trub) and I have a second TC connection 1/3rd of the way up my kettle wall that currently contains a temp probe; I want to make an tangental inlet out of it and use it for making a whirlpool. Using soft copper for both the pickup tube and the whirlpool inlet and these high temp silicone stoppers is the only way I can see to make my idea work.

-I haven't found a TC stainless side pickup dip tube nor a TC to whirlpool inlet adapter ANYWHERE on the interwebs and I don't have the ability to weld or bend stainless so this is really, REALLY perfect.

I wish there were pre-drilled stoppers as I'm TERRIBLE at DIY but I think I can manage.


Adam

What size TC ports do you have, biertourist?

I've also been thinking about the best way to use 1.5" TC ports for a whirlpool inlet. I'm thinking I'll just use brewer's hardware pickup tubes turned sideways:
https://www.brewershardware.com/1-Tri-Clover-Tri-Clamp-Style-Pickup-Tube.html

They're not perfect, but I'm thinking they might do the job...

EDIT: They'd also work as a side pickup that leaves the trub behind. Of course, since they're designed for brewer's hardware pots, this assumes your ports are at the right level. If they're too low, you'd need to cut this to length. If they're too high, you might be leaving more wort behind than you'd like.

Unfortunately I bought my kettle through Glaciertanks and it only has a 1" TC so the Brewershardware.com tri clover won't work for me.

Adam

biertourist said:

Unfortunately I bought my kettle through Glaciertanks and it only has a 1" TC so the Brewershardware.com tri clover won't work for me.

Adam

Click to expand...

1" and 1.5" tri-clamps share the same flange diameter. The abrupt diameter change makes it harder to CIP effectively, but the fittings should physically mate up.

That's true, bdjohns1 -- but unfortunately biertourist is right that the brewershardware dip tube won't work for him, since you insert these from the outside of the kettle. As a result, you need a 1.5" TC ferule so there's room for the 1" OD dip tube to slip inside.

With a 1" TC ferule, you'd need to either go with the DIY options here or have a piece custom made.

bdjohns1 said:

1" and 1.5" tri-clamps share the same flange diameter. The abrupt diameter change makes it harder to CIP effectively, but the fittings should physically mate up.

Click to expand...

bdjohns, The outside diameter is the same, but the inside diameter isn't; the brewershardware TC dip tube's outer diameter (the dip tube itself) is 1" ID, so over 1" OD so it can't possibly fit through a 1" ID TC tube. (It says this pretty clearly on the website next to the item, too.)


Adam

tophmck said:

That's true, bdjohns1 -- but unfortunately biertourist is right that the brewershardware dip tube won't work for him, since you insert these from the outside of the kettle. As a result, you need a 1.5" TC ferule so there's room for the 1" OD dip tube to slip inside.

With a 1" TC ferule, you'd need to either go with the DIY options here or have a piece custom made.

Click to expand...

To the first paragraph - yup!

To the second - Stout Tanks sells a 3/4" diptube that seems like it would work. (I sure hope so because I already ordered it.)


My fear with just using a second dip tube turned sideways in my 2nd TC port to create a whirlpool is that it would be directing the flow of liquid back almost perpendicular to the face of the outside of the kettle and I'm not sure how good of a whirlpool you'd get.

-I used a copper 90 degree piece just squeezed into the inside of my weldless ball valve fitting in my HLT yesterday to create whirlpool in it (to keep the temperature even as my probe is at the bottom of my HLT and to help heat transfer later when I move to HERMS) and it did pretty well with my little chugger pump but it didn't look anything like I thought a whirlpool would look. (Not a super fast moving whirlpool) I've got no restrictions on the liquid out side (1/2" ID all the way throughout) and only the restriction of the copper 90 inside the "in" ball valve.
I tested the whirlpool by floating something on the top and counting the revolutions per minute but the speed varies dramatically depending upon whether the object is thrown to the outside or stays in the inside. I tested the whirlpool at the bottom of the kettle using a grape. -Lol!


I'm hoping that the much smaller diameter of my kettle vs. my HLT will mean that I get a better whirlpool in it. (No idea if whirlpool mechanics are only based upon volume or if diameter matters; I'd guess diameter makes a difference....)


Adam

biertourist - Have you gotten your dip tube from stout yet? I need another whirlpool return, and I'm debating between this and the one from Brewer's Hardware. Mind if I ask a few questions?

Did you get the "small" one? I find it a bit strange that the tube threads into the "external adapter"? Does that work well? Do you need teflon tape to make the seal? Also, is the tubing 3/4 OD (or about 5/8 ID) all the way through? Or is the tubing through the external adapter on the outside of the kettle wider than the dip tube itself? It's hard to tell from the picture. Finally, and I guess most importantly, is the angle working well for a whirlpool?

tophmck said:

I'm debating between [Stout] and the one from Brewer's Hardware.

Click to expand...

tophmck: Not sure if this'll help but I have the small version from Stout. It measures .4315" OD and .315" ID. The first test I did with water, it lost it's siphon so I used teflon tape and it's been fine ever since.

I also bought a length of tubing to make a dip tube to reach the center of my HLT and that worked out great. I emailed Stout to find out what the thread was and they never bothered to get back to me. Actually, I emailed them twice ... The thread was metric, BTW.

From my experience with Brewer's Hardware, I would say, if the Brewer's Hardware option works for you, I would go that route. His customer support/service has always been excellent and the products I've gotten from him have all been excellent as well.

That's really helpful -- thanks, primozz! I may get one of these for my mash return port, since it's narrow enough that I could slip some 1/2" silicone tubing over the end to guide the fluid down to the grain bed. (Unlike the one from Brewer's Hardware, which is a whopping 1" OD -- although I guess I could just buy some super thick silicone tubing.)

tophmck said:

biertourist - Have you gotten your dip tube from stout yet? I need another whirlpool return, and I'm debating between this and the one from Brewer's Hardware. Mind if I ask a few questions?

Did you get the "small" one? I find it a bit strange that the tube threads into the "external adapter"? Does that work well? Do you need teflon tape to make the seal? Also, is the tubing 3/4 OD (or about 5/8 ID) all the way through? Or is the tubing through the external adapter on the outside of the kettle wider than the dip tube itself? It's hard to tell from the picture. Finally, and I guess most importantly, is the angle working well for a whirlpool?

Click to expand...

No they said that there's no way they'd get a new shipment until end of April... It's now beginning of May and I still haven't heard from them. (Although they DID take my money...)



Adam

I have been researching a whole new setup with tri-clamp fittings and came across these at $60.00 each.

I think that your idea is fantastic, and I will definitely consider it, considering that I will need 4 of these. The draw back is that my welding skills are all with silver solder, but I think that could work too.

From Glacier Tanks:

Here's my solution.
Using 1/2 inch hose on my kit so 5/8 SS tube is fine.
Short and long versions, long for the MLT and HLT, short in the BK to clear IC.
Welded the bend instead of bending as I couldn't seem to get a jig to work for bending it. Tried packing with sand, heat, etc. Guess I'd have to buy the dies and do it right. This was cheaper and faster. Welded 2 45's because a 90 didn't clear the 1.5" tri clamp ferrule.
About $9 in materials. No idea what it might cost to have someone weld these, they took me about 20 minutes a piece when I got going.

Just an update here; Stout sent me my diptube but it's pretty terrible, honestly. The inside diameter gets SUPER narrow and it really restricts flow on the input side of my pump; I'd say it can't be more than 1/4" ID at it's narrowest point; even a single hop cone instantly plugs the thing, too. I've used the stainless tea ball with stainless dish scrubbie pads in it as a hop blocker and the dang thing still gets clogged. -It's almost worthless.

What I'd REALLY like is a 1" to 1" tri clamp with a compression fitting welded onto the inside so I can just add copper tubing to run the dip tube the way that I want. (Think of the racking arm fitting above but instead of a dip-tube line length of stainless just a 1/2" compression fitting welded in.)


Adam

Grossy said:

I have been researching a whole new setup with tri-clamp fittings and came across these at $60.00 each.

I think that your idea is fantastic, and I will definitely consider it, considering that I will need 4 of these. The draw back is that my welding skills are all with silver solder, but I think that could work too.

From Glacier Tanks:

Click to expand...

Your post got me thinking, so I looked around and found this:
http://www.ebay.com/itm/291178132091?_trksid=p2060353.m2749.l2649&var=590325837018&ssPageName=STRK%3AMEBIDX%3AIT

Delivery was FAST, and the Tri-clamps look very good.

I ordered 4 of the 1.5" TC-clamps and also ordered some 3/8" OD stainless tubing. With a touch of bending, and some silver solder I made this:


Now granted, the ID is only about 1/4", BUT if you got two of these, and cut off the barb section, you could do this with 1/2" OD tubing (I've already checked, the 1/2" OD SS tubing I have is a perfect fit). That's my next project.

jimmayhugh said:

Now granted, the ID is only about 1/4", BUT if you got two of these, and cut off the barb section, you could do this with 1/2" OD tubing (I've already checked, the 1/2" OD SS tubing I have is a perfect fit). That's my next project.

Click to expand...

Nice build, ultimately I went with Stout tanks they have a dip tube assembly that has worked well. The dip tube is actually threaded on.

The smallest interior diameter that wort can flow through is 11mm (just short of a 1/2"), which is fine for me.

I am currently looking at their rotating fermentor dip tube, but I have question they need to answer first.

jimmayhugh said:

Your post got me thinking, so I looked around and found this:
http://www.ebay.com/itm/291178132091?_trksid=p2060353.m2749.l2649&var=590325837018&ssPageName=STRK%3AMEBIDX%3AIT

Delivery was FAST, and the Tri-clamps look very good.

I ordered 4 of the 1.5" TC-clamps and also ordered some 3/8" OD stainless tubing. With a touch of bending, and some silver solder I made this:

Now granted, the ID is only about 1/4", BUT if you got two of these, and cut off the barb section, you could do this with 1/2" OD tubing (I've already checked, the 1/2" OD SS tubing I have is a perfect fit). That's my next project.

Click to expand...

Here's the two I've made so far:

I got the idea for this dip tube from the Stout Tank version. Initially I drilled out end caps and used a rat tail file to size the opening to 5/8" OD stainless tubing. Drilling stainless is a pita. I wound up work hardening a few caps and destroying a few drill bits. I later had the idea to use 3/4" weld ferrules that I purchased from ebay. The ID of these weld ferrules are 5/8" and the 1/2" ID stainless tubing I had fit perfectly inside these weld ferrules. I tig welded these but the fit up looks such that you would have no issues silver soldering them together. I added a quarter inch rod to indicate whee the end of the tube is within the kettle. Someday I'll post pictures of my build.