Keggle Soldering/Brazing with Butane Microtorch

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chs9

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This is the first question I've ever had that the search function hasn't answered for me. Crazy.

So I have weldless fittings in my HLT and BK keggles, but I'm not sure I trust them to last. I'm considering soldering/brazing them in with silver solder or brazing rod. I'm aware this can be done with MAPP or acetylene or propane, but in order to keep the cost down I'd like to do it with a butane microtorch if at all possible. I'm planning on using something like Safety Silv 56 or SilvaBrite, basically some silver based, Cd free, food grade alloy.

Has anybody out there use a butane microtorch for either soldering/brazing a SS keg/nipple with silver solder? Any reason it shouldn't be suitable? I'm especially wondering whether it's too small for the (relatively) large job of 1/2" bulkheads. Any advice is welcome.

Example products are linked to below. The first is a higher-end butane microtorch, and the second is a butane torch/soldering iron combo thing my roommate thinks is pretty awesome.

:mug:

http://www.amazon.com/Blazer-GB2001...tBy=bySubmissionDateDescending#R1IJ1KLTJJ99AM

http://www.amazon.com/dp/B000HE9T2E/?tag=skimlinks_replacement-20
 
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I suggest you ask around at work or with your friends to see if anyone will loan you a propane torch.

The micro torch probably will work but will take longer to heat the fittings up.
 
^^^^^This guy can fix the pics!!!!^^^^^

Seriously though....soldering is underrated. It's basically the same thing as brazing, but at a lower temp and much cheaper. It's not as strong as brazing, but still plenty strong for our applications.

I'm really happy with my couplings...check out the last few pages of my single vessel build (in my sig)....there's some decent photos.
 
Not too sure on the homebrew community up here.... I'm still finishing up my grad degree (while working as a circuit designer blah blah) and am trying to horde my remaining free time.

If you go talk to the off-road club or the car club, ANY of those dudes will hook you up with whatever fab stuff you can think of for a few pbr's.
 
I don;t think a microtorch has a hope in hell of creating enough heat. The metal will just conduct it away faster than the torch can produce it. I doubt you'd even be able to get it hot enough to melt solder, let alone brazing.

go to the hardware store and spend the $20 for a plumbers pack - propane bottle, torch, flux and lead-free solder
 
chs9 said:
Yessir. How's the homebrew community in ABQ? It's pretty weak down here, but I'm trying to get as many of my friends interested and involved as I can.

Steve, I went through that thread while thinking about this. Alot of good information, it's too bad that most of the pictures in the first 2-3 pages are all down. I'll certainly keep that in mind as a reference though, thank you.
Click to expand...

I fixed my pictures. If I missed any let me know.
 
The micro torch will not give enough heat for the keg brazing but it is just right for silver brazing screen wire together to make SS inlet screens. It takes a bit of practice but you can use SafetySilv 56 to connect SS screen wire together after you roll it around a 3/8" dowel and let it expand to 1/2" to make a tube. I would be suprised if you could not find an inexpensive "turbo torch" at HBF and use propane instead of MAPP gas to silver braze as I have done so in the past.
 
It works, and in my opinion is easier than using oxygen and acetylene. I tried both. I soldered like a dozen 1/2" ss nipples into my 3 kegs. I tried it first with the gas, and just had a harder time with it. I ended up using a cheap butane torch and it was perfect. Plumbing solder and paste flux.
One of my jobs is working with that oxy/acetylene torch.. I am a brass instrument tech and have been using that torch for years.
I believe the reason is that the butane torch distributed heat more gently over a wider surface. Getting solder to flow with SS fittings can be difficult. This type of heat made it easier.

EDIT: Just realized you are wondering about silver solder. Not sure if that would work but I guarantee that a strong nickel-bearing solder will hold just fine, no need for high-temp silver solder. I've been putting it to the test for about 20 batches now.
 
BargainFittings, thanks for fixing those pictures. That thread is exponentially more helpful now.

Budzu, what kind of solder did you use? Normal home depot style lead-free plumbing solder?

Thanks for the help guys.
 
chs9 said:
Budzu, what kind of solder did you use? Normal home depot style lead-free plumbing solder?
Click to expand...

It's Harris Bridgit brand lead-free nickel-bearing solder. I went to a local welding supplier and had them hunt me some strong food-grade stuff and that's what they gave me. I think the item code is ASTM B32.
Surely any lead-free solder would work, this is just a strong variety.

The flux was a scorch-free paste flux also from Harris. I like it alot better than the liquid flux I use at work. It is much more food-grade friendly (smells like coconut butter when being cooked.) than the liquid flux that burns your eyes, nose and fingers.
 
on a side note, can you solder a fitting in the bottom of a keggle with direct flam on it.. IE: the BK or HLT? is the water in the kettle enough to keep the solder from melting?
 
Probably not. It's a pretty big risk if the heat washes up the sides of the kettle and you have a failure. This should mostly be done for electric type vessels.
 
It's not melting the solder that I'd worry about on a bottom drain but if you've got wort in the tube, it may scorch. I'm sure it would be OK as an HLT. Even if the connection got slightly hotter than boiling ever, it's not going to melt a 430F solder.
 
Yakima 300

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