Using 3d printers for homebrewing?

[cjyh84]

surely, as with other cool new inventions, the 3d printer is also causing a boom of media attention. it basically makes producing super intricate parts for relatively cheap prices.

i was reading an article about a guy who built a centrifuge using 3d printed parts and a hand held power tool.. it got me to thinking, what cool new equip could 3d printing bring to the homebrewing community? or what equip would it improve?

i have no clue as how it really works or the materials it uses to print the things but sure sounds like a great alternative for the diy people, no more scrounging parts for anything...

does anyone know if the material used for 3d printing is food grade? how would it react to sanitizers or other chemicals used in brewing? how does it react to heat.. etc etc....

 

[Hammy71]

Not sure about brewing equipment, but tap handles are already being produced.

 

[cjyh84]

Not sure about brewing equipment, but tap handles are already being produced.

do you happen to have links to this info?

 

[penguin69]

Some of the 3d printers are corn starched based resin. So they should be Food grade however you will probably have to impregnate to finished product with something so that it does not dissolve and be able to handle the high temps.

 

[SixStrings]

Many printers print in some form of thermoplastic, so assuming they could use something like PET you could create something food safe.

Some printers are able to use metal alloys, though I don't know if that's something available on a small scale for home use. It would be cool to eventually be able to fabricate a brew kettle to your exact dimensions or something like replacement parts for your system.

 

[jeffjm]

i was reading an article about a guy who built a centrifuge using 3d printed parts and a hand held power tool.. it got me to thinking, what cool new equip could 3d printing bring to the homebrewing community? or what equip would it improve?

The centrifuge itself would be useful....if I remember correctly, Stan Hieronymous mentioned in Brew Like a Monk that at least one of the Trappist monasteries uses a centrifuge instead of a filter to remove yeast.

 

[unionrdr]

If it could use some material tha could take heat & be food safe it'd be great. Like hop strainer baskets,lid pry off tools for bucket fermenters. Or better yet,an airlock with a switching function for a tube/valve that a blow off could be directly attached to. No more removing one to use the other. Just use a simple routing valve to the blow off. Little things like this would be good to start with.

 

[StoneArcher]

I have built a reprap, and use pro grade units at work (multi color, support material, etc.)

Sure you can make anything. Model it up, print it, edit the model due to some unforeseen circumstance, reprint, rinse and repeat. Sometimes you will hit it on the head, most not.

It seems like the printing revolution is useful for everything, but most of the time if you can buy it it's not worth it to print it. Unless of course printing and modeling are a hobby. I've printed dice, bottle openers, copious parts that I "needed now" then tossed out when they came in.

As far as a blowoff / airlock. Use a three piece, putting a hose over the inner pipe in the base unit. Removing the cup and cap. Simple. At less than a buck a piece I doubt you could print it cheaper while maintaining a profit of any sort.

We print ABS and PLA. But can print just about anything meltable. Google "sugar printer." Heck, for fun at work a guy laser etches cookies on the laser cutter.