Boil kettle condenser - no overhead ventilation needed

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Sent my kettle into Spike last friday to have them add a couple TC ports to my kettle. I was just stunned at the quality of the work--unbelievably good. I don't know how they get it to look like this, but I'm not complaining.

That port is for Bobby's steamcatcher. Hope it's close to being here, I have other things I need to order from him and I'd like to get it all on one shipment.

tcweld.jpg
 
Bobby_M said:
Yes closer to 2 weeks last I heard. No need to preorder. We are making 100 units for starters. I have 5 batches logged on it so far and I'll be using going forward. No DMS detected at all.

I did overflow my 6 gallon catch bucket once so I'm looking for a 10 gallon barrel. If you use a small bucket, get into the habit of setting a 30 minute timer.
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I've been thinking a lot about this--I can of course drain into a bucket. I believe I can set up the system so it could actually drain into the trap under my utility sink, but if the water is at all useful for later cleaning, I'd harvest at least some of it for that.

How is the resulting water? Gunky? Pretty clean? I know that whatever is offgassing from the wort in the steam is in there, like DMS, but not sure there's enough to matter. Collecting 140-degree water for cleaning would be a boon, add some PBW, set to recirculating....
 
mongoose33 said:
Sent my kettle into Spike last friday to have them add a couple TC ports to my kettle. I was just stunned at the quality of the work--unbelievably good. I don't know how they get it to look like this, but I'm not complaining.

That port is for Bobby's steamcatcher. Hope it's close to being here, I have other things I need to order from him and I'd like to get it all on one shipment.

View attachment 583630
Click to expand...

Looks sharp. I just ordered my green Lee punch of eBay, intend to buy a weldless triclamp with the condenser when available.
 
I posted on Wednesday that the McMaster parts on my condenser had completely rusted out and come back to this thread to see that my post was deleted. What’s up with that?
 
@prosperbrews, I'm guessing water stayed in the sprayer. Looking back, if one used a blow dryer to force warm air into it after using it, do you think that would have prevented the rust?
 
CodeSection said:
@prosperbrews, I'm guessing water stayed in the sprayer. Looking back, if one used a blow dryer to force warm air into it after using it, do you think that would have prevented the rust?
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I’m sure it would help. It’s just concerning that the parts rusted at all. Mine were rusted so bad the condenser was completely pressurized. It took a 2 hour soak in Citric acid to clear up the clog. Definitely a watch out for other folks.
 
@BrunDog, would you please check your sprayer to see if there is any rust, since yours has been used for the longest time.
 
I highly doubt it was deleted, or if it was, that it was done with malice aforethought. There are all sorts of "my equipment has gone bad" posts here on HBT, and they're not deleted. It's part of people trying to decide if an equipment choice is reasonable, and if there are rust issues I'd think we'd all like to know about it.

Sometimes I write a reply, forget to finish it, pop into a different tab to do something else, and forget to actually click the "post reply" button. Is that possible?

Meanwhile, we've had a series of posts about this, and they haven't been deleted.
 
prosperbrews said:
I posted on Wednesday that the McMaster parts on my condenser had completely rusted out and come back to this thread to see that my post was deleted. What’s up with that?
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mongoose33 said:
I highly doubt it was deleted, or if it was, that it was done with malice aforethought.
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In another post there was mention to the host servers having been moved Wednesday night. Maybe it got lost in the shuffle? Although I agree it was probably human error. I've done stuff like that plenty of times before.
 
My nozzle, the 6 gph, 3178K46, is 416 stainless. No, it's not the same grade as 304 or 316, but I wouldn't expect it to rust like hell. prosperbrews, do you think there's any chance the rust occurred upstream of the sprayer nozzle, and that's where it all accumulated, since no large particles would get through? Also, I recall seeing the original post, so it definitely got posted and apparently deleted for some curious reason. I certainly doubt it was intentional or malicious. I'm sure the McMaster-Carr internet police were out trolling our almighty forum for bad press.:p
 
prosperbrews said:
I posted on Wednesday that the McMaster parts on my condenser had completely rusted out and come back to this thread to see that my post was deleted. What’s up with that?
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As a mod, I can still see posts that have been deleted. I can't find any evidence that a recent post by you has been deleted from this thread. And talking about equipment failures is not something that we delete.

doug293cz
 
Here is a look at my nozzle. It does have some rust on it. This should not be happening. While stainless is stain “less”, not stain free, I think any rust inside the nozzle tip would be unacceptable. If this results in an inefficient spray atomization, then this is indeed not going to be a suitable sprayer.

Thanks for pointing this out, @gnor! I might call McMaster for guidance/correction.

IMG_4684.jpg
 
I brew 15-20 gallon batches on a HERMS sytem in my garage and often do not open up the garage. I have a mini-split AC I installed in the garage for climate control and I just crank it up a bit and it handles the moisture no problem.
 
Zealous61 said:
I brew 15-20 gallon batches on a HERMS sytem in my garage and often do not open up the garage. I have a mini-split AC I installed in the garage for climate control and I just crank it up a bit and it handles the moisture no problem.
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What's the point of your comment? Is it that your mini-split AC that cost a few hundred dollars but still allows high levels of moisture is preferred to this $125-150 (DIY ballpark) condenser that virtually eliminates moisture in the air. I brew in my basement in a very humid environment and this has been an incredible solution. Where are you located? I'm guessing it's a pretty dry environment.
 
In this day and age iron water pipes have not been used for several decades, the ones that did exist have most likely been replaced or rusted away. I have no idea where the rust is coming from but it is there. The hex head is bright but the spray orifice shows rust as well as a spot just above. Am I correct in saying these are all the same manufacturer? Also, what type of spray tip is this, pressure washer??
 
I bought both the Master-Carr's misting nozzles 9.49 gph and 6.32 gph for $10.94 each. Obviously, while it depends on where one lives and humidity levels, they are cheap (even with postage) to replace. IMO, even replacing every six or 12 months, the benefits obtained far exceed any small replacement cost.
 
Brewbuzzard said:
In this day and age iron water pipes have not been used for several decades, the ones that did exist have most likely been replaced or rusted away. I have no idea where the rust is coming from but it is there. The hex head is bright but the spray orifice shows rust as well as a spot just above. Am I correct in saying these are all the same manufacturer? Also, what type of spray tip is this, pressure washer??
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My son is a plumber and he sees some galvanized water supply lines once in a while. They're usually filled with rust - some nearly completely closed off.
I'd soak the nozzle in some CLR for a bit and then use it again to see if the rust comes back. Or - not worry about it since it doesn't touch the mash.
If it started to affect the usage/efficiency of the steam condenser is when I'd replace it.
I suppose having one on-hand wouldn't be a bad idea - just in case.
 
cbier60 said:
What's the point of your comment? Is it that your mini-split AC that cost a few hundred dollars but still allows high levels of moisture is preferred to this $125-150 (DIY ballpark) condenser that virtually eliminates moisture in the air. I brew in my basement in a very humid environment and this has been an incredible solution. Where are you located? I'm guessing it's a pretty dry environment.
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Settle down buddy. Don't be so defensive. Not trying to diss this product just reporting my experience so that it may help someone else. When I set up my brewery, I did so in a garage I was converting into a man cave so AC was going in anyways. I was worried about the condensation, but found I had no reason to worry. And no, not dry at all, I live in Virginia.
 
BrunDog said:
Here is a look at my nozzle. It does have some rust on it. This should not be happening. While stainless is stain “less”, not stain free, I think any rust inside the nozzle tip would be unacceptable. If this results in an inefficient spray atomization, then this is indeed not going to be a suitable sprayer.

Thanks for pointing this out, @gnor! I might call McMaster for guidance/correction.

View attachment 584090
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The photo is a little blurry/glare-y, but to my eye it looks like that might be from dissolved minerals in your water.
 
Yeah, sorry about that. You can see rust staining coming through the Teflon around the threads. The rust on the bottom is partially from the actual surface and partially from collected/dried water there. Either way, there should be no rust.
 
rkhanso said:
My son is a plumber and he sees some galvanized water supply lines once in a while. They're usually filled with rust - some nearly completely closed off.
I'd soak the nozzle in some CLR for a bit and then use it again to see if the rust comes back. Or - not worry about it since it doesn't touch the mash.
If it started to affect the usage/efficiency of the steam condenser is when I'd replace it.
I suppose having one on-hand wouldn't be a bad idea - just in case.
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What type of spray nozzle are y'all using, power washer?
 
mongoose33 said:
I highly doubt it was deleted, or if it was, that it was done with malice aforethought. There are all sorts of "my equipment has gone bad" posts here on HBT, and they're not deleted. It's part of people trying to decide if an equipment choice is reasonable, and if there are rust issues I'd think we'd all like to know about it.

Sometimes I write a reply, forget to finish it, pop into a different tab to do something else, and forget to actually click the "post reply" button. Is that possible?

Meanwhile, we've had a series of posts about this, and they haven't been deleted.
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Actually, it most definitely was deleted and there was also one reply to my post which was also Deleted. I even got the email notification when someone replied to the post which had the reply documented in the email.

See attached - Metzen replied and noted his sprayer had also rusted.

Nonetheless, my sprayer was only used a few times so hoping we can all find an acceptable replacement part.
 

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prosperbrews said:
Actually, it most definitely was deleted and there was also one reply to my post which was also Deleted. I even got the email notification when someone replied to the post which had the reply documented in the email.

See attached - Metzen replied and noted his sprayer had also rusted.

Nonetheless, my sprayer was only used a few times so hoping we can all find an acceptable replacement part.
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Ok, this is strange. I'll see if I can get someone at a higher pay grade to look into what happened.

doug293cz
 
I put a hose filter washer, the kind you put on your washing machine connections, where my hose connects to the condenser unit to catch any particles that come out of the pipes. I still have some galvanized pipes in my house and get particles every once in a while.
 
The little bit of research I did on 416 stainless says that it is an alloy more tuned to easy machining rather than corrosion resistance. It lacks nickel, which really provides the "stainless" character. It is also high in sulfur. You may be seeing sulfides, not rust. Proper passivation with a alkaline/acid/alkaline process made be required, or just dry it after use and clean it as necessary.
 
Oddly, the product note says “offers mild corrosion resistance”. So, it’s not like they didn’t tell us! I guess I overlooked that part!

I did buy a brass sprayer a while back. I haven’t tried it yet since it doesn’t have a strainer on the front of it. I should give it a try and report back how it works. I don’t want anything non-SS in my brewery, but since this is technically out of the liquid path, it shouldn’t matter.
 
I noticed rust on mine after the first use. Thought it may have been an isolated incident, I guess not. Subsequent uses I've been pulling it out of the tube to dry.
 
prosperbrews said:
Actually, it most definitely was deleted and there was also one reply to my post which was also Deleted. I even got the email notification when someone replied to the post which had the reply documented in the email.

See attached - Metzen replied and noted his sprayer had also rusted.

Nonetheless, my sprayer was only used a few times so hoping we can all find an acceptable replacement part.
Click to expand...

doug293cz said:
Ok, this is strange. I'll see if I can get someone at a higher pay grade to look into what happened.

doug293cz
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Feedback from the mod/admin team is that those posts were not deliberately deleted. The best theory is they got lost in the server move on Wednesday. As I said previously, there was nothing in the lost posts that would have caused a mod to delete them. Doesn't appear to be any way to retrieve them, but I think the topic of the posts has been well covered.

Let's get back to the topic of the thread, with no more discussion of the dropped posts. If you want to talk more about that, start a conversation (PM) with me.

doug293cz
 
Hey, i have been looking at this thread for some time now and just started looking for parts; building a condenser really appeals to my professional side. For any Canadians who have built this, where are you sourcing your spray nozzles from? I've only just started the search on the internet, but i'm only really seeing places that require accounts.

I am excited about getting something like this built to get me out of the elements! (Winter is coming... I don't want to have to wait for -10C/30F days so the propane will still flows! haha)

Thank you!
 
@BrunDog , I used your invention last Tuesday night and it worked perfectly! I bought all the parts from your part list you posted earlier in this thread and built a 2" system for my 20 gallon Spike kettle.

Thank you for sharing your invention, design and where to buy the parts!
 

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