Boil kettle condenser - no overhead ventilation needed

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Hello , i found this thread while i was searching for a Condenser for beerbrewing and i decided to build it
and not buy it.
I got all the part needed for the project but McMaster-Carr would not or can ship the nozzles to germany.

"Thank you for considering McMaster-Carr for your purchase, but we do not accept your orders due to the cost of complying with US export regulations. We have therefore cancelled your order. I am sorry we cannot help you further. "
If the post above is not allowed pls delete it .

I never heard that there are US export regulation to germany for misting nozzles....

Have you any idea how to get 3 nozzles to germany or are there substitutes that could be shipped to germany ?

I love that forum and the work you all do. * BrunDog thanks for the inspiration.
Sorry my english is very rusty ......

Greetings form germany
Markus
It's not that there are restrictions on exporting nozzles from the USA. If you export anything technology related, then you have to prove compliance with all of the USA's export requirements. This is a giant paperwork and personnel training pita. You need a big export market to make the compliance overhead worthwhile. Apparently McMaster-Carr has decided that it is not worth the time and effort to put a compliance program in place, for the amount of foreign sales they would get.

Brew on :mug:
 
They are for oil

I know, but it seems to do what it should do so far. I did not have time to test in the actual steam condenser setup yet, but I think it will work.

What flow rate to you need or want to have gph ?

The 1.0mm is spraying at a rate of 60 liters/hour (13.2 gph) for me. But I think it depends on the pressure of your water. I don't know the pressure of the water where I'm going to use it. I thought it was on the low side, so I went for 1.0mm, but I may have overshot. I think the goal should be to go as low as possible while still catching all the steam. From what I read, probably somewhere between 20 liters/hour to 70 liters/hour (5-15 gph).

Angel 60° works?

We'll see how it goes, but that's my hope. I'm using it inside a 1.5" triclamp tube (vs 2" or bigger), so I'd rather have a narrower angle than wider. I think 60° should be fine, but I still have to confirm.
 
Hello , i found this thread while i was searching for a Condenser for beerbrewing and i decided to build it
and not buy it.
I got all the part needed for the project but McMaster-Carr would not or can ship the nozzles to germany.

"Thank you for considering McMaster-Carr for your purchase, but we do not accept your orders due to the cost of complying with US export regulations. We have therefore cancelled your order. I am sorry we cannot help you further. "
If the post above is not allowed pls delete it .

I never heard that there are US export regulation to germany for misting nozzles....

Have you any idea how to get 3 nozzles to germany or are there substitutes that could be shipped to germany ?

I love that forum and the work you all do. * BrunDog thanks for the inspiration.
Sorry my english is very rusty ......

Greetings form germany
Markus
What are the specs on the nozzle you need?
 
I have to test it - we have here 60 psi water pressure , maybe i have to reduce that or use a smaller nozzle
Full-Cone, 416 Stainless Steel, 1/8 NPT Male, 9.49 gph At 40 PSI
or
Full-Cone, Brass, 1/8 NPT Male, 6.32 gph At 40 PSI
 
I bought mine from Qingdao China. I live 90 minutes away. If you’re interested I can query the guy that sold them to me to see if he would ship to Europe...payment can be problematic. My wife handled the payment and shipping details and the nozzle works well. Let me know if you’re interested...
 

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I bought mine from Qingdao China. I live 90 minutes away. If you’re interested I can query the guy that sold them to me to see if he would ship to Europe...payment can be problematic. My wife handled the payment and shipping details and the nozzle works well. Let me know if you’re interested...

Thank you for that offer - i ordered differned burner nozzles for test with my water pressure to prevent a pressure reducer .
I guess the frog / mist will be better with a higher pressure.

I forgott about BT , you are right , they have different with suitable flow rates . Post comes too late will order one , when i buy again from
Maltmiller.
Great Help ! Very kind !
 
I'll post with more details eventually, but I just wanted to confirm that the nozzle I ordered from Aliexpress worked perfectly. The link + screenshot are in a previous post, a few days ago. As I thought, it's using a bit too much water for my taste, but it does the job perfectly. The water came out at 40°C (104°F). The steam stops escaping from the lid as soon as I turn the water on.
 
Are you using a flat kettle lid or a domed lid? i am looking at building my own condenser for a 200ltr kettle,as my current application needs changing
 
Are you using a flat kettle lid or a domed lid? i am looking at building my own condenser for a 200ltr kettle,as my current application needs changing

The lid on my kettle is slightly curved so the condenser does sit quite square to the kettle. It's more of an OCD thing.

EDIT - that should have been "doesn't sit quite square to the kettle."
 
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Just looking at nozzles online, the few i have are not cone, my water flow rate is 7second per ltr, is this around the same as most? Obviously i want to use less water as possible.
 
The lid on my kettle is slightly curved so the condenser does sit quite square to the kettle. It's more of an OCD thing.
Yes my kettle lid already has the centre triclamp fitting for my CIP,but i want to keep this contraption small, and as you say my lid is also curved downwards so will have a slight angle on the pipework. I am worried that 1.5 inch is not going to be big enough on a 200ltr pot.
 
Oh nice! Another Chinese company exactly cloning my fitting design.

Are you talking about the tri clamp weldless bulkhead fitting? If so, that sucks.

It also looks pretty much like the one on the site of SS Brewtech.
 
Yes my kettle lid already has the centre triclamp fitting for my CIP,but i want to keep this contraption small, and as you say my lid is also curved downwards so will have a slight angle on the pipework. I am worried that 1.5 inch is not going to be big enough on a 200ltr pot.
I have a 27 gal kettle with a slightly curved lid. I purchased the 1.5 inch kit from Brewhardware with the 9 gal/hr nozzle and it works great. I would assume that bobby's 2 inch kit would work fine for your 200 ltr (52 gal) kettle. I wouldn't be surprised if the 1.5 inch wouldn't do the job. I get no DMS in my finished beers even my lighter lagers.
Prost
 
I'll post with more details eventually, but I just wanted to confirm that the nozzle I ordered from Aliexpress worked perfectly. The link + screenshot are in a previous post, a few days ago. As I thought, it's using a bit too much water for my taste, but it does the job perfectly. The water came out at 40°C (104°F). The steam stops escaping from the lid as soon as I turn the water on.
It is I, LeClair. A great line from the British sitcom Allo Allo.
 
Oh nice! Another Chinese company exactly cloning my fitting design.

Some of us recognize the long term value of buying local over saving a few bucks today. You: customer service, tech support, products of reliable quality, innovation and solutions unique to my hobby. Alibaba? Nope.

I have tried doing things on the cheap and regretted it enough times, it is not worth it in the long run.

Do it right the first time. Then get to brewing beer.
 
Yeah, guess where SS got that design. They straight up cloned mine.

Yeah that sucks. Sorry to hear that.

Alibaba? Nope.

Unfortunately, for people outside the US, sometimes it's the only option that's available. Or sometimes, the only option that makes sense.

For example, the the spray nozzle that McMaster won't ship outside of the US.

Something that I see a lot is an item that costs $30 (USD) or less, that ships for free within the US. Trying to ship this to Canada gives like $30 shipping, plus $30-40 in broker fees to clear customs (charged by Fedex, UPS, etc.), plus the custom fees, etc. That $30 item ends up costing $150. While there's the same item, often made by the same manufacturer in China, that sells for $20 + free shipping and no custom fees. $150 vs $20 for the same item. Also, the shipping time from the US to Canada is not always super fast. I can imagine how it's only getting worst for people living on other continents.

I buy as much as I can from the my local homebrew store, even when it would be easier, faster and cheaper to buy online. But living outside of the US sometimes makes things complicated.
 
We have the same here in germany , shipment is more the the costs of the items .
I guess most of the stainless steal items that are sold in germany for the double price
come from china .
I dont see a difference in tri clamp or stainless steal parts bought from germany , uk or china.
 
Here’s a made in China clone but it ain’t for sale from my little brewery. No local brew shops around these parts🤦‍♂️
B86AE2F6-990D-46FC-8763-91298FE304CA.jpeg
 
I have a 27 gal kettle with a slightly curved lid. I purchased the 1.5 inch kit from Brewhardware with the 9 gal/hr nozzle and it works great. I would assume that bobby's 2 inch kit would work fine for your 200 ltr (52 gal) kettle. I wouldn't be surprised if the 1.5 inch wouldn't do the job. I get no DMS in my finished beers even my lighter lagers.
Prost
I misphrased the above statement. "I would be surprised if the 1.5 inch wouldn't do the job".
I use 1.5 inch and it works great.
1608671565903522478526802371021.jpg
16086716086653377646552140412789.jpg
 
So I spent the last day or so reading all of the threads regarding condensing the steam from the boil.

There were a couple threads discussing where a condenser could be used to cool the vapors. I found this video about doing so:
Counterflow Chiller Steam Condenser

Has anyone tried this approach?

One concern that I would have is the back pressure and thus cause the kettle lid to pop up to relieve the pressure.

Or if the lid doesn’t lift the volatiles aren’t removed properly.
 
So I spent the last day or so reading all of the threads regarding condensing the steam from the boil.

There were a couple threads discussing where a condenser could be used to cool the vapors. I found this video about doing so:
Counterflow Chiller Steam Condenser

Has anyone tried this approach?

One concern that I would have is the back pressure and thus cause the kettle lid to pop up to relieve the pressure.

Or if the lid doesn’t lift the volatiles aren’t removed properly.
I watched the video and it seems to work very well. I like the idea of saving water. I don't see a problem with back pressure and the evaporation rate aligns with the steam slayer. I think there is room for improvement on the cooling water side. Looks good. However, the equipment cost is significantly higher than the steam slayer but the plate chiller does perform duel functions.
 
Hello Everyone,

I've been working on planning my electric brewery design and know that I want to go the Steam Condenser route seeing as I will be brewing in the basement and will be moving in the next couple years so I don't want to make any modifications to the house, especially if I can't bring it with me.

I came across this video and wanted to know everyone's thoughts? I like the idea of not having to add another fitting if I don't have to, being able to repurpose a plate chiller, not needing to use as much water/having to run around with 5 gallon buckets.

I'm an engineer but not in this specialty so my thoughts are that if steam isn't escaping elsewhere and it is all going through the plate chiller and condensing and dripping out (and not somehow dripping back into the kettle), then all the DMS should be captured so it should work effectively. I would definitely make sure to run some water through before sanitizing with wort so that any DMS saturated water would be flushed before proceeding with chilling.

https://brausupply.com/blogs/news/make-a-steam-condenser-out-of-a-counterflow-chiller

On a more standard note, my brewery plan is for 2 X 20 BIAB that will be able to run both elements at once using a home grown HMI/PLC to control both elements. My original idea would be to connect the headspace of the two pots with 1.5" TCs at 3:00 on the left kettle and 9:00 on the right using an instrument tee and spools. I would then use the large Steam Slayer from BrewHardware with the 18GPH (or 9 GPH if sufficient after testing or if running smaller batches) sprayer to ensure I had enough flow for 2 X 10 Gallon batches should I choose to use that much.

Does this seem reasonable or are there any concerns that you guys have?

Thanks for bearing with me if you got this far!
 
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Hello Everyone,

I've been working on planning my electric brewery design and know that I want to go the Steam Condenser route seeing as I will be brewing in the basement and will be moving in the next couple years so I don't want to make any modifications to the house, especially if I can't bring it with me.

I came across this video and wanted to know everyone's thoughts? I like the idea of not having to add another fitting if I don't have to, being able to repurpose a plate chiller, not needing to use as much water/having to run around with 5 gallon buckets.

I'm an engineer but not in this specialty so my thoughts are that if steam isn't escaping elsewhere and it is all going through the plate chiller and condensing and dripping out (and not somehow dripping back into the kettle), then all the DMS should be captured so it should work effectively. I would definitely make sure to run some water through before sanitizing with wort so that any DMS saturated water would be flushed before proceeding with chilling.

https://brausupply.com/blogs/news/make-a-steam-condenser-out-of-a-counterflow-chiller

On a more standard note, my brewery plan is for 2 X 20 BIAB that will be able to run both elements at once using a home grown HMI/PLC to control both elements. It will be a standard 30A, 240V circuit so I will utilize 2 of Bobby's 3500W elements so that I can simultaneously use both and be just under the 30A rating (all pumps and controls will be off a separate 120V supply). My original idea would be to connect the headspace of the two pots with 1.5" TCs at 3:00 on the left kettle and 9:00 on the right using an instrument tee and spools. I would then use the large Steam Slayer from BrewHardware with the 18GPH (or 9 GPH if sufficient after testing or if running smaller batches) sprayer to ensure I had enough flow for 2 X 10 Gallon batches should I choose to use that much.

Does this seem reasonable or are there any concerns that you guys have?

Thanks for bearing with me if you got this far!
You are really pushing the current limit. Each element running at 100% duty cycle will draw 14.17 amps for a total 29.2 amps. This only leaves you 800mA until the breaker trips. This will also wear out the breaker. You should look at no more than 70% of the breakers rating. One small surge and the circuit breaker trips and you have to jump up and reset it. I would design for supporting a 240 vac circuit with a 40 amp GFCI breaker. I don't know how long the runs are but pay attention to the wire gauge, say 10 awg for the 240 circuit. Hope this helps.
 
Thanks for the feedback Brewbuzzard. Maybe I’ll find something slightly smaller and run a 120V hot rod element to boost them if needed. I’ll edit that out of my original post so as not to distract from the purpose of this thread.
 
So given that the boil off rate will be lower, by say half, and you will have to reduce mash or sparge volumes to hit your targets, the efficiency of rinsing the sugars from the mash will be rather reduced and the concentration of wort will be reduced, what are people seeing for reduction in brewhouse efficiency?

I brew mostly large beers - 1.070+ on ebiab setup(10.5 anvil) so my mash volume is already limiting and having to add more grain to make up isn't much of an option. I already do reitterated mashes for some beers and need maximum boil off for that to work in a remotely reasonable amount of time.
 
So given that the boil off rate will be lower, by say half, and you will have to reduce mash or sparge volumes to hit your targets, the efficiency of rinsing the sugars from the mash will be rather reduced and the concentration of wort will be reduced, what are people seeing for reduction in brewhouse efficiency?

I brew mostly large beers - 1.070+ on ebiab setup(10.5 anvil) so my mash volume is already limiting and having to add more grain to make up isn't much of an option. I already do reitterated mashes for some beers and need maximum boil off for that to work in a remotely reasonable amount of time.

For beers in the 1.045- 1.060 range, I haven't seen much change in my efficiency. But I am seeing it in my bigger beers and have had to add more grain. But for me, bigger beers are in the 1.070 -1.080 range.

If you don't want to add more grain, you could always boil longer.
 
I've never tested this - just a theory. Maybe an aquarium air pump would be enough. You don't change the condenser as you still need it to condense the steam. The additional air will give some room to absorb steam vapor. Not sure what would happen in the condenser due to the additional pressure though.
 
the one I built has worked great. I'm using a brass spray nozzle 9gph from mcmaster, with I think a 70deg spray cone. is there a source for a stainless steel version? the nozzle isn't looking so nice
 
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