Chris Knight's brew rig

[diatonic]

Sweet Radio Flier in the background .

I test fired my burners with the kettles last night on my powder coated rig which is the same color. After about 10 minutes I started to get some discoloration in the powder coating where it was getting really hot on the frame. I'm working on some heat shields to try to protect it a bit.

Not sure if you've thought of this, but thought I'd mention it. I think the powder coating I had done cured at 400° F I think. I'm pretty sure I got it hotter than that.

 

[diatonic]

Not yet... I'm planning on busting out 4 5-gallon batches this weekend. Trial by fire! lol

How did your brew day(s) go?

 

[chrisknight]

Hey, wait a minute. You didn't tell me I had to calibrate the damn thing!

My buddy is in heating & cooling, he is really anal about pressure. Just light all 3 burners and adjust the set screw to correct flame height...

 

[chrisknight]

Sweet Radio Flier in the background .

I test fired my burners with the kettles last night on my powder coated rig which is the same color. After about 10 minutes I started to get some discoloration in the powder coating where it was getting really hot on the frame. I'm working on some heat shields to try to protect it a bit.

Not sure if you've thought of this, but thought I'd mention it. I think the powder coating I had done cured at 400° F I think. I'm pretty sure I got it hotter than that.

Yeah, mine is too a bit on the arm tips. I don't mind it at all.

How did your brew day(s) go?

Only got 2 batches done. This weekend I will do the other 2.

 

[chrisknight]

^^ Recirculating the mash! ^^

 

[chrisknight]

^^^ Chill went from 212 degrees down to 53 degrees in about 10 minutes recirculating ^^^

Hooray beer!!!

 

[klyph]

What do you do for ventilation?

 

[chrisknight]

What do you do for ventilation?

Look at 1:25...

 

[iamopie2]

Its so beautiful. The polished kegs are quite the eye candy. I know that must have been some work but well worth it

 

[klyph]

Are the plate/counterflow chiller guys the only ones who get cold break like that? I've never been able to do that with my immersion chiller.

 

[crypt0]

Is that a 10 gallon batch split into 2 fermenters?

What's the extra keg for in the background

sweet setup, slight upgrade over your youtube videos

 

[Yambor44]

My buddy is in heating & cooling, he is really anal about pressure. Just light all 3 burners and adjust the set screw to correct flame height...

Do you know if the regulator has to be on the stand, or can it be at the other end of the hose?

Just got my SS brutus stand today. This thing is heavy!

 

[chrisknight]

Do you know if the regulator has to be on the stand, or can it be at the other end of the hose?

Just got my SS brutus stand today. This thing is heavy!

It can be at the other end, BUT, if you get the regulator with a vent limiting device, the regulator must be mounted in a horizontal upright position.

Ooohhh.. Stainless. Start up your thread! lol

 

[chrisknight]

Is that a 10 gallon batch split into 2 fermenters?

What's the extra keg for in the background

sweet setup, slight upgrade over your youtube videos

Nope. 2 different 5.5-gallon batches. Pre-prohibition kit from northern brewer (left) and an American amber. I'm doing a pale ale this weekend to use up the rest of my 50lbs sack of Rahr from last year. The other keg had bud in it from a party, it will be going back to the distributor.

 

[Yambor44]

It can be at the other end, BUT, if you get the regulator with a vent limiting device, the regulator must be mounted in a horizontal upright position.

Ooohhh.. Stainless. Start up your thread! lol

Yeah, that's the one I got. Thanks for reminding me. My coupler for the "gas in" on my stand shoots out of the bottom is why I am asking. I am going to look into adding a stainless 90 degree elbow and run the regulator horizontal like you said.

 

[Irrenarzt]

How did the powder coating hold up of your frame Chris?

 

[Yambor44]

Chris,

Whats the distance from your burner tip to the bottom of your keg? Were you happy with that when you brewed?

Also, did you have to use an adapter to go from your burner to the 1/2" pipe? My burner orifice is to small to accept the 1/2" galvanized pipe.

 

[chrisknight]

Chris,

Whats the distance from your burner tip to the bottom of your keg? Were you happy with that when you brewed?

Also, did you have to use an adapter to go from your burner to the 1/2" pipe? My burner orifice is to small to accept the 1/2" galvanized pipe.

I'm pretty sure you DON'T want to use galvanized pipe. Use black pipe. The burners are about 4 and 1/2" away from the bottom of the kettle. Yes, those burners are 3/8" so you'll have to reduce it.

 

[chrisknight]

How did the powder coating hold up of your frame Chris?

Like diatonic and I said a few posts back. Its starting to discolor due to the heat. I don't mind it at all...

 

[Yambor44]

I'm pretty sure you DON'T want to use galvanized pipe. Use black pipe. The burners are about 4 and 1/2" away from the bottom of the kettle. Yes, those burners are 3/8" so you'll have to reduce it.

I've heard that too. Do you happen to know why? I'm looking at Lonnie Mac's plans and they appear to have galvanized pipe.

 

[Irrenarzt]

You must use black pipe for gas. Galvanized reacts with propane and rusts from the inside out.

 

[Yambor44]

You must use black pipe for gas. Galvanized reacts with propane and rusts from the inside out.

Gotcha. Does it react with Natural Gas as well?

 

[SOB]

I like the cover you put on the pump Is that a temporary thing?

 

[Irrenarzt]

Gotcha. Does it react with Natural Gas as well?

Yes, the rate is slower but the reaction does occur there as well. The bottom line is galvanized pipe is not acceptable practice for fuel gas applications. It's also a code violation in most instances so best just to use black pipe which is slightly cheaper anyway. Or go stainless.

 

[Yambor44]

Yes, the rate is slower but the reaction does occur there as well. The bottom line is galvanized pipe is not acceptable practice for fuel gas applications. It's also a code violation in most instances so best just to use black pipe which is slightly cheaper anyway. Or go stainless.

Went back and looked at Lonnie Mac's specs. Shows $53 worth of SS nipples so I assume what looks like galvanized to me is actually stainless.

Also, I just realized when you mentioned the code thing, when my plumber installed my NG line for me to tie into, he used galvanized.

 

[Irrenarzt]

Yeah Lonnie's rig has no galvanized stuff as far as I can tell.

Also, the rate of this corrosion reaction is slow but it never passivates (so it will corrode through eventually). Code will allow for NG/galvanized in some states. I know CO and CA allows it, but NM and AZ do not. Go figure. Best to err on the side of caution.

 

[kladue]

The ban on galvinized pipe is related to the bad old days before they scrubbed the H2S from natural gas, that did bad things to both copper and galvinized surfaces.

 

[Irrenarzt]

There is still residual hydrogen disulfide at ppb levels in propane and NG. Probably on the order of 10's of years to see any corrosion but best to not have to think about it.

 

[Pubwilson]

Hey CK, Nice rig and setup. Question for ya, what size pot lids are those in the picture? They seem to cover the whole keg top.

 

[Yambor44]

My buddy is in heating & cooling, he is really anal about pressure. Just light all 3 burners and adjust the set screw to correct flame height...

Hmmm. I test fired one burner. Decent flame. Mostly blue. Shoots about 8 inches past where the bottom of the pot would be. I tightened the set screw all the way down until it wouldn't turn any more and noticed absolutely no change in the flame. I am only running one burner at the moment (as I will be when brewing most of the time).Didn't change it when I turned it to the left mostly "open" either.

Any thoughts?

Sorry about the blurry pics. Was trying to get a pic without the flash and the speed is too slow.