Colorado welder?

[tasq]

Hi all!

I recently had a friend weld some couplings into my keggles. Long story short, he did it wrong and now, no matter what I do they continue to rust.

You can view my thread with the problem here:
https://www.homebrewtalk.com/f51/another-keggle-rust-thread-197700/

Does anyone know of a welder in Colorado that could possibly fix them if not, fix these, weld new ones?

I've got my whole rig ready, but can't brew until I get this sorted out. It's really bumming me out.

Thanks in advance for any help.

 

[COLObrewer]

Hmmm, I'd use the hell out of it, as is.

 

[tasq]

Hmmm, I'd use the hell out of it, as is.

Really? They start to rust within 10 min of adding water. I don't want that crap in my beer.

Surely you'd taste the metal.

 

[jordanpace]

Hmmm, I'd use the hell out of it, as is.

same here

 

[COLObrewer]

Have you boiled anything in it yet?

 

[tasq]

Have you boiled anything in it yet?

Yes I have. I did a dry run and made rust water very quickly. ( yes the water turned brown while boiling )

You guys are nuts if you'd use these. I don't want to brew with rust water.

 

[COLObrewer]

Yes, I am nucking futs, boil some more water, don't touch it, let it air dry, boil some more water, let it air dry, scrape it off then boil some wort and make beer

 

[tasq]

Yes, I am nucking futs, boil some more water, don't touch it, let it air dry, boil some more water, let it air dry, scrape it off then boil some wort and make beer

I've boiled, sanded, and BKF'd these to death. I've been messing with them for weeks now, and they still rust like day one. I'm beginning to think the welding wire isn't even stainless.

I'm not a fan of rust / metalic flavor in beer, so I'm not going to use them until they are fixed, or I get new ones.

If I did what you said, I'd just have gross, rusty beer.

 

[Wayne1]

Dairy Engineering is the shop that most CO breweries turn to if they want something welded or built in stainless.

http://www.dairyeng.com/shopservices.html

It might be worth your while to give them a call to see what they would charge to look at your keggles. You can be sure they would weld fittings correctly.

 

[tasq]

Dairy Engineering is the shop that most CO breweries turn to if they want something welded or built in stainless.

http://www.dairyeng.com/shopservices.html

It might be worth your while to give them a call to see what they would charge to look at your keggles. You can be sure they would weld fittings correctly.

Thanks Wayne!

 

[jordanpace]

i had a few kettles made and couplings installed on them as well.

they were all welded with a stick welder (stainless electrode) with out any back gas or any gas for that matter. welds looks 100% worse than yours, but after a few runs, grinding, sanding, and playing with some powerful acid... hardly any more rusting.

i find it strange that yours rusts so fast, especially turning the water brown during the boil.

good luck!

 

[tasq]

i had a few kettles made and couplings installed on them as well.

they were all welded with a stick welder (stainless electrode) with out any back gas or any gas for that matter. welds looks 100% worse than yours, but after a few runs, grinding, sanding, and playing with some powerful acid... hardly any more rusting.

i find it strange that yours rusts so fast, especially turning the water brown during the boil.

good luck!

Strange to me as well. What is this powerful acid you speak of?

 

[Wayne1]

Fresh stainless tanks are usually passivated before use in commercial operations. This involves a fairly high percentage solution of Nitric Acid.

http://www.mmsonline.com/articles/how-to-passivate-stainless-steel-parts

Nasty stuff.

 

[tasq]

Fresh stainless tanks are usually passivated before use in commercial operations. This involves a fairly high percentage solution of Nitric Acid.

http://www.mmsonline.com/articles/how-to-passivate-stainless-steel-parts

Nasty stuff.

The only nitric acid I've tried was BKF.

I had thought about trying some WonderGel, but the thought of spending more money on these things hurts. Especially, if there is no guarantee of it working.

I'm waiting on replies from dairyeng, and another local guy who I was referred to from my brew club.

*fingers crossed*

 

[tasq]

After talking to a few REAL welders ( DairyEng, and the guy who does welding for Dry Dock ) I think I'm going to be scrapping these.

I may throw them up for sale, if someone else wants to continue to try and clean them up more.