DIY Chilled Conical/Keg Fermenter

[bendavanza]

Yuri
Where do you find threaded fittings etc to make corny posts where you want them?

 

[Yuri_Rage]

Northern Brewer has them. I machine the NPT threads out of them before welding. For the liquid out side, I bore the inner diameter to accept a dip tube and part off the o-ring collar.

http://www.northernbrewer.com/brewing/adapter-for-corny-plugs-1-4-ffl-x-19-32-18.html

Two more pics to help illustrate (the adapters started out as identical parts):

 

[arturo7]

So Yuri, what are your plans for the cooling unit?

 

[bendavanza]

Good to know. I wondered if these were for gas only, or if they worked with dip tubes, etc. The web description is sort of vague. With corny posts being kind of finicky between kegs, etc. I figured a "universal" one would be difficult to do.

 

[Yuri_Rage]

After doing a little math on the volume of glycol required for that hefty jacket and resulting cooling system, I decided to do something different. I think I have it figured out, but I'm not quite done ironing out the details. For now, here's what it looks like:

 

[arturo7]

After doing a little math on the volume of glycol required for that hefty jacket and resulting cooling system, I decided to do something different. I think I have it figured out, but I'm not quite done ironing out the details. [/IMG]

What were you considering originally for the cooling system? The cooling requirement is based on the heat load, not necessarily the volume of water/glycol.

I'd like to do something similar but don't know the formulas to properly size the cooling system.

 

[Yuri_Rage]

Sure, the cooling requirement alone is based on heat dissipation, but the cost requirement for 30-40 gallons of glycol is a bit astronomical. Even the cheap stuff for winterizing RVs is expensive when you're buying that much of it. If I could've kept the quantity to about half that, I would've kept going with the other design. However, I didn't want to do THAT much welding.

 

[arturo7]

Yowsa! Even heavily diluted, that's still a lotta jack.

 

[Yuri_Rage]

Slight progress:

 

[ReeseAllen]

Looks great, very pro. Can't wait to see it polished up and ready for action.

 

[CenCalWorthog]

Damn, that looks great... you have a lot of skill and a lot of time!

 

[Islandboy85]

Did you ever get pictures of the project completed Yuri?

 

[Yuri_Rage]

It's not done yet. I powder coated it tonight. Like a dummy, I used some flammable tape to mask a portion of the top, then set it in the oven upside down, very close to the heating elements. As a result, there's some smoke and ash in the coating that make it look...artistic?

Fortunately, it's just cosmetic damage. The coating is intact, and I really only needed to coat the legs since they're the only parts that aren't stainless. Also, the entire thing will likely be covered with insulation, so it's not a big deal. Still, I feel dumb.

I hope to do some more tomorrow so you can begin to see the method to my madness.

 

[Islandboy85]

Just turn it a little bit, put it in the corner, and no one will know about the little carbon streak you've got there

 

[LooyvilleLarry]

You have an oven that is big enough to put that thing in? Wow, that ups the tool ante a bit.

 

[ScubaSteve]

So is the color going to change from salmon pink to something more awesome?

 

[Sawdustguy]

Yuri, did you really powder coat it at home? Man, I wish I had your toys and knew how to use them. This motivates me to take a TIG welding class.

 

[bendavanza]

I think that's a copper color like he used in his brewery. Probably just did not photograph well.

 

[tomije87]

Looks great! How tall does it measure?

 

[Yuri_Rage]

It's copper colored. If anything, the color is a bit too brown for copper. It definitely doesn't look pink (neither in real life nor on my monitor).

Yes, I powder coated it at home in a self-built oven that is 3'x3'x5'. See my brew hut thread for some DIY powder coating that turned out well. This was my first major powder coating blunder in several years! The other side has an even bigger scar. Oops.

The fermenter is 44" tall.

 

[Yuri_Rage]

Ok, here's what I have so far:

It's the guts from my kegerator brazed onto a measured length of copper tubing. There are no leaks, and it seems to get quite cold. However, I think I massively overcharged it with a careless bit of impatience. More to come for sure.

 

[arturo7]

You are running a refrigerant through the copper?

 

[Yuri_Rage]

Yes - R134, per the kegerator's design specs.

 

[arturo7]

Have you had any training on refrigeration systems? Isn't there specialized gear involved with charging the system?

Just want to see if this is feasible for an average Joe DIY'er like me.

 

[Yuri_Rage]

I've had no formal training. I know how to braze, and I understand refrigeration concepts. Technically, you should have a licensed repair facility evacuate and charge the system. WalMart sells R134. That's all I have to say about that.

 

[bendavanza]

Yuri
Did you weld from the outside and if so, how did you go about making a smooth surface inside? There must be a plan for a thermowell somewhere? I know you're not finished and we appreciate the incremental updates.

 

[Yuri_Rage]

I purged the entire keg with argon during welding.

A temp sensor will be incorporated into the lid.

 

[RonRock]

That poor, poor Kegerator. So brave to sacrifice itself for such a noble cause.

You're the man Yuri!

 

[CodeRage]

Hey Yuri, when you modified the refrigeration system what was your process? More often than not they crimp the service ports, did you find some kind of hi/lo attachments for the R134a? Did you pull a vacuum on the system prior to charging?

If it is overcharged that compressor isn't going to like it

 

[humann_brewing]

That is saaaweeet!