DMS- Will a splatter screen let it out?

[TerapinChef]

I, unfortunately, do not have a garage in which to brew. I am forced to do my all grain batches in my backyard. Unfortunately, I have several trees near me, and I live in a fairly windy area. With the coming of spring, I have found myself liberated into the outdoors for my brewing, and I am worried about sticks, tree buds, leaves, bugs, poplar fur, and various other airborne things landing in my brewpot. That being said...

Does anyone know if the holes on a splatter screen would be large enough to allow DMS to escape? Can I go to something a little larger, between a fine mesh and chicken wire?

 

[BigEd]

Does anyone know if the holes on a splatter screen would be large enough to allow DMS to escape?

Yes. A DMS molecule is a handful of atoms, there's plenty of open area in the screen.

 

[mykayel]

Set your kettle outside where you will be brewing for an hour, will you really get that much "crap" in there from the wind?

 

[olllllo]

I think the issue is that the condensed steam will bring the DMS back into the pot

 

[Chris_Dog]

I would imagine 90-95% of the steam will pass through the screen.

 

[TerapinChef]

Set your kettle outside where you will be brewing for an hour, will you really get that much "crap" in there from the wind?

It's more of a matter of me not really wanting to flavor my beer with oak leaves or bird poop....

 

[JustDave]

What about one of those pop-up tent things?

Then you could brew in the rain, in the snow ... and I'm sure you'd find more uses for it than just brewing (parties, tailgating, etc.)

 

[mr x]

I built a little arm off my deck from which I hang my pot lid 2 feet above my boil pot. Was getting too many leaves.

 

[david_42]

I just use a small window screen on the pot on windy days.

 

[PseudoChef]

You can just partially cover the brew pot with a lid and you'll be fine.

Look at the boil kettle for a commercial brewery. Huge open kettle, small diamter opening....you'll be fine.

 

[DUCCCC]

I think the issue is that the condensed steam will bring the DMS back into the pot

This. Putting something directly over the pot that allows condensation to gather and drop right back into the pot is bad.

 

[debaniel]

perhaps you could angle the screen or lid so that condensation rolls off over the side of the kettle?