Going to Start Rig number 2

[kickflip_mj]

So my old man wants my HERMS rig and now im going to start my journey on my 20 gallon rig with all tri-clovers. So heres my question... its easy to get tri clovers welded on your pots from the manufacturers but what about plumbing? and also should i only worry about no threads on my BK? I have a freind who can thread stainless so thats easy.

 

[kickflip_mj]

bump

 

[Seabee John]

Coming from the view that building a new rig has never been a one shot deal for me (I build, refine, refine some more...) I would advise you to get the plumbing done with threaded pipe or possibly do something radical and use sweated copper... either of which will allow you to change things easily after the fact. Once you've got your design down and working well, you can convert over to welded pipe and make it all look pretty.

To me it's all a choice between writing in a word document on the computer or chiseling in stone... If it were up to me, I'd go with the option that includes spell check

 

[kickflip_mj]

I have built one 5 Gal rig in the past, I just love the idea of going all threadless. Triclover ferruls are cheap, maybe 5 bucks a peice. its the welding that intimidates me. I can mig really well, but never a clean weld. Is mig welding possible for this application?

 

[Salmonhouse]

I just bought a tig machine to do those types of welds, i have a mig welder with gas and i'm not even trying to attempt it. You definitely need straight Argon gas and stainless wire in either case. And you'll have to look into back gassing.

IF you wan't to know everything there is to know about welding a coupler, go through this thread here:

https://www.homebrewtalk.com/f51/welding-questions-148798/

I have some 25 gallon pots and was planning on using 1/2" threaded couplers, but now you've got me thinking about those triclamps...

 

[JohnTheBrewist]

GVC.net sells Tri-Clamp to compression fitting adaptors. I think this would be the easiest way to go mostly threadless. I was considering this on my rig, but the cost of new TC valves, etc, made me decide to just stick with threaded (already have 9 stainless npt ball valves).

 

[IrregularPulse]

I think I's step up to 3/4 fitting for 25G batches.

 

[sanch]

I am nearing the end of my all tri clover "well mostly tri clover" rig and i can tell you from experiance that it is a major pain in the a$$. i do not have a tig weldor myself so every time i need to make a single conection i have to drive across town to a freinds shop set up the weldor and so on. i have been thinking lately that it would have been just as well to use swageloc fittings and stainless tubung. and i got my tri clover stuff for free basically. the cost would have scared me off for sure.