Vented Lid for Boil?

[cuse88]

After a recent brewery tour something dawned on me: why couldn’t you just vent (i.e. cut hole in center of lid or add a vent pipe) in order to improve boil efficiency while allowing boil off?
I know with my electric setup this could help tremendously.

The setup would be similar to large boil kettles with the tubular vent commercial breweries use. Has anyone tried anything like this?

Thanks for any help! Cheers!

 

[JONNYROTTEN]

I've been thinking the same thing. With all the equipment available for home brew why hasn't someone just come up with t a lid with a hole and smallish exhaust fan with some sort of tube for indoor steam control....it would be a best seller.

"seems" simple enough and relatively cheap....I'd buy one

 

[Smellyglove]

Several people on my local forum uses this: http://www.ikea.com/de/de/catalog/products/00125811/
And just add a flextube.

 

[JONNYROTTEN]

Several people on my local forum uses this: http://www.ikea.com/de/de/catalog/products/00125811/
And just add a flextube.

That's a link to a light

 

[Smellyglove]

That's a link to a light

Yup. Just take of the top containg the socket for the bulb, and add a flextube to the opening. If you're lucky enough the hood will fit on your kettle. Its stainless too.

They also has a salad bowl called "BLANDA" which some people also mod.

 

[cuse88]

Yup. Just take of the top containg the socket for the bulb, and add a flextube to the opening. If you're lucky enough the hood will fit on your kettle. Its stainless too.

They also has a salad bowl called "BLANDA" which some people also mod.

Do you have any photos of the mod?

 

[Smellyglove]

Do you have any photos of the mod?

This aren't my pics. It's from the forum I frequent.

https://forum.norbrygg.no/attachments/2013-11-24-21-44-30-jpg.10622/

This guy has "feet". Some just dump the hood straight down onto the kettle, if it fits.

Here's another one. This is with the "BLANDA" salat bowl on top of a Grainfather.

https://forum.norbrygg.no/attachments/20160429_190055b-jpg.24612/

 

[cuse88]

This aren't my pics. It's from the forum I frequent.

https://forum.norbrygg.no/attachments/2013-11-24-21-44-30-jpg.10622/

This guy has "feet". Some just dump the hood straight down onto the kettle, if it fits.

Here's another one. This is with the "BLANDA" salat bowl on top of a Grainfather.

https://forum.norbrygg.no/attachments/20160429_190055b-jpg.24612/

Could you possibly screenshot it ? I don’t have access to the links given

 

[thekraken]

This links don't appear to be available to us non-members

 

[Smellyglove]

A quick search with some generic strings gave me this, a few more pics:

https://www.google.no/search?biw=17.......0...1.1.64.psy-ab..0.0.0....0.OC2wgZokbQ0

 

[Smellyglove]

Ah. I was unaware of that.

Here:

 

[Smellyglove]

Just compare the pics to the original products at ikea, so you'll see what has been modded, like the wooden handles are modded onto the bowl.

 

[LickingGoatBrothersBrewin]

View attachment IMG_7601.jpg

I was asking a similar question. Seems like a good plan.

 

[LickingGoatBrothersBrewin]

View attachment 417418

I was asking a similar question. Seems like a good plan.

View attachment IMG_7598.jpg

This too.

 

[Smellyglove]

Those are pretty expensive comparing to an IKEA-mod. But, if you have a Speidel they will fit 100% and they come with the silicone, but the silicone is cheap from china.

 

[thekraken]

Does this need an exhaust fan? If so do you have any examples of that? And/or links to fans used successfully?

 

[20grit]

Does this need an exhaust fan? If so do you have any examples of that? And/or links to fans used successfully?

All you would need is an in-line duct fan, sized to match the flex-duct. They'll usually plug into a 110V outlet.

 

[Smellyglove]

Does this need an exhaust fan? If so do you have any examples of that? And/or links to fans used successfully?

Some (from the forum i posted the pics from) use an inline-fan. Quality is pretty important. But some does not. I'm not 100% sure about this, but those who do not use a fan, either says it works without a fan, (maybe short stretch from the boil to the window) or, make a dip to the flextubing, poke a hole in it at the lowest point, so most of the water condenses in the tubing and drains down into a bucket through the hole. I'm not 100% about how they do this to be honest.

 

[thekraken]

Like this: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00F6BL11U/?tag=skimlinks_replacement-20

Does steam not bother these?

 

[Smellyglove]

Like this: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00F6BL11U/?tag=skimlinks_replacement-20

Does steam not bother these?

I'm not sure, maybe others have some experiences with these kind of fans. But a saf(er?) bet would be a fan which is made for wet-rooms, like bathrooms and such. The fan has to be able to move a lot of vapor, unless you condense and drain it before it hits the fan.

 

[cuse88]

I was thinking of without an exhaust fan.

Remove the center of a lid and solder a stainless bowl with a whole pinched opening (2” minimum) for venting.

My main goal is to maintain a more intense rolling boil.

Thoughts?

EDIT: I’d remove the size of the bowl from the kettle lid.

 

[Smellyglove]

I was thinking of without an exhaust fan.

Remove the center of a lid and solder a stainless bowl with a whole pinched opening (2” minimum) for venting.

My main goal is to maintain a more intense rolling boil.

Thoughts?

EDIT: I’d remove the size of the bowl from the kettle lid.

Sorry, this might be off topic, but still relevant for the sake of wort production.

You don't need an intense rolling boil. You'll get more maillard-products, but also more unstable shelf life, and also a less attenuable wort.

 

[cuse88]

Sorry, this might be off topic, but still relevant for the sake of wort production.



You don't need an intense rolling boil. You'll get more maillard-products, but also more unstable shelf life, and also a less attenuable wort.

I’m aware of the above. I should’ve also added a desire to improve the time I can get to and maintain an adequate boil.

 

[Smellyglove]

I’m aware of the above. I should’ve also added a desire to improve the time I can get to and maintain an adequate boil.

If you haven't already insulate your kettle, it helps a lot.

 

[20grit]

There are damp rated inline duct fans. If your intent is to harvest condensation, there would be no need for the fan. Just a coil of metal pipe and a receptacle will harvest the condensate.

I'd definitely recommend a fan if you're venting to the exterior through flexible duct. You want to move the vapor out of the duct to avoid it condensing and dumping out somewhere. What happens when you've finished your boil, and condensed water from this unsanitized ductwork pours back into your wort? I don't think you want that. Get the vapor out as much as you can.