New steam rig and manometer test

[Twisted Brick]

When I first joined HD I was intrigued with the versatility a steam rig/thumper could add to a pot still, but dismissed the idea of building one because of the perceived risks. But after learning that a steam rig could be the shortest viable route to rye step mashes and strips, I committed to learning enough to mitigate those risks. Since my current pot/CCVM still is modular, I figured it wouldn't require too many additional components.
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So here is a synopsis of what my steam research revealed and what I was able to build. Since more and more guys are embracing steam, hopefully it helps the next ‘stiller answering some of the same questions I had.

The Vessels

From the beginning the plan was to use two half-barrel kegs. The intent is to step mash in my open-top keg and to strip fruit and mashes prone to scorching in the thumper. At one point I want to connect the boiler to one of my short quarter kegs to provide a more manageable reflux column height.

For my thump keg, I had a 6” ferrule welded to the top, and a 2” drain ferrule welded to the side near the bottom. This was so I could run the thumper downtube through my tee, which I already use on my CCVM and retain my vertical riser. And with reducers, I will be able to run either 2”, 3” or 4” columns/risers, plus it will be nice to be able to get my arm into the keg for cleaning.

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Thumper Plumbing

I built the thumper downtube and steam wand modular so I would be able to mash/distill in different-sized vessels and try out different wand designs. This steam wand should be fine with cleared washes. I still need to test a braided/mesh stainless wand for thick mashes.
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The Manometer

After reaching out to a number of senior HD members experienced with thumpers, it seemed the simplest, most effective PRV solution would be a manometer. The two requirements I had were that the device had to be able to safely dump the contents created by an over-pressure event and hopefully be able to indicate operational pressure throughout the course of a run.

I liked Yummy’s solution, but then, just by chance, I came across a manometer-like apparatus (acting more as an overpressure blow-off tube) that I learned is common in distilleries in Tasmania. They all look like these:

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