Still trying to figure it all out...
My first boiler build
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Re: My first boiler build
Common advice on this topic is that you definitely need a drain, lugging a keg full of scalding water to a sink or ditch SUCKS; 3/4" is cost effective and gets the job done in a timely manner, 1" or larger if you don't like to wait.
Taking down the still head (particularly the column) is a pain so.. 2" or 3". Some people feel they'll want to scrub the inside and use a 4" instead. Personal preference.
Probably too late in your circumstance, but many people (myself included) flipped the keg and converted the original keg port for the drain.
_____________________
EXPAT
Current boiler and pot head
Cross flow condenser
Modular 3" Boka - pics tbd
___________________
EXPAT
Current boiler and pot head
Cross flow condenser
Modular 3" Boka - pics tbd
___________________
Re: My first boiler build
----------
Zed
When the Student is ready, the Master will appear.
If you can't explain it simply, you don't understand it well enough.
Zed
When the Student is ready, the Master will appear.
If you can't explain it simply, you don't understand it well enough.
- Tom Kat
- Swill Maker
- Posts: 155
- Joined: Thu Dec 10, 2020 7:27 pm
- Location: In the hill country of Kansas
Re: My first boiler build
OK this drain thing has got me a little vexed. I get that valve on the end, and the spear from the keg. And I can see how the hole right in the bottom is the best place. But what to you connect the SS spear to that also goes in the bottom hole of the keg?
There's no place like home
Re: My first boiler build
I flipped my keg and used the original opening to mount a 2" TC and some plumbing to make the drain. Should work the same if you weld in a 2" TC or similar. See my sig if you're interested to see what I did. Never bothered with the keg spear, just threw it in a box somewhere.
Last edited by Expat on Tue Jan 12, 2021 5:39 pm, edited 1 time in total.
_____________________
EXPAT
Current boiler and pot head
Cross flow condenser
Modular 3" Boka - pics tbd
___________________
EXPAT
Current boiler and pot head
Cross flow condenser
Modular 3" Boka - pics tbd
___________________
Re: My first boiler build
My only regret is not using 3/4" or 1" parts, the 1/2" is a little slow.
----------
Zed
When the Student is ready, the Master will appear.
If you can't explain it simply, you don't understand it well enough.
Zed
When the Student is ready, the Master will appear.
If you can't explain it simply, you don't understand it well enough.
- Tom Kat
- Swill Maker
- Posts: 155
- Joined: Thu Dec 10, 2020 7:27 pm
- Location: In the hill country of Kansas
Re: My first boiler build
true. I need to make some runs to get the feel for all of it.
There's no place like home
- Tom Kat
- Swill Maker
- Posts: 155
- Joined: Thu Dec 10, 2020 7:27 pm
- Location: In the hill country of Kansas
Re: My first boiler build
So how about this for a drain? It would be easy to att
ach a hose to....There's no place like home
- still_stirrin
- Master of Distillation
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- Joined: Tue Mar 18, 2014 7:01 am
- Location: where the buffalo roam, and the deer & antelope play
Re: My first boiler build
Tom, that “hose bib” a.k.a sillcock, has a rubber bonnet/washer for the seat to seal. Not good when exposed to your hot wash. I suggest a ball valve, which has a stainless ball and teflon seals. You can get them in your big box store (same place you spied that sillcock).
ss
ss
My LM/VM & Potstill: My build thread
My Cadco hotplate modification thread: Hotplate Build
My stock pot gin still: stock pot potstill
My 5-grain Bourbon recipe: Special K
My Cadco hotplate modification thread: Hotplate Build
My stock pot gin still: stock pot potstill
My 5-grain Bourbon recipe: Special K
- Tom Kat
- Swill Maker
- Posts: 155
- Joined: Thu Dec 10, 2020 7:27 pm
- Location: In the hill country of Kansas
Re: My first boiler build
Thanks for the answer! I stumbled across this and thought why not? But now I know.
I saw this when I was over looking at ball valves. As long as they are lead free are they ok? or is all SS a better route to go? I am thinking keg spear out of the side neat the bottom and a ball valve. I know you said a 1" ferrule which have not forgot about...
I saw this when I was over looking at ball valves. As long as they are lead free are they ok? or is all SS a better route to go? I am thinking keg spear out of the side neat the bottom and a ball valve. I know you said a 1" ferrule which have not forgot about...
There's no place like home
Re: My first boiler build
A regular ball valve is fine for a drain, the ball will be stainless and seals teflon even though the body is brass. An all stainless valve would be the best possible option but not worth the added expense in this position.
----------
Zed
When the Student is ready, the Master will appear.
If you can't explain it simply, you don't understand it well enough.
Zed
When the Student is ready, the Master will appear.
If you can't explain it simply, you don't understand it well enough.
- Tom Kat
- Swill Maker
- Posts: 155
- Joined: Thu Dec 10, 2020 7:27 pm
- Location: In the hill country of Kansas
Re: My first boiler build
And people use copper for drain tubes I noticed
There's no place like home
Re: My first boiler build
Some use sanitary stainless, but copper is easy to get and work with using off the shelf parts. Seen a few builds using the keg sanke port as the drain and 2" SS components.
----------
Zed
When the Student is ready, the Master will appear.
If you can't explain it simply, you don't understand it well enough.
Zed
When the Student is ready, the Master will appear.
If you can't explain it simply, you don't understand it well enough.
- still_stirrin
- Master of Distillation
- Posts: 10337
- Joined: Tue Mar 18, 2014 7:01 am
- Location: where the buffalo roam, and the deer & antelope play
Re: My first boiler build
Yes, mine has a 3/4” stainless reducer (1/2” ID) welded to the bottom head. And from that, I have a 3/4” copper female adapter threaded on and run 3/4 type M copper past the skirt, where I have 3/4” male copper adapter threaded into a lead-free brass body ball valve that has a stainless ball. I don’t worry about exposure to the wash. However, I wish it was all 3/4” instead of starting with the 1/2” bore at the keg. It slows the drainage down. Looks kinda’ like Zed’s design.
Better yet would be 1” ID, like the spear is.
If I could TiG weld, I’d use a spear (I have a few around here), contour it to mate with the bottom head, and then weld it to the bottom. I’d punch a hole through the skirt and run the spear out past the skirt. Then, weld on a ferrule for a tri-clover valve. Neat and tidy solution. But, it does require a little TiG welding.
ss
Better yet would be 1” ID, like the spear is.
If I could TiG weld, I’d use a spear (I have a few around here), contour it to mate with the bottom head, and then weld it to the bottom. I’d punch a hole through the skirt and run the spear out past the skirt. Then, weld on a ferrule for a tri-clover valve. Neat and tidy solution. But, it does require a little TiG welding.
ss
My LM/VM & Potstill: My build thread
My Cadco hotplate modification thread: Hotplate Build
My stock pot gin still: stock pot potstill
My 5-grain Bourbon recipe: Special K
My Cadco hotplate modification thread: Hotplate Build
My stock pot gin still: stock pot potstill
My 5-grain Bourbon recipe: Special K
- Tom Kat
- Swill Maker
- Posts: 155
- Joined: Thu Dec 10, 2020 7:27 pm
- Location: In the hill country of Kansas
Re: My first boiler build
This is the most elegant solution for sure. I guess I need to be a risk taker and try my hand at fabrication. I am hiring a welder anyway, so contouring the spear will be on me. Lets say I made the spear end align perfect with the bottom. What size hole would you drill in the bottom to drain into the spear?still_stirrin wrote: ↑Sat Jan 16, 2021 6:43 pm Yes, mine has a 3/4” stainless reducer (1/2” ID) welded to the bottom head. And from that, I have a 3/4” copper female adapter threaded on and run 3/4 type M copper past the skirt, where I have 3/4” male copper adapter threaded into a lead-free brass body ball valve that has a stainless ball. I don’t worry about exposure to the wash. However, I wish it was all 3/4” instead of starting with the 1/2” bore at the keg. It slows the drainage down. Looks kinda’ like Zed’s design.
Better yet would be 1” ID, like the spear is.
If I could TiG weld, I’d use a spear (I have a few around here), contour it to mate with the bottom head, and then weld it to the bottom. I’d punch a hole through the skirt and run the spear out past the skirt. Then, weld on a ferrule for a tri-clover valve. Neat and tidy solution. But, it does require a little TiG welding.
ss
There's no place like home
- Tom Kat
- Swill Maker
- Posts: 155
- Joined: Thu Dec 10, 2020 7:27 pm
- Location: In the hill country of Kansas
Re: My first boiler build
I just took a good look at my keg with a tape measure, straight edge, and keg spear. Getting the spear profile just right will be the trick for me.
This will be a challenge...but hey, life is all about challenges.
This will be a challenge...but hey, life is all about challenges.
There's no place like home
- still_stirrin
- Master of Distillation
- Posts: 10337
- Joined: Tue Mar 18, 2014 7:01 am
- Location: where the buffalo roam, and the deer & antelope play
Re: My first boiler build
A grinding disc on a cutoff saw is your friend. That, and a Dremel with a grinding drum to smooth the edges. Getcha’ a Sharpie to mark the contour (rough at first). As you get closer to the shape, it will fit better and better.
Then mark the keg head where you’ll need to open it up to mate with the spear. A good TiG welder will be able to weld a fillet weld between the two parts.
ss
Then mark the keg head where you’ll need to open it up to mate with the spear. A good TiG welder will be able to weld a fillet weld between the two parts.
ss
My LM/VM & Potstill: My build thread
My Cadco hotplate modification thread: Hotplate Build
My stock pot gin still: stock pot potstill
My 5-grain Bourbon recipe: Special K
My Cadco hotplate modification thread: Hotplate Build
My stock pot gin still: stock pot potstill
My 5-grain Bourbon recipe: Special K
Re: My first boiler build
Honestly I don't like the idea of welding a non modular connection to the bottom of a keg (or any place really...) I'd put a 2" TC and adapt it do any kind of plumbing you want. I went with 3/4" which is fine and saves on parts, particularly the valve. If I find new purpose for it or decided I need to drain the keg in 10 seconds I can easily remove it and mount anything I can think of.
_____________________
EXPAT
Current boiler and pot head
Cross flow condenser
Modular 3" Boka - pics tbd
___________________
EXPAT
Current boiler and pot head
Cross flow condenser
Modular 3" Boka - pics tbd
___________________
Re: My first boiler build
I like how you pegged the wheel. very practical.Expat wrote: ↑Tue Jan 12, 2021 5:12 pm I flipped my keg and used the original opening to mount a 2" TC and some plumbing to make the drain. Should work the same if you weld in a 2" TC or similar. See my sig if you're interested to see what I did. Never bothered with the keg spear, just threw it in a box somewhere.
rps20180818_213616.jpg
- Tom Kat
- Swill Maker
- Posts: 155
- Joined: Thu Dec 10, 2020 7:27 pm
- Location: In the hill country of Kansas
Re: My first boiler build
I will have my coupler welded to the skirt and then a ball valve will go on it. I have an idea for some angle iron legs bolted onto the skirt to accommodate my drain tube and ss elbow.
There's no place like home
Re: My first boiler build
Shit that's farther than I've made it with my keg good job so far
You have two ears and one mouth for a reason....
Re: My first boiler build
When shopping for a welder, make sure they know how to do a sanitary stainless weld. If you get a blank look using the words sanitary and stainless then keep shopping. Seen good stainless butchered by 'welders' who aren't familiar with proper gas shielding techniques.
----------
Zed
When the Student is ready, the Master will appear.
If you can't explain it simply, you don't understand it well enough.
Zed
When the Student is ready, the Master will appear.
If you can't explain it simply, you don't understand it well enough.
- still_stirrin
- Master of Distillation
- Posts: 10337
- Joined: Tue Mar 18, 2014 7:01 am
- Location: where the buffalo roam, and the deer & antelope play
Re: My first boiler build
Get some caster wheels instead. Legs are OK to raise the boiler off the floor. But casters will give you mobility, especially when it’s full of a wash.
Have your welder weld a stainless nut onto the skirt bead, with a hole big enough to pass the caster bolt through. Then, you just thread the caster bolt into the nut and lock it with a lock nut. 3 casters will give you a means to “level” the boiler on its “feet”. I’d use 3” or 4” casters for good ground clearance and good load carrying capability.
ss
My LM/VM & Potstill: My build thread
My Cadco hotplate modification thread: Hotplate Build
My stock pot gin still: stock pot potstill
My 5-grain Bourbon recipe: Special K
My Cadco hotplate modification thread: Hotplate Build
My stock pot gin still: stock pot potstill
My 5-grain Bourbon recipe: Special K
Re: My first boiler build
That is a superb setup. Well done.Expat wrote: ↑Tue Jan 12, 2021 5:12 pm I flipped my keg and used the original opening to mount a 2" TC and some plumbing to make the drain. Should work the same if you weld in a 2" TC or similar. See my sig if you're interested to see what I did. Never bothered with the keg spear, just threw it in a box somewhere.
rps20180818_213616.jpg