New to making stills, Sealing and lids

[josh923]

Hey this may be a stupid question, but im using a metal keg as the fermenter im looking at an alternative to metal for the cap/lid that connects to the copper pipe.
i was just wondering if a certain type of clay (not sure of any types) would be a possibility and if it would affect the process at all?

and if this is completely out of the question what would you use to seal a hole in a keg with an accessible lid?
I dont have access to a welder of any kind

cheers

[astronomical]

cut a gasket from cardboard and wrap it in a shit ton of ptfe tape and clamp your lid to the keg securely... very securely since its holding the column!


just outta curiousity, did you butcher your keg and then go "What the fuck did I just do?"...

[rad14701]

From a safety aspect, I would not use clay, ceramic, or any other materials that could crack or explode from temperature changes... The fact that a catastrophic failure could potentially release many cubic feet of volatile alcohol vapor which could turn the entire stilling area into one big bomb is a serious matter... There are better options...

Think safety, first and foremost...

[Prairiepiss]

I'm not understanding what your working with? A fermenter or a boiler?

Sounds as if you have a keg someone has cut the top out of and you're trying to seal the lid down? Good ol flour paste, pasta noodles, or everlasting PTFE gasket.

You got any pics so we can see what your talking about?

[NcHooch]

Hey this may be a stupid question, but im using a metal keg as the fermenter im looking at an alternative to metal for the cap/lid that connects to the copper pipe.

cheers

Where I come from, fermenters don't have a lid that connects to a copper pipe .
Are you talking about a boiler?
Post up a pic so we can see what all you're workin on there.

...And swing over to the Welcome Center and introduce your self proper when you get a chance.

[Dnderhead]

I thank he has a keg that was used as a fermenter posably for beer? now he wants to make it into a boiler.
also it appears he wants to use something other than metal? posably wood?
but I know not why??

[josh923]

cut a gasket from cardboard and wrap it in a shit ton of ptfe tape and clamp your lid to the keg securely... very securely since its holding the column!


just outta curiousity, did you butcher your keg and then go "What the fuck did I just do?"...

Haha thats exactly what i did, cut a massive hole to open it up without thinking i had a plan, and that plan has changed so many times haha. I dont mind trial and error tho

I sealed the first hole with a heating element that can be temperature set and reversed the keg so thats working nicely. but now i need to cut another hole in the top (bottom) that can make it accessible for cleaning, but before i do that i'd like the know some possibilies for a lid i can muck around with, such as a stainless steel pot, or a SS safety shower but i have no knowledge of how to get it to stay there once pressure is introduced, can it just sit there if its wedged in by something? just doesnt seem that safe

the clay thing was just an idea i had out of curiosity

also sorry for not clarifying, the keg is a fermenter and boiler, should i have them separate? its only gonna be a simple system going from the keg to the condenser.
heres some pics, as dodgy as the heating element looks, its completely sealed and watertight
http://imageshack.us/photo/my-images/40 ... ottom.jpg/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;" rel="nofollow

Where ive circled in red is where i need an access hole, i would use the current fitting installed, but its just not accessible enough
http://imageshack.us/photo/my-images/163/stilltop.jpg/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;" rel="nofollow

I dont mind using metal or any other material, just depends if its safe

Cheers for the response everyone, i'd reply to you all but i only know how to quote one person

[Prairiepiss]

First you need to have your boiler an fermenter separate. You will have to rack the ferment out. Clean the yeast bed out. Then rack it back in to run it.

For a still boiler you don't need cleaning access like that. All you will be doing is making it harder to seal. A simple triclamp convection for the still. Is all you need. Rinse out with hot water and go on.

[NcHooch]

Agreed,
Get yourself a couple food grade plastic buckets and ferment in those, they're a lot easier to clean than a keg.