2" Copper ferrules

[towercrane]

I don't solder mine on, I put the ferrule in the freezer and then pound it onto the pipe with a mallet. When the ferrule warms up it fits so snug it doesn't leak on type L pipe. On dwv I have to solder.

Okay this answers a big question of mine. I just need to be sure I'm understanding right. I have 2" type L, If I order two long 2" SS flanges, I can weld one to my keg, and wrestle one into the pipe? I'm sorry if it's a dumb question, I'm trying to learn.

[rubber duck]

I don't solder mine on, I put the ferrule in the freezer and then pound it onto the pipe with a mallet. When the ferrule warms up it fits so snug it doesn't leak on type L pipe. On dwv I have to solder.

Okay this answers a big question of mine. I just need to be sure I'm understanding right. I have 2" type L, If I order two long 2" SS flanges, I can weld one to my keg, and wrestle one into the pipe? I'm sorry if it's a dumb question, I'm trying to learn.

It's not a dumb ass question. Yes you can do exactly that with a type L pipe. Whatever you do don't heat the copper pipe, just force it in. I've got 5 done that way on my lm/vm and it doesn't leak with a mirror test.

Why do you need to weld one to your keg? The tri clam furl will fit up to the keg opening? This is an actual question not a smart ass statement that I've been known to make.

[towercrane]

Why do you need to weld one to your keg? The tri clam furl will fit up to the keg opening? This is an actual question not a smart ass statement that I've been known to make.

I actually don't have the keg yet. My friend works for Budweiser and is supposed to get me one tomorrow. I've never seen what kind of a furl kegs normally have, and i just assumed i would have to weld my own furl onto it. Do kegs come with a 2" furl already on it?

[rubber duck]

Ya your set no welding needed. You can seal it with a 2in tricamp Teflon seal shaved on one end.

[NineInchNails]

The only forum approved synthetic out there is Teflon, and that was approved because some anonymous guy on an internet form did 30 minutes of testing on it. Meanwhile Vendom uses buna rubber in all their stills...

The anonymous guy is a real chemist in the beverage distillation industry with access to full lab gear that he uses every day, and he was only confirming what we kind of already knew about PTFE.

Has also been privately pointed out to me that an important difference between small hobby and large commercial stills is that the circumference of column (ie surface area of seal in contact with the spirit) goes up by a factor of Pi (3.14), but cross-sectional-area (ie volume of spirit vapour through the column) goes up by the square of the radius, ie much faster. So the amount of seal surface area in contact with the spirit is proportionally much lower in commercial stills than hobby stills, so the commercial guys get lower contamination rates. All of which means that seal material may actually be more important for small hobby stills than large commercial stills.

The commercial guys also only have to meet minimum legal standards for contamination. No reason we should not aim for better than that.

He's anonymous to me...... But assuming he does work in the field, why didn't anyone ask him to test a few more substances? Might it be that it's just easier not to and just follow the status quo? When a guys been repeating the same thing for years it would be kinda hard to admit it if he where wrong.

I'll say this, a picture is worth a thousand words and the picture is posted above. if it's ok by the fda and the ttb (they test a lot of recipes for contamination) that holds a lot more clout than a bunch of guys on the internet. The last time I checked no one is getting poisoned by commercial spirits unless you live in the Czech republic.

I'll take a good sturdy seal over flower past and the potential of a deadly vapor leak.

Just remember what Joseph Goebbels said.

Be careful who you trust. Ever heard of CODEX Alimentarius? You should look into it for a little bit. The FDA has raided soooooo many places for sooooo much frivolous BS it's rediculous. Busting groups of people for consuming organic food, organic whole milk (unpasteurized), etc... The FDA is not our friend ... nuff said.

[myles]

It's not a dumb ass question. Yes you can do exactly that with a type L pipe. Whatever you do don't heat the copper pipe, just force it in. I've got 5 done that way on my lm/vm and it doesn't leak with a mirror test.

Interference fit - just like bearings in an actuator rod. Its just a shame that our version of copper tube is the wrong size for it to work. I am sure it could be done with some shims but i would really want it the other way round, copper tube inside the stainless.

Now that might be possible by expanding the tube to fit into the next size up triclamp flange

[Busdriverfella]

Just a quick reminder of warning .. 'lead-free' brass still contains .25 percent lead in wetted surfaces. It's not really 'lead free'. I sleep better with a 'brass-free' contruction.

As for the ferrules, I went with a 2" stainless to male NPT, then a female copper NPT to FTG, then put on whatever you like.

A little teflon tape, heat the copper just a bit, then screw it on! Voila .. done.

My 2 cents.

[towercrane]

As for the ferrules, I went with a 2" stainless to male NPT, then a female copper NPT to FTG, then put on whatever you like.

I thought about going that rout, but here the 2" copper adapters are about $35. I would need two since i plan on having a 1.5 foot length for running my still like a pot still (as close to a pot as a bok can go), as well as my 5 foot packed column for reflux. So it's around $70+tax just for the copper pieces. Then the SS to male NPT is right around $30 on the site i found. So I would be looking at $100+tax not including the clamp and gaskets. It's only about $20 otherwise. However if funds had permitted, I would have preferred to go the direction you used.