Carbon steel question
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Carbon steel question
Ok, I'm rebuilding my bokakob due to some poorly thought out design flaws in my first go! Don't get my wrong, my first boka could pull 89-91% in the first run, so it worked well. However after adding a second condenser after the liquid management valve the added weight on my soldered out spout caused it to break and I had most the things needed to just remake and improve! The major thing I'm changing is the size of my out pipe! I used 3/8" OD copper pipe in my first go round and I feel that it was excessively over sized!~ After looking around I see most people use 1/4" od pipe for their outlet. This has allowed me to downsize my liquid management valve and so on, thus reducing over all weight and stress to the joints. I've also decided to add some bracing just to be sure this doesn't happen again! Now to the problem. Joining the 1/4" copper pipe to my valve, I wanted to use flare fittings/adapters. I found some on line that are stainless but it will take till at least next year to get them! I was able to pick up a pair today at a local store but they are carbon steel. How important is it that this be stainless? Can I safely use these carbon steel flare fittings coming into and out of my liquid management valve? IF you need a visual reference, just look at this build and where this guy appears to have a brass valve, I have a stainless one but i'll be using carbon steel flare fittings going in and out of it! Plz let me know, this is the only thing holding up my progress!
- T-Pee
- Master of Distillation
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Re: Carbon steel question
SS or copper. Period.
tp
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Handy Links:
The Rules We Live By
GA Flatwoods sez
Cranky's Spoon Feeding For The New Folk
My "Still Tutorial" CM w/PP mods
- thecroweater
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Re: Carbon steel question
well T-Pee brass can be pickled and there are grades of brass I would be happier to use than some certain grades of stainless. There are some other reasons brass might be superior to stainless too 

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- The KYChemist
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Re: Carbon steel question
High proof distillate and vapor does not like carbon steel. There is a reason the big distilleries don't use it, except for water supply. I work for a company that supplies industrial fittings and valves to a lot of them. If you would like, I can talk to some of our salesmen for the exact reasons why, and report back here later. Or, you could just trust us. No one here is going to steer you wrong.
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- shadylane
- Master of Distillation
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Re: Carbon steel question
Carbon steel will rust very fast and give the distillate a metallic taste.
I don't know how much of a safety problem this would be.
But it's definitely a quality problem.
I don't know how much of a safety problem this would be.
But it's definitely a quality problem.
- skow69
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Re: Carbon steel question
Don't be want no rust in my likker!
so I'm tole
[Apologies to goose eye. I should have known better. There can be only one.]
so I'm tole
[Apologies to goose eye. I should have known better. There can be only one.]
Distilling at 110f and 75 torr.
I'm not an absinthe snob, I'm The Absinthe Nazi. "NO ABSINTHE FOR YOU!"
I'm not an absinthe snob, I'm The Absinthe Nazi. "NO ABSINTHE FOR YOU!"
- Halfbaked
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Re: Carbon steel question
The answer to your question is no. Stainless yes, copper yes, brass wellllll read the rules we live by, carbon steel NO! Buy your likker at store if you have to but don't use carbon.