Copper/redish color inside stainless steel thumper?

[realestwhiteboy]

I have made a few runs in our newly-built stainless steel setup. We have a 3 gallon thump keg, and this is the joint for the handle. Is this a worry, or something normal coming from there joining for the handle?

[subbrew]

Looks like rust due to something trapped behind the handle rivet or due to dissimilar material causing some galvanic corrosion. Short term not a worry. But long term it may cause a leak.

[squigglefunk]

you need some bar keepers friend all up on that

[acfixer69]

Those handle rivets look to be aluminum and will defiantly react with stainless steel in hot alcohol environment.

[dieselduo]

Passivate the stainless . All will be good

[realestwhiteboy]

I hit it with bar keepers friend and cleaned up the rust, but then noticed this in the bottom of the pot after. I use stainless steel pot in the kitchen and never seen anything like this, not sure what would cause it. Bar jeepers friend didn't remove it.

We been running popcorns recipe of spring water, malted barley, sugar, corn meal, and yeast. No bleach or anything ever been in the pot. I'm assuming this is just from long peroid of heat?

[Ben]

Your getting some type of reaction. You can run a sacrificial anode in there to keep it from damaging the pot, magnesium or aluminum from a hot water heater (available at any hardware store). You could probably just lay one in the bottom. If you can weld, put a bung in the side and install that way.

Who manufactured the stainless?

[realestwhiteboy]

Your getting some type of reaction. You can run a sacrificial anode in there to keep it from damaging the pot, magnesium or aluminum from a hot water heater (available at any hardware store). You could probably just lay one in the bottom. If you can weld, put a bung in the side and install that way.

Who manufactured the stainless?

I'm not sure who manufactured it, I tossed the stickers.

[cob]

Your getting some type of reaction. You can run a sacrificial anode in there to keep it from damaging the pot, magnesium or aluminum from a hot water heater (available at any hardware store). You could probably just lay one in the bottom. If you can weld, put a bung in the side and install that way. Who manufactured the stainless?

For all the reasons that aluminum is not recommended as a still boiler

this is a terrible idea. replace the thump pot with one that has no rivets,

or replace the rivets with stainless or copper.

[Ben]

A lot of the imported 304 stainless is not sufficient quality for what we are doing. Some of it will just rust in atmosphere, the QC is not what it should be. Put an anode in your boiler and call it good, change the anode as required, they are inexpensive ~$8 should last for a few years.

[realestwhiteboy]

Your getting some type of reaction. You can run a sacrificial anode in there to keep it from damaging the pot, magnesium or aluminum from a hot water heater (available at any hardware store). You could probably just lay one in the bottom. If you can weld, put a bung in the side and install that way. Who manufactured the stainless?

For all the reasons that aluminum is not recommended as a still boiler

this is a terrible idea. replace the thump pot with one that has no rivets,

or replace the rivets with stainless or copper.

I don't need the handles at all, really. Could I just knock them out & fill the holes with silver solder or something? Or would that create too much of a weak spot within the pot?

If I replace pot itself, I sure that would require a sac run. But if I knock off the handles and seal the holes, would that create a need for a new sac run?

[acfixer69]

Knock the handles off and solder a copper patch to the outside and be done with it. Good discussion here, dissimilar metals always have a reaction. Silver in the equation limits it to almost nothing.

[Deplorable]

Knock the handles off and solder a copper patch to the outside and be done with it. Good discussion here, dissimilar metals always have a reaction. Silver in the equation limits it to almost nothing.

This is the easiest option if you can't find some copper rivets to plug the holes.

[cob]

solid copper ground wire say AGW 2, 4, 6 makes superb rivets in that size range.

take them out and change them one at a time. unless you are tossing the handles.

copper rivets will plug the holes nicely and no sac run needed. as opposed to solder.

[Ben]

For all the reasons that aluminum is not recommended as a still boiler

Good catch, post edited.

[realestwhiteboy]

My local stores have stainless steel rivets, but not copper rivets. Any reason the stainless steel won't work? I will probably end up having to order the copper through our local hobby store.

[cob]

call an electrician , or or electrical supply house and ask to buy 6" of 1/4"

solid ground wire, and make some rivets. you only really need 4 pieces

3/8" long, or a couple inches. stainless rivets are hard as hell to pein.

[acfixer69]

You did say you really don't need the handles so ditch them added stress on the fit. Copper rivets are fine for copper to copper but most are backed with a solder after. Stainless and copper have a large difference coefficient of expansion, so a leak is going to happen over use when the temperature change is constantly going to happen.