I need a nudge in the right direction

[SW_Shiner]

MAPP gas get too hot too quick for noise SS joints.

The only gas I've ever used when building is MAPP, I've never had a problem with it.

Maybe its just me then. I could never get it right. Got told i was getting the joints too hot. Moved to using just LPG and had better luck. Now gas is removed completely and it all gets TIG welded.

[Saltbush Bill]

I've always used Silver Solder / hard solder on Copper to stainless joints.
The higher the silver content of the rod the easier to use.

[Corn Cracker]

I'm gonna try lower heat. I think glowing might be too much

[Tummydoc]

Silver solder and liquid acid flux. Doesn’t need to glow red

[Corn Cracker]

I need to go ahead spend that 90 bucks on the silver solder but, that will have to wait a couple of weeks if I don't figure out something else by then. I can get some solid copper ground line and make some ferrules and bypass the whole silver solder or brazing

[Saltbush Bill]

Silver solder and liquid acid flux. Doesn’t need to glow red

100% Tummy , red is way ,way to hot.

[Corn Cracker]

The brazing rods we use for brazing our copper med gas systems (which is what I'm using) has too high of a melting point. By the time the rod wants to melt it's starting to glow. It didn't work joining the nut to the keg like i thought it did either (ss to ss).

[Corn Cracker]

I got my braze worked out, I used the powder flux and my brazing rods, just played with the flame placement. I would get the nut just starting to glow and move the flame to heat the powdered tip of the rod then put both to the the nut and "tinned" it, then built up on top of it . I had done the same to the keg around the hole prior to setting the nut on it, then started tinning the nut. It held with no leakes. I currently have it almost full of water heating up

[Corn Cracker]

I let it run an hour with the line arm on while I was eating and went checked it, it was blowing steam, 213°f. I put the liebig on and let it go another 15 minutes. Something in the box popped when I turned it down to shut it all off though. I noticed the readout was still reading as I turned the breaker off.
I'll open it up and see what's happening after work tomorrow. It might have gotten too hot running at max for a little over an hour.

[Bushman]

Corn Cracker never leave you still while it is running. Also I wouldn’t run at full power for that long.

[Corn Cracker]

It was only water and unattended for less than 30 minutes, I wouldn't walk away from product distillation or a propane burner

[Swedish Pride]

......
Also I wouldn’t run at full power for that long.

Do you strip at less than full power?

Takes me a about 3 hrs so do a strip run, including heat up, I run at full whack the whole time.
Big gauge cable and an extraction fan helps to keep the controller cool.

[Corn Cracker]

I'm thinking the fan that came with the regulator was not adequate to keep it cool. I'll know more when I get home from work and open it up. I may have to get a new regulator, I know this but, I don't think it should have popped from turning the power knob down.

[Bushman]

......
Also I wouldn’t run at full power for that long.

Do you strip at less than full power?

Takes me a about 3 hrs so do a strip run, including heat up, I run at full whack the whole time.
Big gauge cable and an extraction fan helps to keep the controller cool.

I guess I didn’t read far enough back I run a reflux so don’t do a stripping run.

[PalCabral]

Do you strip at less than full power?

Takes me a about 3 hrs so do a strip run, including heat up, I run at full whack the whole time.
Big gauge cable and an extraction fan helps to keep the controller cool.

+1

This is my set up and run time too.

[Corn Cracker]

Thats the little capacitor or whatnot that popped, it's sitting between the plug for the fan and what i think is the switch for the fan.

I've got the replacement regulator ordered, it'll be here tomorrow along with an extra fan.
3 hours for a strip, that's awesome!

[Corn Cracker]

MAPP gas get too hot too quick for noise SS joints.

The only gas I've ever used when building is MAPP, I've never had a problem with it.

Maybe its just me then. I could never get it right. Got told i was getting the joints too hot. Moved to using just LPG and had better luck. Now gas is removed completely and it all gets TIG welded.

I found that there are arc welding sticks for stainless. I will be getting a box of those. I've been wanting to use my new welder

[Corn Cracker]

MAPP gas get too hot too quick for noise SS joints.

The only gas I've ever used when building is MAPP, I've never had a problem with it.

Maybe its just me then. I could never get it right. Got told i was getting the joints too hot. Moved to using just LPG and had better luck. Now gas is removed completely and it all gets TIG welded.

I found that there are arc welding sticks for stainless. I will be getting a box of those. I've been wanting to use my new welder

I picked up some some soft silver solder, figured out of the 3 different fluxes I have one should work..... nope, I'll get some of that flux later.

[Swedish Pride]

Screenshot_20250322_180227_Gallery.jpg
Thats the little capacitor or whatnot that popped, it's sitting between the plug for the fan and what i think is the switch for the fan.

I've got the replacement regulator ordered, it'll be here tomorrow along with an extra fan.
3 hours for a strip, that's awesome!

What rating is your controller and what wattage is your element?

Controller looks like a big standard one from AliExpress or the likes.
Good practice when getting these are to double the controller wattage compared to the element you are running.

I've I have a 10,000 w controller that i bought for a 5,500 w element. Also go a cable size bigger than what's required, add heat sink and fan to the box as well

[Corn Cracker]

S.P, It is a 10,000w controler for a 5500w element. 10 awg is the cable size. I had a new fan delivered yesterday, I will try to get it installed today, ive got to figure out how to wire it up, also, I have to replace the breaker that runs it today. It went bad too. I got the new controller installed and flipped the breaker, plugged it in and nothing. Double checked my wiring and determined it was a bad breaker. I'm getting one on the way home today

[Corn Cracker]

Yesterday was just one of those
-if it can go wrong it will- days. I left that alone and tried a couple of other tasks that needed to be done, I ended up giving in and took a long nap instead

[Corn Cracker]

Today was better
I got the breaker, 35A double pole, I'm supposed to be drawing 22 so, I'm good there. I left the cover off the box and ran it at full bore for 20 minutes it got warm but not hot. I believe, at max it reads at just under 4500 watts, going by memory, I turned it down to read 4200 and went to the ferrule soldering project i finally got the right flux to go with the silver bearing soft solder and IT WORKED.

The wife called me in just as the water was starting to make small bubbles at the 50 minute mark.
I shut it all down for the evening.
It's ready for the vinegar run and then I finally get to make use of that overcharred French oak hbb.
I'll get a thumper made and put it all together this week and post some pics.
Thanks again

[OtisT]

Screenshot_20250322_180227_Gallery.jpg
Thats the little capacitor or whatnot that popped, it's sitting between the plug for the fan and what i think is the switch for the fan.

I've got the replacement regulator ordered…..

That’s a resistor and it appears to have had too much current run through it. Hope the new one lasts longer.

[Corn Cracker]

I was able to get the vinegar run done today. I modified the top of it, I'll make another one if I want to go with neutrals, I have plenty of extra 2 inch when I'm ready

Working on the thumper still

[Corn Cracker]

Also made a kettle out of another keg i had

[Yummyrum]

Off and Racing Corncracker