Home Distiller

I get that a tri-clamp fitting will attach my Sankey keg to a 2" column.

Is the tri-clamp a brewing specific product? Looks like it would be of use in a ton of places. I tried the local stores today while looking for other parts and the sales people were clueless. Then again I don't think I've ever bought something at Home Despot for it's intended purpose.

So are there industries/companies in town that might have one? And am I correct in thinking that all I need is the 2" clamp?

Thanks to any replies. Also to wineo (gave me the word I was looking for).



Skymeat

They are really common. Go search on "food grade" equipment and you will see. They are called Tri-Clamp in the industry. I know there are places around Portland which carry full lines of the accessories.

I think they are heavily used in the raw milk production (i.e. dairy farm). I think that distilling sources picked up on this, and found that the tri-clamp fit the top of a sankey keg well enough (not perfect, but it works), to make a decent seal.

I cut the top of my keg when I made my offset. However, when I make my next one (inline, and a separate pot head), I will certainly leave the valve stem there, and get a clamp to fit it. The only thing to be concerned of after that, is to be dam sure NOT to scorch a mash in that keg. With only that little 2" hole, it will be hard to clean up a burn.

H.

I use the tri-clamp on a bud 1/2 keg.It fit good with no leaks.I did hammer it In a little with a block of wood.I also have a 1/4 heiniken keg with a threaded neck,and the threaded tri-clamp fits it good.I ordered mine from brewhaus.Do a search for dairy equipment and you will find all kinds of stuff.

Husker wrote:I think they are heavily used in the raw milk production (i.e. dairy farm). I think that distilling sources picked up on this, and found that the tri-clamp fit the top of a sankey keg well enough (not perfect, but it works), to make a decent seal.

I cut the top of my keg when I made my offset. However, when I make my next one (inline, and a separate pot head), I will certainly leave the valve stem there, and get a clamp to fit it. The only thing to be concerned of after that, is to be dam sure NOT to scorch a mash in that keg. With only that little 2" hole, it will be hard to clean up a burn.

H.

Husker, you help so many people on here that i'd like to do the same for you. In pipework here in Aus, and i assume, the rest of the world, we use a great fitting called the 'Copamate Flange'. This allows you to braze up a copper flange from 2" through to 8" and still be able to rotate the flange to any position, or remove it entirely.
If you have access to a machine shop who'll do the work for you, just get a 4" hole plasma cut in the top of your keg, and ask em to weld 4 s/s bolts to the top of your keg. My bloke'll do this for a bottle of UJSM if i supply the 5 bucks worth of bolts and the flange.
As i said, you can have any size for cleaning, and it just screws on, no bowls or clamps, no forcing drain fittings, and the flange could even be left as a slip coupling and teflon taped if you wanted to get at your packing. Just make a gasket from cork or teflon instead of the insertion rubber one that comes with it, and it's maintenance free.

http://www.copamate.com/images/stories/c_-_copamate.pdf" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;" rel="nofollow

http://www.copamate.com/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;" rel="nofollow

No idea on cost though.


So much less trouble than the bowl idea....
I'll take a couplea piccies of my flange in the next couplea days...
(that doesn't sound like something i'd normally say)


edit; if postage was cheaper, i'd send ya one...

wow, that looks a heck of a lot better than my copper upside down bowl. I gotta find me one o them machine shop guys that works for UJSM, hehe.

H.

Husker wrote:wow, that looks a heck of a lot better than my copper upside down bowl. I gotta find me one o them machine shop guys that works for UJSM, hehe.

H.

Just poke around the industrial area and find a small, one or two man engineering shop that does a lot of stainless work.
There's a couple i can choose from here in my town, that love a little cash job. They all speak fluent carton, and i spose bottle as well.

Owning a boat and having various other hobbys like smoking meat ect, means i'm often looking for a little stainless or aluminium job to be done.

Husker, I hear you are now a new moderater? Anyway, you may want to post this somewhere on Tony's site or the files. And a link to US source if you find one.

Thanks Punkin, and you are so right about Husker's willingness to help so many. I join you in the applause.

Okay I found a 2" tri-clamp, and the fitting at brewhaus that will thread into the column. I cannot find the threaded part that solders onto the column. Anybody know what this is called?

http://www.ahphose.com/index.htm

That's where I buy my beer hose. They have a large variety of tri-clamp and related products.

If you are going from 2" copper to threads it is called a 2"Male adapter or MIP in pipe fitters jargon.

punkin wrote: I'll take a couplea piccies of my flange in the next couplea days...
(that doesn't sound like something i'd normally say)

I don't know how I missed that line in previous reads......very amusing

punkin wrote:

Husker wrote:
http://www.copamate.com/images/stories/c_-_copamate.pdf" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;" rel="nofollow

http://www.copamate.com/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;" rel="nofollow

This site wants me to login, any idea what userid/password I can use?

Luddite wrote:If you are going from 2" copper to threads it is called a 2"Male adapter or MIP in pipe fitters jargon.

Does that sound right to everyone? The Tri fitting from Brewhaus has a flange and threads on the outside of the fitting. So the copper part has to have threads on the inside. I always assumed that the male part went inside the female one.



Skymeat

Hey guys give Grainger a call or go on line. We have one near my work and can have the parts next day if not in stock! That's where I got mine.

alice wrote:

punkin wrote:

Husker wrote:
http://www.copamate.com/images/stories/c_-_copamate.pdf" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;" rel="nofollow

http://www.copamate.com/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;" rel="nofollow

This site wants me to login, any idea what userid/password I can use?

Just go down to your local plumbing suppliy place, Reece or Plumbers Gear etc.
Talk to em in person about prices etc. They'll have em in stock and you can pick it up and look at it