Rye flour paste cracking open at one joint

[00Buck]

Hey yall. Had a little issue my last run and wanted some input if anybody would give me some. Ive done many many runs but this was my first time dealing with this.

I use a rye flour paste. Its always worked flawlessly. But this morning at the 90 going down to my worm the seal just kept breaking open. I had paste at 6 other connections (I run a thumper) and they all did fine. When Id patch a leak the other side of the elbow would crack almost immediately. Does anybody know what would cause that? I wound up wetting a cut up bandana and wrapping it around the paste and joint just to finish my run out.

[acfixer69]

It sounds like a restriction in the worm. Check it for flow, its the first fit back to the boiler.

[shadylane]

Maybe excess pressure. If not, try wrapping strips of cotton cloth soaked in rye paste around the joint to give more strength.

[00Buck]

It sounds like a restriction in the worm. Check it for flow, its the first fit back to the boiler.

The worm is good. I have 50' of 3/4 ID in a 42 gallon tub. Just before I make my runs I dump a pint or so of high shots through it and catch it at the bottom to make sure its doing its job. Thats why Im so confused. Theres another connection below it I paste also where my 1 1/2 pipe goes into the reducer for the 7/8 and it was fine.

[00Buck]

Maybe excess pressure. If not, try wrapping strips of cotton cloth soaked in rye paste around the joint to give more strength.

I have no clue where the pressure would be coming from. I just answered this so sorry for the duplicate type response but I have 50' of 3/4 ID tubing. Before every run I dump a pint or so of high shots through it and catch it at the bottom to make sure what I put in comes out or at least most of it. Theres another connection below it I paste also where my 1 1/2 pipe goes into the reducer for the 7/8 and it was fine.

[00Buck]

This is what Im working with. This is after the run so its all been took apart but I put it back so yall could see. Ive never had that issue before outta many runs. The seal that kept cracking open was the top one.

Also worth mentioning it cracked on the start of it running and I was pasting like crazy the next 10 mins. It mellowed out then ran almost all the way through hearts and right when I got to the tails it started busting open again

[shadylane]

Nice looking worm.

But I feel sorry for the paste.
It's having to make a seal and perform the task of mechanically holding things together.
Maybe try plumbing it this way instead of using paste.

[shadylane]

It sounds like a restriction in the worm. Check it for flow, its the first fit back to the boiler.

The worm is good. I have 50' of 3/4 ID in a 42 gallon tub. Just before I make my runs I dump a pint or so of high shots through it and catch it at the bottom to make sure its doing its job.

Blow through it before every run. Bugs love to crawl inside. Some even fill the tubing up with straw or mud.
One time I had to use compressed air to blow a dead mummified mouse out of a 3/4" worm.

[00Buck]

It sounds like a restriction in the worm. Check it for flow, its the first fit back to the boiler.

The worm is good. I have 50' of 3/4 ID in a 42 gallon tub. Just before I make my runs I dump a pint or so of high shots through it and catch it at the bottom to make sure its doing its job.

Blow through it before every run. Bugs love to crawl inside. Some even fill the tubing up with straw or mud.
One time I had to use compressed air to blow a dead mummified mouse out of a 3/4" worm.

JEEZZZZUS thats awful.

But when Im done and I clean everything out I always cap the worm spout and the inlet so nothing can get in.

[00Buck]

Nice looking worm.

But I feel sorry for the paste.
It's having to make a seal and perform the task of mechanically holding things together.
Maybe try plumbing it this way instead of using paste.

I see what youre saying there Shady. Thats a damn good idea. I did my best to cut the pipe so that there wasnt any "work" for my elbow to hold it down but after what you said it makes sense. Its just weird Ive had no issues til today

[00Buck]

Nice looking worm.

But I feel sorry for the paste.
It's having to make a seal and perform the task of mechanically holding things together.
Maybe try plumbing it this way instead of using paste.

Hey Shady I got to thinking about what you said here. Like I said Ive never had this issue before but how would that connection be any different from the lyne arm to the downarm to thumper? Its basically the same thing.

Im also second guessing myself now and wondering if I didnt have that elbow seated all the way down like I usually do (I usually give it a smack) and that thumper top dances the whole run, like a pulse. Im wondering if that movement plus me just sliding the elbow over caused it to wiggle loose. I keep wondering how pressure would have built up and Im starting to thing the thumper dancing is what did it

[shadylane]

Most likely it was the thumper movement, but just to be sure always blow into the worm before use.

[Chauncey]

Nice looking worm.

But I feel sorry for the paste.
It's having to make a seal and perform the task of mechanically holding things together.
Maybe try plumbing it this way instead of using paste.

Hey Shady I got to thinking about what you said here. Like I said Ive never had this issue before but how would that connection be any different from the lyne arm to the downarm to thumper? Its basically the same thing.

Im also second guessing myself now and wondering if I didnt have that elbow seated all the way down like I usually do (I usually give it a smack) and that thumper top dances the whole run, like a pulse. Im wondering if that movement plus me just sliding the elbow over caused it to wiggle loose. I keep wondering how pressure would have built up and Im starting to thing the thumper dancing is what did it

I think you got it with that. Maybe time to replumb that anyway man. Get some tc or union connections!

[SW_Shiner]

Nice looking worm.

But I feel sorry for the paste.
It's having to make a seal and perform the task of mechanically holding things together.
Maybe try plumbing it this way instead of using paste.

Hey Shady I got to thinking about what you said here. Like I said Ive never had this issue before but how would that connection be any different from the lyne arm to the downarm to thumper? Its basically the same thing.

Im also second guessing myself now and wondering if I didnt have that elbow seated all the way down like I usually do (I usually give it a smack) and that thumper top dances the whole run, like a pulse. Im wondering if that movement plus me just sliding the elbow over caused it to wiggle loose. I keep wondering how pressure would have built up and Im starting to thing the thumper dancing is what did it

Hes drawn in a union fitting. so it would be a soldered and threaded joint rather than a slip and paste joint.

[00Buck]

Nice looking worm.

But I feel sorry for the paste.
It's having to make a seal and perform the task of mechanically holding things together.
Maybe try plumbing it this way instead of using paste.

Hey Shady I got to thinking about what you said here. Like I said Ive never had this issue before but how would that connection be any different from the lyne arm to the downarm to thumper? Its basically the same thing.

Im also second guessing myself now and wondering if I didnt have that elbow seated all the way down like I usually do (I usually give it a smack) and that thumper top dances the whole run, like a pulse. Im wondering if that movement plus me just sliding the elbow over caused it to wiggle loose. I keep wondering how pressure would have built up and Im starting to thing the thumper dancing is what did it

Hes drawn in a union fitting. so it would be a soldered and threaded joint rather than a slip and paste joint.

See there Im so used to slip joints I forget those exist. That is probably really worth looking into.

I learned from very old school people and Ive just found this site a few months ago. Until then I didnt even know how hydrometers. I shook the jar for proof and felt it my finger was sticky for gravity. We have came a long long way

[higgins]

Unions come in all copper (has brass nut, but liquid path is all copper)

all_copper_union.png

or copper/brass - has some brass in the liquid path.

copper_brass_union.png

I personally would avoid the copper/brass one.

[shadylane]

Theres another connection below it I paste also where my 1 1/2 pipe goes into the reducer for the 7/8 and it was fine.

Have you ever installed stove pipe? If the joints are upside down it will leak and make a mess.
Slip fit plumbing on a still is the same.

[Saltbush Bill]

You can buy unions in stainless as well, all of mine are stainless.

[shadylane]

You can buy unions in stainless as well, all of mine are stainless.

I like stainless also, especially for threaded fittings that screw together.
But soldering SS to copper sucks compared to soldering copper tubing to a copper fitting.

[00Buck]

Theres another connection below it I paste also where my 1 1/2 pipe goes into the reducer for the 7/8 and it was fine.

Have you ever installed stove pipe? If the joints are upside down it will leak and make a mess.
Slip fit plumbing on a still is the same.

No I aint real sure what that is.

Also Shady I dunno if it was from disassembly this last go round or not but I hooked the hose pipe up to it today and guess what? After blasting the piss out of it for 10 or so minutes a piece of Rye paste found its way out. It never affected my stream running but cant help but wonder if that was enough to cause a restriction. Just odd that if that did contribute to the seal cracking it stayed sealed through the majority of the run after the initial fix. It split again right when the tails started coming out so Im wondering if the vapor maybe moved it into a better place then at some point put it into a position that possibly messed with it. Im glad my coil is 3/4 ID.

[Saltbush Bill]

But soldering SS to copper sucks compared to soldering copper tubing to a copper fitting.

Ive never found it that troublesome.
The right flux and high silver content hard solder and Bobs yer uncle.
You only have to learn to do it once.

[Yummyrum]

I used a few of the Stainless ones too .
Only issue I had was the shop I bought them from had changed supplier and there were several profiles in the bins that didn’t match .
There were rounded ones and tapered ones and different knuckle threads .

IMG_2578.jpeg

IMG_2579.jpeg

IMG_2580.jpeg

But if you have a matching set , they work well