Kettle stack - stainless or galvanized?

[jrbeck]

Hi all - we need to put a stack on our kettle. Looking at past threads, some people seem to use stainless and some galvanized. Does anyone see a problem with using (less expensive) galvanized? Is there a reason that stainless is totally necessary?

It will just be a passive stack, venting the steam outside. The kettle has a 'lip' where condensate that runs down the stack is trapped and channeled away from the kettle.

Thanks,
Jason
Devil's Canyon Brewing Company

[gitchegumee]

If it was a direct-fired burner exhaust flue, I'd say galvanized is fine. But not with a kettle steam exhaust. Go stainless. I know you have a drip ring, but that won't keep your galvanized from rusting soon. And if you have a long vertical run, you will need some kind of expansion joint to keep your steam pipe from heaving your flashing at the roof. Do it right the first time, and you won't have to do it again. And you'll sleep better. Cheers & good luck!

[Beersmith]

Ditto. Since the output of the kettle stack is all moisture and heat, a galvanized stack will begin to rust fairly quick. A fairly inexpensive way (relatively speaking) to get stainless pipe for your kettle is to go to a local fireplace/wood stove shop. They manufacture SS wingle wall pipe & fittings for pellet stoves these days.

[JoeV]

Another thing to consider is that even though you have a condensate collar some condensate may return to the kettle and with galvanized it would be loaded with Zinc and whatever else may be in the zinc. We used stainless for our kettle stack but I was contemplating aluminum the other day.