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Kettle Steam Vent Plumbing - Do I really have to go stainless? :)

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  • Kettle Steam Vent Plumbing - Do I really have to go stainless? :)

    Folks -

    Finally dealing with my lack of kettle plumbing in terms of burner gas and steam venting. With regards to the steam vent, does anybody have words of wisdom for material choice? The kettle itself has 6" TC ferrule welded to the top for a steam vent port. Do I really need to run 6" stainless all the way to the roof? It would cost me a fortune - tall ceilings in the barn. Can I get away with galvanized or the typical B Vent you see at the Hardware store?

    I'm open to any lessons learned, as I prefer not to have a bunch of rust streaming into my kettle in a few months...

    Thanks folks,
    Justin

    Ten Sleep Brewing Company, Ten Sleep, Wyoming. 9,484 likes · 624 talking about this · 5,540 were here. Ten Sleep Brewing Company is located in the existing Smith Family barn snuggled at the base of...
    Justin Smith

    President & Business Development
    Ten Sleep Brewing Co., Inc.
    2549B Highway 16
    PO Box 406
    Ten Sleep, WY 82442
    tensleepbrewing@gmail.com
    www.tensleepbrewingco.com
    www.facebook.com/TSBCo

  • #2
    I have a hood, but I know a dude who just started a 7BBL direct fired brewery and tried to used galvanized. Long story short, it melted. Not sure if you can get away with it, unfortunately.

    Comment


    • #3
      Gah.... no melting please
      Justin Smith

      President & Business Development
      Ten Sleep Brewing Co., Inc.
      2549B Highway 16
      PO Box 406
      Ten Sleep, WY 82442
      tensleepbrewing@gmail.com
      www.tensleepbrewingco.com
      www.facebook.com/TSBCo

      Comment


      • #4
        Search

        There are threads about this. Galvanized will work but you will be replacing it in a year or two depending on usage.

        You have to balance the cost vs. replacement cost, headaches, and down time.

        For our steam vent, we used 8" single wall stainless. It's 21' from kettle to the required 3' above the roof at our brewery. I found it at an hvac supplier for about $850 in 2- 12' sections.

        Comment


        • #5
          id suggest stainless and a vent fan. Also make sure you have a condensate ring with a drip tube with a ball valve. The valve is so you don't loose all your caustic during cip.
          Brewmaster, Minocqua Brewing Company
          tbriggs@minocquabrewingcompany.com
          "Your results may vary"

          Comment


          • #6
            Thanks guys, I sure appreciate it.

            J
            Justin Smith

            President & Business Development
            Ten Sleep Brewing Co., Inc.
            2549B Highway 16
            PO Box 406
            Ten Sleep, WY 82442
            tensleepbrewing@gmail.com
            www.tensleepbrewingco.com
            www.facebook.com/TSBCo

            Comment


            • #7
              I use galvanized 8" duct with a 8" 750 CFM exhaust fan.

              Comment


              • #8
                You cannot "get away with" galvanized. Any material that has direct or incidental contact with product (which a vent stack certainly does), must be stainless. A drip ring is not sufficient to preclude condensate entering product. For example forgetting to open the ball valve on the drip ring drain (BTW Ted, good idea). Galvanize is primarily zinc. Zinc is a poison to yeast. Trace heavy metals in decaying galvanized vent stack is a poison to humans. Besides, if you ever use acid to CIP the kettle it will attack the soft metal of cheap, galvanized ducting. Do it right and use stainless! Or, if you are indeed in a "barn", then why do you need to vent at all? A little steam in dry, cool Wyoming seems like it would be a good thing. Good luck.
                Last edited by gitchegumee; 09-11-2013, 08:22 PM.
                Phillip Kelm--Palau Brewing Company Manager--

                Comment


                • #9
                  Originally posted by gitchegumee View Post
                  You cannot "get away with" galvanized. ... Good luck.
                  Absolutely. The heavy metal content of galvanized will f*#k with you and your yeast over time. Your local health inspector, if he/she is doing their job, will put the kibosh on any idea of galvanized in this application.

                  Mild steel may be acceptable with a drip ring.

                  Pax.

                  Liam
                  Liam McKenna
                  www.yellowbellybrewery.com

                  Comment


                  • #10
                    Thanks again everybody. I must have had my "search-fu" turned off the first time and I apologize - I did find some good threads. Now to figure out how to fab a condensate ring or trap.

                    gitchegumee I contemplated the need for a steam vent at all as you mentioned and I could probably get away with it in the summer months. I'm not sure how it would work in the winter when it's 30 below zero out and we're struggling to get above 50 in the brewhouse . Might get a little foggy in there.

                    One thing is for sure... I'll find out soon enough if I don't get a stack figured out!

                    Anybody have a go-to shop for 6" stainless tube if I wanted to make a trap (elbow and a T)? Most of the typical brew places seem to top out at 4" for typical TC and butt-weld fittings...


                    Thanks again,
                    Justin
                    Last edited by Coolhand; 09-12-2013, 07:42 PM.
                    Justin Smith

                    President & Business Development
                    Ten Sleep Brewing Co., Inc.
                    2549B Highway 16
                    PO Box 406
                    Ten Sleep, WY 82442
                    tensleepbrewing@gmail.com
                    www.tensleepbrewingco.com
                    www.facebook.com/TSBCo

                    Comment

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