18Gal+ boiler build
Posted: Mon Jun 18, 2018 8:45 pm
Gday AD's,
The time has come to upgrade the boiler on the still. My current 50L rig has been serving me faithfully for a few years now but its time for something a little bigger. I picked up an 18gal keg a little while ago and have been slowly plotting its creation into an approx 100L boiler.
Current plan:
-Orientate the keg horizontally to reduce height and increase stability
-6" ferrule for the column
-6" or 8" ferrule for a fill port / boiler access point for cleaning. Will be putting a 4" ferrule onto this as a sight glass. Havent been able to find a 6" or 8" boro sight glass.
-2" ferrule for secondary fill port will also double as a triclampable CIP port. Will be building a portable CIP unit with sprayball after the boiler is done.
-2 x 2400W elements, with the option to upgrade 1 to a 3600W element later on down the track.
-House the elements in a sump that will be the low point of the keg, also to reduce minimum liquid volume required to run still safely.
-Drain port on underside of sump.
-Undecided on whether to go 3 or 4 legs, also thinking about using lockable castors for a little ease of movement around the shed.
Ideas I'm floating in my head at the moment:
-Have the mid section of a 50L keg floating around from my inline thumper build that I'm thinking of putting between the top of the keg and the 6" column ferrule to create just a little more headspace to control rum pukes.
Idea is to make a hassle free boiler and super easy to clean, connect up CIP, crack open the drain and it drains dry.
Not in a great hurry so will tackle this piece by piece as it happens. As is tradition around here I will post pics up as progress occurs.
Stay tuned.
nuddy.
The time has come to upgrade the boiler on the still. My current 50L rig has been serving me faithfully for a few years now but its time for something a little bigger. I picked up an 18gal keg a little while ago and have been slowly plotting its creation into an approx 100L boiler.
Current plan:
-Orientate the keg horizontally to reduce height and increase stability
-6" ferrule for the column
-6" or 8" ferrule for a fill port / boiler access point for cleaning. Will be putting a 4" ferrule onto this as a sight glass. Havent been able to find a 6" or 8" boro sight glass.
-2" ferrule for secondary fill port will also double as a triclampable CIP port. Will be building a portable CIP unit with sprayball after the boiler is done.
-2 x 2400W elements, with the option to upgrade 1 to a 3600W element later on down the track.
-House the elements in a sump that will be the low point of the keg, also to reduce minimum liquid volume required to run still safely.
-Drain port on underside of sump.
-Undecided on whether to go 3 or 4 legs, also thinking about using lockable castors for a little ease of movement around the shed.
Ideas I'm floating in my head at the moment:
-Have the mid section of a 50L keg floating around from my inline thumper build that I'm thinking of putting between the top of the keg and the 6" column ferrule to create just a little more headspace to control rum pukes.
Idea is to make a hassle free boiler and super easy to clean, connect up CIP, crack open the drain and it drains dry.
Not in a great hurry so will tackle this piece by piece as it happens. As is tradition around here I will post pics up as progress occurs.
Stay tuned.
nuddy.