Kettle Steam Extraction

[Belter]

It's about time I sorted steam extraction for my setup as I'm possibly going to brew next weekend for the first time on my new rig.

I know a few of you have had some ingenious ideas of how to extract your steam during a boil and avoiding DMS.

I'm tempted to follow Dellers idea as its inexpensive and I can just replace the flexi duct every now and then but was curious as to what everyone else was doing.

I store my motorbike in the garage so don't want it getting damp in there from wort dripping from the rafters.

I like Barneeys idea but its a bit to expensive for me.

My plan is to cut a hole (4/6") in the lid of my kettle and then somehow attach some flexi to it. I won't be able to make a funnel like Deller has as I have no access to the tools he has.

Someone over on http://www.thehomebrewforum.co.uk/viewt ... 0&start=40 has used a mixing bowl with a hole cut in it. I like the idea but I'd rather mine looked a little more professional.

Anyone know where the best place is to get metallic flexi hose?

[barneey]

Just one other thing to mention, with my current set up I use an elbow for the duct directly after the lid. We also fitted something very similar to Fubar`s lid but using the less expensive BES fittings ie. barrell nipple + 2 nuts + elbow + silicone pipework.

Fubar then came up with another idea of replacing the elbow with a tee piece and assisting the flow with a small computer style fan, this idea should work and might be useful if you have a longer pipework extract run. It just needs trying by someone.

[Fil]

as im lucky enough to have a window near to where i intend to boil, i intend to fit a hydroponics fan sucking into the room, therefore when i open the window the steam will hopefully be pushed out by the air im pulling in. that is as long as the door is kept shut. I may need to fit some sort of cowel to aid the flow directly out the window, and stop steam rising too high on its way out? but a test will soon answer that.

[alix101]

You can get metal flexi duck at b and q .. screw fix etc... A gas flue would be better a bit more durable. .. But you can also pick up an inline fan reasonably to give some extra draw.

[Belter]

Cheers Alix I've spied the metal duct on screwfix website. Just need a solution for the actual brewery now

[Belter]

Actually this may work better?

http://bit.ly/16Ut5P9

I think put that against the wall and then have a short length of flexi so I can still get the kettle lid off?

[FUBAR]

Just one other thing to mention, with my current set up I use an elbow for the duct directly after the lid. We also fitted something very similar to Fubar`s lid but using the less expensive BES fittings ie. barrell nipple + 2 nuts + elbow + silicone pipework.

Fubar then came up with another idea of replacing the elbow with a tee piece and assisting the flow with a small computer style fan, this idea should work and might be useful if you have a longer pipework extract run. It just needs trying by someone.

Unfortunately it doesn't work that well when using a fan to try and blow the steam out,it needs an extractor fan to suck the steam out I have got hold of one and will give it a try at some stage.

[barneey]

Does it tend to blow the steam back in again?

[FUBAR]

Does it tend to blow the steam back in again?

Yep that's exactly the problem,I thought perhaps the cold air would have encouraged the hot steam to rise but no,it will be interesting to see how well the 60mm ducting copes with the amount of steam your new 150 litre boiler generates.The hole in the wall of your brewery that your ducting goes through would be ideal for mounting an extractor fan?.

[darkonnis]

Well if you wanted to go super high tech you could always fix a heat exchanger to the steam vent and cool it then theres no need to worry about gas at all

[Belter]

Have you got the part number for that cooky?

[darkonnis]

If you actually want some, leave it with me

[Belter]

Ok this is what I went for:

I found a 4.5" stainless elbow in the skip at work. Once I've cleaned it up it should work excellently.

I cut a hole the size of the ID of the pipe in the lid



I then mounted the elbow to the lid



I cut a silicone gasket to go between and will pick up a few stainless bolts from the wholesalers.

I intend on drilling 2x ubolts into the lid to act as handles.

On the end of the elbow I'll mount a straight section of pipe. I wanted it to go out the wall but then I wouldn't be able to open the lid to put the hops in so I'm going to attach a short length of flexi metal ducting to the end of that and through the wall.

I really don't want to spend £25 at screwfix on a length of metal duct of which I'd need about 300mm. Anyone know where they sell shorter lengths?

[beer taster]

Looks much neater than my effort. As I didn't want to drill the lid of the thermopot I used a http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Deluxe-Stainless-Steel-Tray.... a stainless ice bucket from poundland, and http://www.diy.com/nav/100mm-Circular-A ... le-Ducting....

[kev1976]

That is some size elbow

Didn't someone on here add a "hop door" to their lid a while ago so the lid would be on throughout the boil. MIght be an option if you did want to do your original plan. Can't find the thread though.