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Homebrew Steam Condenser
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mjo2125




Joined: 27 Feb 2017
Posts: 248
Location: Dayton, OH


PostLink    Posted: Wed Jul 11, 2018 11:55 pm    Post subject: Homebrew Steam Condenser Reply with quote


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Ran across an interesting article in July's BYO edition. It mentioned that the most significant advance for homebrewers has been electric brewing. It cites Kal's website as a pioneer in the electric brewing evolution bringing the process indoors.

With brewing indoors comes the need to vent vapor outside. The article describes an alternative to building a vent hood - a steam condenser. Basically, it's a tee that mounts to the side of the boil kettle at the top. The top of the tee has a connection for a water spray nozzle. The water spray condenses the steam and the condensate is drained out the bottom of the tee. While boiling, the lid of the kettle stays on.

Reported advantages:

- Power to maintain rolling boil is reduced (as much as half)
- Boil off rate is less
- lower cost to build

Disadvantages:

- 7 to 10 gallons of spray water is needed and dumped (wasted)
- used spray water contains volatiles including DMS - not much use for the spent water except for watering the lawn

Supposedly there are no off flavors detectable from the lid being closed...
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Ozarks Mountain Brew




Joined: 22 May 2013
Posts: 737
Location: The Ozark Mountains of Missouri


PostLink    Posted: Thu Jul 12, 2018 2:33 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

he didn't invent the process but BrunDog is bringing it to the home brew world

https://www.homebrewtalk.com/forum/threads/boil-kettle-condenser-no-overhead-ventilation-needed.636955/



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mjo2125




Joined: 27 Feb 2017
Posts: 248
Location: Dayton, OH


PostLink    Posted: Thu Jul 12, 2018 11:25 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

It may be feasible to collect the condensate, pump it through an immersion chiller (in an ice bath) as pre chiller after the boil, then onto a wort chiller as make-up water for tap water used for wort chilling. This could be a way of using the 10 gallons of condensate rather than sending down the drain. Two pumps would be used for wort chilling - condensate pump and a wort pump.
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itsnotrequired




Joined: 15 Sep 2015
Posts: 177
Location: central wi


PostLink    Posted: Thu Jul 12, 2018 2:52 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Ozarks Mountain Brew wrote:
he didn't invent the process but BrunDog is bringing it to the home brew world

https://www.homebrewtalk.com/forum/threads/boil-kettle-condenser-no-overhead-ventilation-needed.636955/


as i understand it, brundog wrote that byo article
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JSB




Joined: 17 Oct 2016
Posts: 125
Location: NE Ohio


PostLink    Posted: Thu Jul 12, 2018 7:57 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

itsnotrequired wrote:
Ozarks Mountain Brew wrote:
he didn't invent the process but BrunDog is bringing it to the home brew world

https://www.homebrewtalk.com/forum/threads/boil-kettle-condenser-no-overhead-ventilation-needed.636955/


as i understand it, brundog wrote that byo article


Confirmed...

https://www.homebrewtalk.com/forum/threads/boil-kettle-condenser-no-overhead-ventilation-needed.636955/page-14
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kal
Forum Administrator



Joined: 12 Dec 2010
Posts: 11116
Location: Ottawa, Canada

Drinking: Pub Ale, Electric Creamsicle, Mild, Pliny the Younger, Belgian Dark Strong, Weizen, Russian Imperial Stout, Black Butte Porter


PostLink    Posted: Thu Jul 12, 2018 10:55 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Good article indeed! I reviewed this one for BYO back in May and I had remembered seeing it on HBT originally...

Kal

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My basement/bar/brewery build 2.0
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JSB




Joined: 17 Oct 2016
Posts: 125
Location: NE Ohio


PostLink    Posted: Mon Jul 16, 2018 3:24 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

kal wrote:
Good article indeed! I reviewed this one for BYO back in May and I had remembered seeing it on HBT originally...

Kal


I would like to hear your thoughts....

I know the system you have used for 10+ years is proven. But bringing in large volumes of unconditioned outside air, is a valid point.
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kal
Forum Administrator



Joined: 12 Dec 2010
Posts: 11116
Location: Ottawa, Canada

Drinking: Pub Ale, Electric Creamsicle, Mild, Pliny the Younger, Belgian Dark Strong, Weizen, Russian Imperial Stout, Black Butte Porter


PostLink    Posted: Mon Jul 16, 2018 3:35 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

JSB wrote:
I know the system you have used for 10+ years is proven. But bringing in large volumes of unconditioned outside air, is a valid point.

If that's a concern, I recommend having an enclosed brew space so that you don't remove heated or cooled air from the rest of the house. That's what I do. For more info see my ventilation article: http://www.theelectricbrewery.com/ventilation

Kal

_________________
Our new shop with over 150 new products: shop.TheElectricBrewery.com
We ship worldwide and support our products and customers for life.
Purchasing through our affiliate links helps support our site at no extra cost to you. We thank you!
My basement/bar/brewery build 2.0
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View user's photo album (21 photos)
mjo2125




Joined: 27 Feb 2017
Posts: 248
Location: Dayton, OH


PostLink    Posted: Tue Jul 17, 2018 12:45 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Brought the subject up in my home brew club meeting at the Warped Wing Brewery this evening. One of the club members has an electric system and built a steam condenser using BrunDog's design (w/weldless TC fitting) and he's had no issues with it or the beers. He drains the condensate to the sewer. I spoke with a brewer at Warped Wing - they use a steam-jacketed boiler to boil wort and simply vent the exhaust out to the roof.
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perogi




Joined: 12 Feb 2012
Posts: 850
Location: NH

Drinking: Perogi Pale, NEIPA, Nutter's Crossing Nut Brown Ale, Edmund Fitzgerald Porter Clone

Working on: Max's Maibock


PostLink    Posted: Thu Jul 19, 2018 4:59 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Thoughts on this? Seems like the hole is much smaller than what is proposed by BrunDog: https://www.brew-boss.com/Condenser-Boss-Boil-Kettle-Condenser-p/cb-bb-apmount.htm
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Ozarks Mountain Brew




Joined: 22 May 2013
Posts: 737
Location: The Ozark Mountains of Missouri


PostLink    Posted: Thu Jul 19, 2018 6:09 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

he has that steam inlet reduced to 1/2", I know its for quick release but it'll be interesting if thats big enough
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Ozarks Mountain Brew




Joined: 22 May 2013
Posts: 737
Location: The Ozark Mountains of Missouri


PostLink    Posted: Thu Jul 19, 2018 6:16 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

also his doesn't use a spray adapter, not sure about that
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"Imagination is more important than knowledge. Knowledge is limited. Imagination encircles the world."
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mjo2125




Joined: 27 Feb 2017
Posts: 248
Location: Dayton, OH


PostLink    Posted: Fri Jul 20, 2018 12:38 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

BrunDog's design would be the one I'd go with personallly
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Ozarks Mountain Brew




Joined: 22 May 2013
Posts: 737
Location: The Ozark Mountains of Missouri


PostLink    Posted: Fri Jul 20, 2018 6:01 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

I would go with one of these through the side wall of the pot, then these 2 and add the spray adapter and barb mpt threaded to these

https://www.brewhardware.com/product_p/tc15wlf.htm
https://www.brewhardware.com/product_p/tc15teeinstrument.htm
https://www.brewhardware.com/product_p/tc15nps_tapped.htm
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perogi




Joined: 12 Feb 2012
Posts: 850
Location: NH

Drinking: Perogi Pale, NEIPA, Nutter's Crossing Nut Brown Ale, Edmund Fitzgerald Porter Clone

Working on: Max's Maibock


PostLink    Posted: Fri Jul 20, 2018 6:03 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Thank you for linking those items especially the 1.5 TC TAPPED FEMALE NPT LOW PROFILE ADAPTER
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mjo2125




Joined: 27 Feb 2017
Posts: 248
Location: Dayton, OH


PostLink    Posted: Fri Jul 20, 2018 6:08 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

yep, I'd go with weldless too. There's how to videos on "welding" the connection but it takes some time because there's a larger area to heat up to avoid a heat sink...
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Ozarks Mountain Brew




Joined: 22 May 2013
Posts: 737
Location: The Ozark Mountains of Missouri


PostLink    Posted: Fri Jul 20, 2018 6:17 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

my issue is sometimes my starting boil is all the way from the top of the brew pot in some brews 18 gallon starting brew so I would need to adapt my T to the lid not the kettle in that case
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mjo2125




Joined: 27 Feb 2017
Posts: 248
Location: Dayton, OH


PostLink    Posted: Fri Jul 20, 2018 6:33 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

yep, or a bigger kettle - still cheaper than a hood if you don't have one already. Otherwise off the top sounds good. A brewer friend did expressed a concern about hot break foaming with a closed lid and if that would be an issue - I haven't heard of any issues though.
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perogi




Joined: 12 Feb 2012
Posts: 850
Location: NH

Drinking: Perogi Pale, NEIPA, Nutter's Crossing Nut Brown Ale, Edmund Fitzgerald Porter Clone

Working on: Max's Maibock


PostLink    Posted: Fri Jul 20, 2018 6:33 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

I'm planning on making the hole in the lid just to minimize the "damage" if I decide to go back to my fan.

I was planning on creating a box outside to house the fan to keep the noise to a minimum but this seems like a better way to go.
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Ozarks Mountain Brew




Joined: 22 May 2013
Posts: 737
Location: The Ozark Mountains of Missouri


PostLink    Posted: Fri Jul 20, 2018 6:41 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

use this then attach the t and it should be the same

https://www.brewhardware.com/product_p/tc15el.htm

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"Imagination is more important than knowledge. Knowledge is limited. Imagination encircles the world."
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