Vulcan-Hart Steam Kettle Find BIAB

[OUBrew]

I'm wondering if anyone can help me with this kettle I stumbled on. 40 gallons from Vulcan-Hart. It's old enough the company is now just Vulcan no longer based in Kentucky.

I only spent $100 and figured I could ferment in it if nothing else but the more I look at it...it might still fire up.

It was used in a micro brewery that went belly up and they just left all their Equipment in their rental facility.

It's set up for gas but I am assuming I could get some type of LP conversion kit.

I am in the process of building a PID control panel for a 60 gallon tank I got from the same place. But if I could utilize this steam I would use the other tank to ferment. My goal is to BIAB on a larger scale for a group of guys.

Any thoughts on how I could proceed?

Much appreciated

 

[mashdar]

Neat find!

How does a system like this maintain pressure? I see a PRV (which would need a pipe to the floor or a drain). What's the primary control? Just flame modulation vs thermostat?

 

[OUBrew]

I am not exactly sure. I will take a closer look at the electrical connections and see how the temp is regulated. My guess is a thermostat on the main panel? There is a pressure gauge as well. The fill valve connected to the sight glass has an upper and lower valve.

 

[Broken Crow]

It's set up for gas but I am assuming I could get some type of LP conversion kit.

Really nice looking unit! My LHBS founded it's buisness model by installing a row of those and advertising in large letters: "Beer! Brew it here!" I'm looking forward to seeing you build this up. I am wondering at that statement though; LP is gas.. do you mean propane? If so, I'm pretty sure it's just orifice sizes for the jets and maybe air-intake that differ and replacements are relatively easy to make if you can't find an appropriate one. In my distant past I've made my own torch/burner units for LP, propane and oxy/acetylene.... knowledge lost to the Dead Zone, but I'm sure there are folk on here that can provide details.
Please keep us updated as you progress!

 

[OUBrew]

Yes LP - propane conversion would be needed since I do not have access on my farm to natural gas. I did get a manual from the company but this must be older than I thought. The manual is typed with a typewriter and the diagrams are hand drawn

 

[mashdar]

Some smaller outfits were still hand drawing diagrams in the early 90s, and I had an great uncle sending typed letters past 2000! If the owner was an old fogy, I could seem such a manual being distributed in the last 30 years.

 

[RM-MN]

Some smaller outfits were still hand drawing diagrams in the early 90s, and I had an great uncle sending typed letters past 2000! If the owner was an old fogy, I could seem such a manual being distributed in the last 30 years.

Hey! Who you calling an old fogy?

 

[mashdar]

Hey! Who you calling an old fogy?

I know some architects who still make some beautiful sketches by hand, sometimes mid-meeting with clients. And up until he retired 3 years ago my FIL did 24x36 full color landscape plans by hand that people would frame.

So still a thing! But less so for wiring/piping diagrams I still sketch diagrams by hand, but then I have a drafter make it readable! (Which is to say it costs too much to sit around with a straight edge and a compass.)

 

[OUBrew]

Found out the kettle was manufactured in 1973. They did not make a Propane conversion kit and Vulcan no longer has parts for anything its age.

So...unfortunately looks like this will be a 40 gallon fermenter

 

[mashdar]

Bummer.

Maybe you can use the steam jacket as a chilled water jacket? Might need a top port.

 

[Climb]

This picture looks very similar to a thermostat found on natural gas water heaters. The black nob should controls the temperature setting and the mode for lighting the pilot light. As Broken Crow stated, you need to make the orifice on the burner smaller for propane since the pressure is higher with propane than natural gas. I assume the burner is inside the bottom of the unit somewhere.
https://cdn.homebrewtalk.com/data/attach/788/788694-4EDBB5E7-BDBC-42A0-A587-C9E53E7ECFDD.jpeg

 

[Broken Crow]

There's a number of companies that make burners...You'd just have to DIY a bit to mount it.
Here a maybe: https://custompipeburners.com/Straight-Pipe-Burners/5
...they carry the regulators too.