Am I screwed??

[Luckyr]

I am attempting to build my own keggle system. I have three kegs and a friend of mine assured me he could weld stainless. He welded them using a tig welder, with 75% argon 25% CO2 and used food grade stainless filler rod, but I'm not sure the exact alloy. Well during the process he burned through several times but was able to fill it back in. The welds are hideous and they do leak but only a trivial amount. But as you can see in the pictures after testing to see if they were water tight the welds have rusted over. My question for the group is, are these salvageable? And if so what options might you all suggest to remedy this. Any advice is much appreciated.

 

[bknifefight]

Ah man, I was expecting a laughable thread about someone who put their 15 minute hops in at 10 minutes, "IS MY BEER RUINED?!?!" but alas. That looks horrible. I wouldn't use the kettle, even if the welds looked nice, since you said it leaks. Sounds like your friend is a little overconfident.

 

[Homercidal]

HOLY GOD!

That is some nasty looking sht right there, boy!

Welding stainless sheet metal takes an experienced touch. I'd hazard to guess your friend overestimated his skilz.

I don't even know what to recommend to get those things in decent shape for brewing. I'm sorry.

Frankly, weldless fittings or even drawn and soldered would have been much cleaner and better.

 

[Psylocide]

*Waits for @Billy-Klubb to dole out berry punches like a merthaflerker*

 

[Konadog]

Good Lord!

Ask your friend if he would drink beer made from that mess! Maybe he can keep it so he has something to practice on for future projects.

 

[SirSpectre]

I have seen worse.

It is salvagable! Take the entire thing to a GOOD specialty welding shop. You'll likely drop about $150 to fix that. Depends if that is worth it or not.

 

[Hello]

Your friend needs to stop telling people he can weld, at all. Those aren't the welds of anyone with any experience in TIG welding.

That said, I'd be pissed. No leak in a brew kettle is trivial, ever. The rust, I don't even know how to fix that unless you somehow grind it all off and start again. Even then, he burns through the kettle? Come on...at this point your buddy should be offering you a new kettle.
That is disturbing. I'm sorry this happened to you because I don't think you can salvage this kettle.

 

[Bowtiebrewery]

Oh my god... It looks like dingleberrys are hanging off of your keggle!

Thats just... oh my...

 

[sudbuddy]

Those are the worst welds I have ever seen. @hello is right, you should be pissed. Good luck

 

[sablesurfer]

Uh, the welding is a MESS....but....PLEASE tell me you are not using pipe dope on those fittings. That is for gas pipes not for hot liquid pipes and I have never seen it be called "food grade".

 

[ryanryates]

Oh, the humanity! I think you need to fire your friend. Those are the worst welds I have ever seen - if one can actually call them "welds." Ask you "friend" to cough up a donation to your brewing fund, save a little dough, and start over.

Not cool...

 

[mdbrewer1]

I can't believe the guy did one of those and then thought "Yep. That looks good. I'll keep going."

 

[brew_ny]

I can't believe the guy did one of those and then thought "Yep. That looks good. I'll keep going."

was thinking same thing after the first one it was time to call it a day

sorry for your loss

 

[Psylocide]

 

[A2HB]

With friends like that who needs enemies!

Seriously though sorry about your kettle bro, that doesn't look like anything I'd want to drink out of

To echo others, your buddy owes you some reimbursement for what he did to your property at the very least.

Good luck with that conversation

 

[FourSeasonAngler]

OP's ? --> Yes.

 

[slym2none]

Your friend needs to stop telling people he can weld, at all. Those aren't the welds of anyone with any experience in TIG welding.

That said, I'd be pissed. No leak in a brew kettle is trivial, ever. The rust, I don't even know how to fix that unless you somehow grind it all off and start again. Even then, he burns through the kettle? Come on...at this point your buddy should be offering you a new kettle.
That is disturbing. I'm sorry this happened to you because I don't think you can salvage this kettle.

This. Every bit of this. I literally cringed looking at the pics.

 

[Billy-Klubb]

you are screwed on that project. don't use pipe dope on your fittings. don't ever ingest anything that was ever in that. give your friend a full on chode uppercut. judging on that mess, it wasn't SS filler nor close to sanitary.

 

[j1n]

i think i could do a better job than your friend and i have never welded before.

 

[yewtah-brewha]

My dad's a 30 year veteran of stick welding, I asked him if he could weld stainless, he said "No" I thanked him for his honesty and went and bought a weldless bulkhead/shut valve for 23.00 plus 10.00 for bits, I'm really glad I went this route, and I'm glad your sharing your experience.

I think your friend had good intentions, It might not have been communicated how clean the welds need to be, next time show the person a pic of how it needs to look and that you have high expectations.

A new keg will run 60-100.00. If it were mine, I would cut all of that area out and patch in a new piece. If you have some of the lid cut out left that would be ideal.

 

[yewtah-brewha]

Was he a pipe fitter?

 

[Billy-Klubb]

Was he a pipe fitter?

hey! I represent that!

 

[yewtah-brewha]

Take this mess up as a learning experience, and at least no one was injured here, I would call your local trade school and ask them if they would fix it for you! I'm signed up to join a local union, when i get going, all hell is going to break loose, they said I could come in and burn rod anytime, I'll be building my brewery all day long while in training.

 

[Luckyr]

I used RectorSeal #5 which is food safe soft set sealant. I was able to grind most of it down on one of the other keggles and it does look much better. I was reading that any stainless steel will rust after welding because the heat disturbs the surface tension and will need to be re-passivated with something like Bar Keepers Friend. I was wondering if anyone has experience using that.

 

[Transamguy77]

I'm not a professional welder but I can weld, when welding food grade stainless you have to put shielding gas on both sides of your weld to keep the weld from oxidizing. I don't know the exact specifics but I know I wouldn't attempt it.

if I made a mess like that I would feel horrible with myself and pay to have it fixed. I hope you can have someone salvage that for you.

 

[Hello]

I used RectorSeal #5 which is food safe soft set sealant. I was able to grind most of it down on one of the other keggles and it does look much better. I was reading that any stainless steel will rust after welding because the heat disturbs the surface tension and will need to be re-passivated with something like Bar Keepers Friend. I was wondering if anyone has experience using that.

But you said the welds leaked a little...trivial to yiu but kind of a big deal in brewing.

Either way, try barkeepers friend...I guess.

 

[Drinknbuddy024]

Salvageable yeah I guess, but expensive I'd hit craigslist for some new kegs and don't let your bastard friend even look at em then go weld less fittings

 

[Turkeyshot]

After looking at that mess I think starting over would be a good idea. Just remember to send your friend the bill.

 

[jekeane]

seriously he owes you new kegs. I refuse to believe he has ever welded stainless before.

 

[bragona71]

JUST GET A NEW FRIEND!!!!! and take it to someone who knows what they are doing!

 

[Billy-Klubb]

I used RectorSeal #5 which is food safe soft set sealant. I was able to grind most of it down on one of the other keggles and it does look much better. I was reading that any stainless steel will rust after welding because the heat disturbs the surface tension and will need to be re-passivated with something like Bar Keepers Friend. I was wondering if anyone has experience using that.

don't use pipe dope on your fittings. just sayin'. you could take advice or don't. either way, good luck in your adventures.

 

[invictusbrew]

Jebus! And here I thought I was a poor welder. Good Lord.

 

[Spludge]

Looks good to go, get some wort in there!

 

[atoughram]

Stick with grinding...

 

[erichsmith]

I've been welding for over 20 years and brewing for 18 and I just welded my first keggle two years ago. It turned out perfect but I practiced on scrap stainless for about two weeks using pure argon as a shielding gas and back purge with pure tungsten and 316L filler rod. I have since welded up about 15 keggles and have yet to see anything like this. Carry it to your local scrap yard and start over with an educated welder or weldless fittings.

 

[sablesurfer]

I've been welding for over 20 years and brewing for 18 and I just welded my first keggle two years ago. It turned out perfect but I practiced on scrap stainless for about two weeks using pure argon as a shielding gas and back purge with pure tungsten and 316L filler rod. I have since welded up about 15 keggles and have yet to see anything like this. Carry it to your local scrap yard and start over with an educated welder or weldless fittings.

Hell, I practiced with silver solder about eight or nine times before I went near my pot. And solder can be cleaned up.

 

[WPStrassburg]

Grind it, passivate it, brew on it.

If the holes are small enough to silver solder then fill them yourself or have it touched up by a welder. It's stainless so no matter how bad it looks it can be salvaged and used with no issues.

 

[shortyz]

Grind it, passivate it, brew on it.

If the holes are small enough to silver solder then fill them yourself or have it touched up by a welder. It's stainless so no matter how bad it looks it can be salvaged and used with no issues.

^ this. im a SS tig welder and anything can be saved when it comes to SS.

that might be the worst weld i have ever seen done with tig, jesus.

 

[ryan_george]

...
He welded them using a tig welder, with 75% argon 25% CO2
...

This is part of the problem. 100% argon should be used for this work.

But yes, as others have said, the weldor's skills are indeed seriously lacking in this field.

 

[tigmaster]

Some welds I fixed up today. There was no penetration. Meaning there was room left for bacteria to grow.

View attachment 1435522271018.jpg

View attachment 1435522283789.jpg