Boil kettle condenser - no overhead ventilation needed

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I've been thinking about electric brewing for a long while now. The thing that has been holding me back is having to cut two 6" holes through the brick in the front of my house. This may be what I need to solve that problem and get me going.

One question; if the condensate is coming out at a very high temp, is there any problem with running directly into a PVC drain pipe?
 
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True but amazingly we pour near boiling pasta water down the sink for years with no ill effects!

Kidding aside I doubt the small volume trickle will have any real impact on the piping. I suppose the heat would collect in the sink’s P-trap. If it’s a metal sink you could use it as a heat sink (pun!) to pull out some of the heat. You could always flush more water to bring the temp down further, but that’s certainly more wasteful. The bucket would work but then you would need to dump it outside or wait for it to cool.
 
I had a couple thoughts about this...
Has anyone tried to see just how much draw this will create? Could you leave the lid ajar, or have a small open port across from the condenser to "sweep" more of the DMS precursor out of the pot and potentially have a closer to normal boil off rate? Does the size of the drain tube limit how much it can draw?
I admit, my thermodynamics knowledge is near zero, so these may be stupid questions. I just thought I'd ask people who are much smarter than I. :yes:
 
Dockside_Brewing said:
Non pressure schedule 40 PVC is rated to 140 degrees. The temps vary but you can expect 145 degrees and up. A plastic bucket works fine or you can just trickle run your sink to dilute and reduce the temp if running into a drain.
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My understanding is that is at pressure (40 I believe...).

I'd have no concerns about using schedule 40 as part of the downstream portion past the sprayer and T personally.
 
fragged said:
My understanding is that is at pressure (40 I believe...).

I'd have no concerns about using schedule 40 as part of the downstream portion past the sprayer and T personally.
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My error....Too much egg nog! You are correct so I do not see any issues with a non pressure PVC drain pipe.
 
BrunDog said:
True but amazingly we pour near boiling pasta water down the sink for years with no ill effects!
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Good Point! Although the plumbing for my kitchen drain is mostly exposed if it got damaged while the p trap for my brewery is buried in concrete (it was originally the drain for the washing machine).

If I go with this, I'd have to stop using my immersion chiller. I could just use that to cool the condensate a bit. :yes:
 
RocketBrewer said:
I had a couple thoughts about this...
Has anyone tried to see just how much draw this will create? Could you leave the lid ajar, or have a small open port across from the condenser to "sweep" more of the DMS precursor out of the pot and potentially have a closer to normal boil off rate? Does the size of the drain tube limit how much it can draw?
I admit, my thermodynamics knowledge is near zero, so these may be stupid questions. I just thought I'd ask people who are much smarter than I. :yes:
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Remember that when water is vaporized, and turns to steam, it’s volume increases dramatically. So the net result of the boil is that increased volume occurs. Remember steam boilers powering locomotives? Me neither, but it’s the same concept. So if you had an open port, steam would escape it. The premise of the condenser is the steam makes it’s way out of the condenser port and is then reduced back down... yielding a near net zero volume change.
 
IMG_0084.jpg


All done ready for testing tomorrow.
 
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I ran the element at 50% and I get a nice rolling boil. Normally I'd be running it at 78%. I'm using the 6 gph nozzle. No steam comes out around the lid and I'm not using a gasket. Wondering if I went with the 9 gph nozzle if the water going into the drain bucket would be a little cooler. I can see a little steam coming up from the drain bucket.
 
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@jahlinux I have the Nano as well. I plan to install my condenser through the lid. I should have some pics and feedback over the next few days.
 
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bfalkowski said:
@jahlinux I have the Nano as well. I plan to install my condensor through the lid. I should have some pics and feedback over the next few days.
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Why did you decide to install it through the lid? You may have said in an earlier post, just can't remember. So far it's working very well on the side and it's easy to open the lid for hop additions. Can't beat a rolling boil at 50% power and no steam leaking out from the lid.
 
The side install definitely seems more stable (condenser is heavy!) My thought on the lid install was to also install a second 1.5 triclover bulkhead with a butterfly valve. This is where I would add the hops into a hop spider connected with magnets exactly like Dockside_Brewing. Also, if I don't like it, no biggy since it's just a lid.
 
jahlinux said:
Why did you decide to install it through the lid? You may have said in an earlier post, just can't remember. So far it's working very well on the side and it's easy to open the lid for hop additions. Can't beat a rolling boil at 50% power and no steam leaking out from the lid.
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What size is you BK and what is your typical batch size? How many brews have you used with this setup?

Edit: I have a 30 gallon Blichmann and I'm a little hesitant to cut a whole in the side for this. Still reviewing what others have done.
 
sillbeer said:
What size is you BK and what is your typical batch size? How many brews have you used with this setup?

Edit: I have a 30 gallon Blichmann and I'm a little hesitant to cut a whole in the side for this. Still reviewing what others have done.
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I haven’t brewed a batch yet with the condenser. I will be brewing next Friday. Dockside_Side has.
 
jahlinux said:
I ran the element at 50% and I get a nice rolling boil. Normally I'd be running it at 78%. I'm using the 6 gph nozzle. No steam comes out around the lid and I'm not using a gasket. Wondering of I went with the 9 gph nozzle if the water going into the drain bucket would be a little cooler. I can see a little steam coming up from the drain bucket.
Click to expand...

I just swapped out my nozzle from the 9 to the 6. I ran a test boil and the water is definitely hotter than it was with the 9 gph nozzle. (150 vs 200 degrees). I am debating if I want to switch before my next brew day. I have my new sink drain hook up and there was more steam with the 6. My water pressure is 60 PSI.
 
It may be too early to tell, but I will be curious what you guys experience with hard water deposits on your nozzles.

My untreated house water is hard as a rock and I can envision a fine orifice like these nozzles eventually clogging up.

Not a big deal and easy enough to clean with some acid solution, but still something to be on the watch for.

I sort of envision the clogging of the orifice being gradual enough that you might just just see a slow drop off in the efficiency of the condenser unit over time.
 
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Add that CLR stuff to the cleaning chemicals? lol Im dying to try it, but need to upgrade the keggle to a 20+ gal actual brew pot first..
 
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cbier60 said:
BrunDog, what did you use to drill that hole? I'd like to go the 2" route, but am concerned about my ability to drill a hole larger than my 1 3/8" step drill bit. Perhaps something like this 50mm Dia Carbide Tip Hole Saw Drill Bit for Alloy Stainless Steel
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I used that exact bit! First I drilled a pilot then a larger hole just under the size of the center but so the center bit didn’t have to do much work. The reviews on that but said it is the weak spot. Once that was through, the carbide made quick work of the thin SS.
 
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I love this thread and the idea. I am thinking about doing this, but wanted some opinions first. I have a 1/2" hole near the top of my BK that I use for whirlpool right now. There is a quick disconnect on the outside which I could use to pop on a condenser, but I am wondering if that size is going to be too small. Any thoughts on the matter?
 
I personally believe bigger is better but don’t know the threshold. I am confident 1.5” or 2” works well. Brewboss did some testing with the 1/2” camlock size and offer a kit, so they must have had success with it.
 
Even if the size works, wouldn't the condenser be too hot to swap for whirlpool?
 
BrunDog said:
Brewboss did some testing with the 1/2” camlock size and offer a kit, so they must have had success with it.
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Yeah, I'd hope they tested that out, or their customers certainly would have complained. That option certainly make things easier to swap out.
gnor said:
Even if the size works, wouldn't the condenser be too hot to swap for whirlpool?
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That's what hot mitts are for.
 
BTW, does anyone know any promo codes for any of the places supplying TC components? I have usually bought most of my camlocks from ProFlow Dynamics, but their shipping costs are now outrageous, basically offsetting any discounts.
 
+1 for hot mitts. I use the ove glove to spare my fingerprints.

I'm piecing mine together like the brew boss model. 1/2" out to a 1.5" tri-clamp tee.
 
I tested my condenser a few minutes ago. My silicone hose feeding it was going to explode so I quickly cut the water. I'm probably going to feed it with PEX. Has anyone experienced this?
 
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bfalkowski said:
I tested my condenser a few minutes ago. My silicone hose feeding it was going to explode so I quickly cut the water. I'm probably going to feed it with PEX. Has anyone experienced this?
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If you want to use silicon for the pressure side of your condenser this is what I'm using. It still has the flexibility of regular silicon but can withstand the higher pressures associated with most household water supplies.

https://www.brewershardware.com/Reinforced-Silicone-Tubing-1-2-ID-X-_80-OD.html
 
BrunDog said:
This is true but my guess is it would take some time. The nozzle has a filter on the front end to block any small particles from clogging it from inside.
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The filter would not help any - when you are talking about scale, you are talking about _dissolved_ minerals (calcium) that would pass through any filter except a RO system.

OTOH, I would imagine the scale buildup would be on the exterior of the spray nozzle where it would be immediately visible if you looked, and _should_ be pretty easy to clean off with a quick acid soak.

This is an outstanding thread and illustrates the incredible value of HBT!!!!
 
I just brewed another 10 gallon batch except this time with the 6 gph nozzle. The exit water was a lot hotter(205 degrees vs 160 degrees) and produces more steam in the sink. Boil off was close to the same so I may switch back to the 9 gph nozzle
 
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