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I recently bought a SS tri-clamp ferrule ,a flange that fits to a keg quite nicley, from brew haus thinking it would solve all my problem since i didnt wanna cut up my keg and use that bowl ideal. the only problem is that the copper head i built wont solder to the stainless steel flange i bought I have tried alummion solder no good. any ideals are welcomed i have seen these type flanges with a female recievier but they are all wholesale.
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Greetings, I just ordered the tri-clamp set and am eagerly awaiting its delivery. I too am going to be soldering it to a copper head. The problems with stainless-copper soldering seems to be this: ,lifted from http://www.brewingtechniques.com/library/backissues/issue2.6/palmer.html, 'Stainless steel is difficult for solders and braze filler metals to wet. The surface oxides that protect it from corrosion also prevent the filler metals from wetting the surface. Special fluxes are needed to eat through these stainless oxides. The silver solder commonly sold for home plumbing with copper pipe will work on stainless, but a different flux is needed. Look for a flux containing hydrochloric acid or one that says it is for fluxing nickel alloys or stainless.' This is also detailed in the still plans I used for mine, which are from http://www.moonshine-still.com/ In the section it discusses soldering the column to the keg, it mentions the use of silver solder for the attachment of the adapter. Hopefully this was helpful, and good luck! -V
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I build Counter Flow Chillers and Immersion Chillers as well as other devices using mixed metals such as copper, stainless, bass and aluminum in various combinations. I exclusively use Harris® brand silver solder and flux. It is lead free and food safe. The solder will wet and flow freely when joining copper, stainless steel, copper and aluminum ,alone or in combination,. The tensile and shear strength of the product is incredible.. Solder - Harris Stay-Brite 8® Flux - Harris Stay-Clean® & Harris Stay-Clean Aluminum® The URL for each is: http://www.jwharris.com/jwprod/solderalloys/#SBSolder http://www.jwharris.com/jwprod/brazesolderfluxes/#soldflux http://www.jwharris.com/jwprod/brazesolderfluxes/#alumflux You should be able to secure the products through a heating & air conditioning supplier ,in the USA,. Your task of soldering the stainless flange to a copper column should be fairly easy for you using a simple MAP gas torch. The solder flows at low soldering temperatures. HTH, PJ
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I saw you're message about the soldering the copper to stainless and I had the same problem except that I used a SS plate and brazed the copper 2' union to it with brazing rod. You have to heat the copper and SS to a very high temp to get it to stick but it will. PJ's info about the solder, the Harris staybrite is good to know, but I would bet you that you will almost die from the price. Silver solder is VERY expensive. Brazing rod is cheap, if you have the acedlyne ,sp?, tourch available. I just used a 1/4' SS plate and a 1/4' cork gasket which I made to attache the plate to the keg. Used six SS 1/4' bolts thru the keg and then brazed them so that they won't turn when tightening the plate, column and bingo, instant still pot. Works great for me. Good luck....jimbull
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just bought a SS tri-clamp ferrule with female threads for about 25 bucks at http://www.stpats.com/ these people are into it big time however they dont sell distilling appartuses they do have a hue amounts of fittings and other goodies
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I bought the stainless steel tri-clamp from brewhaus and bushing and I was trying to figure out how I was going to keep the packing in my column since I was not using scrub pads. When I attached the 2 inch female NPT adapter to the column there was a lip left by the 2 inch column, so I took a piece of stainless steel mesh and cut it to fit on the top of the copper colunm and inside of the female adapter. I then cleaned the copper on the inside and put the stainless steel mesh inside on the lip. I then took a propane torch and heated the copper on the outside of the copper female adapter and put a good ridge of copper solder on top of the stainless mesh and left it to cool. I then checked and the stainless steel mesh is very secure and holding me rishcig rings in the column. I then attached the stainless steel coupler to the female adapter and my still column was ready for use. If some do not understand the process I will try to get some pictures to show.
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Freebrew, I did the same thing except my screen kept coming off when I took the rings out, sooooo, I just put a good wad of copper, not pads, but pure copper mesh on the bottom and load the rings from the top of the collumn and this arrangement works just fine......Jimbull
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Thanks for the info I will do the same thing.
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