The mt69

3/8 is fine for ice bath or subzero. When I go sub zero though I think I might do 1/2" for the after chillers and 3/8 for the pre chiller.

As long as with subzero you have the gravity assisted self drainage you should be fine. I'm currently using the regular 3/8 wort chiller from nybrew supply just in an ice bath and have no issue except when I top off my tank and the pressures are higher I get a little clogged but just take the coils out the bath for like 30 seconds and turn em around a few angles and that solves it.

is there any particular place that you bought that stainless steel pot from, that would make a difference in price, or that the company is of good character?
what was the volume size and wall thickness?

Thank YOU

I got mine from ebay, this ad specifically-
http://www.ebay.com/itm/NEW-Polishe...t=LH_DefaultDomain_0&var=&hash=item20db1df439

I chose this retailer specifially because they were the only one to openly say the wall size is 1mm vs the thinner walled ones that are cheaper and you dont want those if your welding your coil into your pot. I also chose 40qt because I have a 3/8x50' coil that I wanted to have as much space in between the coils as I could to promote the best heat exchange. make sure your welder isnt a cocky prick that says he can do it all because for him to weld this isnt easy. He has to cut his hole, plug the coil thru the hole, weld the pipe to the tube coil, THEN weld the whole thing to the pot. (you need to buy 1/4 or 3/8 pipe TOE nipples (Thread One End). ALSO id advise you to bend your coil according to how you want it to sit vs have the welder do it, Wrap it around a 5 gal bucket and every 2-4 inches you need to pull a little. Its hella soft so be easy and take your time. It wont be perfect so when you get it to the point where it looks ok let him weld it and do the rest of the adjusting after. There are easier ways but it cost money. and if you let him do it he may kink it or take a few hours to do it which cost money.

thanks or the quick reply, so you didn't use the compression fittings that have the rubber gasket that seals the port hole.

I realize the durability of welding it but I'm not sure about the cost, as opposed to just throwing on some fittings that seal the hole, I saw them somewhere but don't know the actual name of the style.

levitated said:

thanks or the quick reply, so you didn't use the compression fittings that have the rubber gasket that seals the port hole.

I realize the durability of welding it but I'm not sure about the cost, as opposed to just throwing on some fittings that seal the hole, I saw them somewhere but don't know the actual name of the style.

Click to expand...

Bulkhead fittings are not a good choice, when the temperature changes a lot, cause they start to leak.

The gaskets also lose their resilience at low temperatures, compounding the issue.

thanks for the reply, I will just weld or braze it my self then, I'm thinking I might add some additional patch panels with identical holes in them on to the pot to increase the wall thickness, before the fitting is welded,

So the fitting series combo is from inside out is 3/8" tube- compression fitting- ferrel connector insert welded, compression fitting exterior, tube {and or nipple to valve to nipple to compression fitting to tube.
maybe I will use elmers or wriggleys,

if I continue to keep using salt and ice water is a 3/8" 20" after cooler enough with the cps or is 5o deserve more attention?

what size pot would you recommend for the 20' coil.
sorry but you would think that I would know more than this after 9 months.

thanks I'm going to try to do this thing in the next week, the mt69 is getting shelved if I can help it.

Bulkhead fittings for the WIN!!!
thanks the term escaped me.
sorry last question for now, which connector size and type did you think was best as the welded port fitting,
I ask because some manufactures have more meat on there parts and flanges etc to get a good bite onto for welding purposes.

weld spots

weld spots

@ GW
PS: Note the welder failed to shield the back side of the weld, so despite the purdy welds under the insulation, the inside backsides are ugly. I will have him fill the pot with argon and tape off openings, before welding production models.[/quote]




I don't like cleaning up after a process if I can avoid it, but can't you use a "welder pickling paste" or gel, like blue away, or magic wand, etc to clean the welds or prevent the burned back side instead of encapsulating argon?

I haven't ever used anything like that, but it seems like there should be a preventive chemical barrier to put on metal to control the backside atmosphere before welding, if not it should exist.

levitated said:

thanks for the reply, I will just weld or braze it my self then, I'm thinking I might add some additional patch panels with identical holes in them on to the pot to increase the wall thickness, before the fitting is welded,

So the fitting series combo is from inside out is 3/8" tube- compression fitting- ferrel connector insert welded, compression fitting exterior, tube {and or nipple to valve to nipple to compression fitting to tube.
maybe I will use elmers or wriggleys,

if I continue to keep using salt and ice water is a 3/8" 20" after cooler enough with the cps or is 5o deserve more attention?

what size pot would you recommend for the 20' coil.
sorry but you would think that I would know more than this after 9 months.

thanks I'm going to try to do this thing in the next week, the mt69 is getting shelved if I can help it.

Click to expand...

We used brew kettles from Glacier Tank, but in checking it looks like they no longer carry 15 gallon, so I would check alternative sources. They are about twice as heavy as the seafood boiling pots we obtained from Hongs Restaurant Supply, for our original prototypes.

They are about 20" or so in diameter.

We just weld a Schedule 4o coupling in the wall and use a 1/2" MNPT X 3/8" or 1/2" compression fitting 90 degree Elbow on the inside and a NPT Tube Adaptor on the outside.