On Tue, 22 Mar 2016 07:22:55 -0500, Pete Keillor
wrote:

On Mon, 21 Mar 2016 09:22:03 -0700, wrote:

On Sun, 20 Mar 2016 06:55:01 -0500, Pete Keillor
wrote:

On Sat, 19 Mar 2016 15:43:53 -0700, wrote:

In Washington State recent laws now allow micro distilleries. One is
opening up near me and I have done some welding on the stainless steel
stills. Someone goofed and a 3/4 pipe coupler was threaded to the
drain on the bottom of the still. It is apparently leaking. I am
pretty sure it galled up during assembly. There is not enough room to
weld around the threaded joint. So I'm thinking about using a wicking
sealer. Loctite makes one, 290, but it is only good up to 1/2 inch
diameter threads. Does anybody here know if I can get it to work on
the 3/4 pipe? I just need sealing, not retention of the fitting. I
will consider other methods too. I doubt that taking the coupler off
without destroying the threads is possible. I am willing to try using
Kroil or similar but if that doesn't work I will need to somehow clean
it out of the threads if I intend to use a wicking sealer. HELP!
Thanks,
Eric

Is the outlet of the still male? If not, I'd just unscrew and
replace. If the nipple is bunged, replace that too.

I'm surprised the outlet is not a sanitary flange. I wouldn't want
leftover mash stuck in the threads, although the product does go
overhead.

Pete Keillor
The outlet is a nipple welded to the still. Can't be replaced without
much trouble. I convinced them to not use threaded fittings anymore
for drainage but I still need to fix the one. I need a solution that
doesn't involve unscrewing anything. I thought I made that clear in my
first post but once again I didn't.
Eric

I understood your post, I thought is was galled, but maybe would still
come off, guess not. I'm mostly concerned about using threaded
fittings in "food" application. Maybe it's ok on a still. Same for
the silver solder, is it ok in that service, and how do you flux?
It'll wick if everything is very clean and fluxed, but you have to
make damned sure you get residual flux out. Some of that stuff has
hydrofluoric acid in it.

Might be better to bite the bullet, cut that sucker off, and weld on
the proper fitting. They'd avoid trouble (and potential fines) down
the road.

Pete Keillor

Pete Keillor
The way the thing is now welding on a different fitting would be
really expensive. So the solution will be as it looks now is a
phosphoric acid based flux which is safe for food service as well as a
silver solder alloy that is made for food service. The still will not
be distilling the beer but will instead be distilling the distillate
from the beer, so mainly alcohol and water. It is a vodka still. It's
odd to think about when we hear about all the poisons in moonshine,
like lead and cadmium from solder, but these poisons only get into the
condensate. The vapor doesn't carry any poisons that won't vaporise
during the process. And pathogens are killed by the temp and
eventually the high alcohol concentration. So even though I'm pretty
sure some stuff will collect in the threads in the drain for this
still it won't cause any harm. Nevertheless I have convinced them to
do away with the threaded fittings and go with welded fittings and
sanitary flanges, which they have have done with subsequent stills.
Eric