Tri-Clamps

Systems, Gear, & DIY
1

Now that I have my new Bru-Gear 15 gallon kettle with tri-clamp fittings for valve and thermometer, i have some questions:

  1. When closing the clamps, besides tight enough, how tight should they be tightened? Is finger tight good enough, or tighter
  2. How long should I expect the gaskets to last, and where to source replacements
  3. I am assuming a big advantage is being able to take apart to fully clean, so I should take apart after each use for cleaning?
  4. Looking for suggestions for pick up tube for the valve
  5. Any other thoughts on these fittings you can share
2

Never used them, but McMaster-Carr has them for pretty cheap. If I did have them, it’s one of those items where I would keep plenty of extras around.

What type of connection is on the inside for the pick-up. I would check bargainfittins.com or stainlessbrewing.com

3

Check http://www.brewershardware.com/Standard-3A-Tri-Clover-Tri-Clamp-Gaskets/
He has all types of gaskets including one sided ones for keg fermenters.

You would want PTFE for a kettle.

4

They also have some pretty good prices on tri-clamp fittings.  I have purchased from both glacier tanks and mcmaster for tri-clamp items… glacier is usually cheaper though if I need something else from mcmaster I’ll tack on some if I need more fittings.

As for the logevity of the gaskets… depends on the material they gaskets are made out of… Many of them can be boiled or even thrown in a pressure cooker to sterilize them… then they last more or less forever (unless they start cracking… but I’ve been using some of the same ones for years… Have not had one go bad yet.)

Finger tight is all you want the clamp to be on there… not even super cranked on finger tightness is needed.

The advantage of tri-clamp is indeed that everything can be cleaned and santitized… for you boil kettle it might not make that big of a difference… I use most of my tri-clamps on my fermenter… so it’s pretty nice to be able to do (though it is a lot more ‘things’ to clean and sanitize.)

5

For pick up tube in that thing I think you might be out of luck… I picked one of the Bru Gear kettles as well and was thinking the same thing… It’s just a hole… only with a sitting on the outside…

6

Seems like an unfortunate oversight. There might be a way to re-purpose a compression fitting with a snug o-ring.

7

I generally order from Glacier or brewerygaskets.com, depending on what else I need. Brewery Gaskets has free shipping, which is nice.

8

I am at work and don’t have it in front of me at the moment, but I think for the valve, it is threaded on the kettle side.  It would still be a little awkward, but possible to piece something together, and then have to just tip it back towards the center of kettle at end to get the hole emptied?
EDIT: Never mind, you are correct. The valve threads go onto the TC/NPT adaptor outside the kettle, leaving no threads to attach anything inside the kettle for a pick up.
Back to the drawing board

9

The threads on the coupler don’t go all the way through?

10

Not that I recall. The coupler has male threaded end to connect to threaded female valve opening and I don think the threads go through the other side of connection, but again, I am not in front of it right now so I cannot say for sure

11

What size is the tri-clamp ferule? I ordered a kettle from them as well, but mine hasn’t arrived yet.
If the ferule is 1 1/2" there are a number of solutions available as tri-clamp pick up tubes. The tubes have two ferules attached. One to clamp to the kettle and one to clamp to your valve. If it is 1", there is nothing currently available that I know of because the tubes won’t fit through the 1".

12

Yeah it’s just a tri-clamp ferrule welded to the outside of the kettle… THe threads he’s referring to are on a tri-clamp to NPT fitting used to connect the ball valve that came with it (at least that’s how mine is)… maybe someone out there makes a tri-clamp adaptor with NPT threads on both the external and internal…

13

It’s 1 1/2 but there isn’t a ferrule inside the kettle only external.

14

I guess you could always get a racking arm like a conical fermenter would use… http://www.glaciertanks.com/Racking_Arm_60-90_Degree-Racking_Arm_1_60_Degree_with_1_1_2_TriClamp.html

15

It doesn’t need to be sanitary, right? I’d probably just hammer a drilled silicone stopper into it, and shove some tubing in.

16

That may be the best option, maybe a vinyl elbow joint out of the stopper and tubing down close to the bottom, same way I rigged up my bottling bucket.
Thanks everyone,
dkfick and Alewyfe, let me know if you have any other ideas once you try to put yours to use and I will do the same

17

Pretty simple. I was thinking using a coupler with nearly the right outside diameter paired with an o-ring or two.

18

Yes, the main issue I guess is that this is my boil kettle, so the stopper and tubing may not need to be sanitary, but they must hold up to and stay in place during heat up and boil, for a total of 90-120 minutes at temps above 150F, and preferably still not leak
EDIT to add: I also just shot an email off to Phil Spivey for his thoughts on the issue. I know when I kicked in, I was not expecting TC fittings, the adaptor is nice, but if I wind up leaving 2 gallons or more in my kettle, this was not a good solution for me and my brewing

19

I agree… I was expecting NPT fittings as there was a survey sent out about which you would prefer… I use all cam-lock fittings on my hot side.  I too am worried that a stopper would come out during the boil… It would be pretty crappy if it happened that’s for sure… lol

I think the only reliable solution so far for me would be a racking arm (as it clamps on the outside but reaches inside with a hook (they have 90 degree ones as well… would prob need to cut it to the right length)… but they are pretty expensive for a dip tube lol.

20

Yes, here’s hoping that Phil has a better(and cheaper solution) for his early adopters who got what he chose to make to simplify production. When the survey came out, I really was not aware of what the TC fittings would bring, as not having ever used them and I did ask for info on the survey but got none. I love the kettle, but now have my concerns. As I stated above, with the 15 gallon, the kettle is marked at 5 gallons and up, plus one mark at 1 gallon. The valve opening is at least 2x as high as that 1 gallon mark and likely more. This kettle filled with wort will likely be way to heavy to tilt enough to get that last 2 gallons out without a brewing assistant. In the end, I may have to resort to ordering his mash false bottom and using this for that instead of as a BK. I really hope not