Hello guys,
i want to upgrade my keggle with a ball valve and all i can find easily are chrome plated ball valves. The technical sheet says that it can handle high temperatures and is suitable for food industry use.
Had any of you used one on your brew kettle, will i be safe with it? Online i found many good and negative thoughts, by nobody speaks from their experience, just presumsions.
Post #2 made 11 years ago
bionut,
Some love them and some don't. See the link below. It depends on your degree of cleanliness and if you follow through with it. I love my ball valve and would not be brewing BIAB No-Chill without it. I have a ad-version to immersion chillers and siphons. I had 3 consecutive infected brews (dumped) because of my faulty immersion chiller (leaking well water). My fault entirely. I am not comfortable with siphons or high temp hoses. It's what you like that matters. Your preference to your situations.
At a club brew in a local park we were all standing around the community immersion chiller passing it between pots. We had only one source of water in the park and it was well water. The connection on the chiller broke and the hose was flopping around (like a snake on drugs) and spraying bacteria laden well water into everyone's pots. My beer was in a no-chill container cooling on it's own. Almost all brewers lost their beer that day due to infections. Not me!
I was doing a split batch 10 gallon brew. I no-chilled the first 5 gallons and was going to immersion chill the second five. I left the water run to cool my wort while I was cleaning up something else (or peeing?) When I came back to check on it a bit later the hose was spraying water out of a hole that was caused by the hose hanging over the side of the kettle touching the still hot burners edge. The water was spraying into the open car window next to were I was brewing. The beer escaped being infected but I had a wet car seat!
That was the last time I used the I/C and always use N/C.
Again it's your choice!
Really i guess I got a bit off topic telling the funny stories of my past life. If you are going to use a immersion chiller and cool your wort than a ball valve would really have to be cleaned well and you would have to keep it that way. Cooled wort going thru a ball valve is more trouble prone. If you are no chilling and going from a boiling pot thru a sanitized ball valve to a sanitized hose into a sanitized no-chill container than should be trouble free?
http://www.biabrewer.info/viewtopic.php?f=152&t=2754
Some love them and some don't. See the link below. It depends on your degree of cleanliness and if you follow through with it. I love my ball valve and would not be brewing BIAB No-Chill without it. I have a ad-version to immersion chillers and siphons. I had 3 consecutive infected brews (dumped) because of my faulty immersion chiller (leaking well water). My fault entirely. I am not comfortable with siphons or high temp hoses. It's what you like that matters. Your preference to your situations.
At a club brew in a local park we were all standing around the community immersion chiller passing it between pots. We had only one source of water in the park and it was well water. The connection on the chiller broke and the hose was flopping around (like a snake on drugs) and spraying bacteria laden well water into everyone's pots. My beer was in a no-chill container cooling on it's own. Almost all brewers lost their beer that day due to infections. Not me!
I was doing a split batch 10 gallon brew. I no-chilled the first 5 gallons and was going to immersion chill the second five. I left the water run to cool my wort while I was cleaning up something else (or peeing?) When I came back to check on it a bit later the hose was spraying water out of a hole that was caused by the hose hanging over the side of the kettle touching the still hot burners edge. The water was spraying into the open car window next to were I was brewing. The beer escaped being infected but I had a wet car seat!
That was the last time I used the I/C and always use N/C. Again it's your choice!
Really i guess I got a bit off topic telling the funny stories of my past life. If you are going to use a immersion chiller and cool your wort than a ball valve would really have to be cleaned well and you would have to keep it that way. Cooled wort going thru a ball valve is more trouble prone. If you are no chilling and going from a boiling pot thru a sanitized ball valve to a sanitized hose into a sanitized no-chill container than should be trouble free?
http://www.biabrewer.info/viewtopic.php?f=152&t=2754
Last edited by BobBrews on 16 Jul 2014, 21:02, edited 1 time in total.
tap 1 Raspberry wine
tap 2 Bourbon Barrel Porter
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tap 2 Bourbon Barrel Porter
tap 3 Czech Pilsner
tap 4 Triple IPA 11% ABV
Pipeline: Mulled Cider 10% ABV
http://cheesestradamus.com/ Brewers challenge!
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Post #3 made 11 years ago
I agree that a "keggle" needs a 3-piece ball valve like the link below. It can be disassembled 100% and cleaned after each use.
http://www.amazon.com/Piece-Valve-Stain ... 141&sr=1-3
http://www.amazon.com/Piece-Valve-Stain ... 141&sr=1-3
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Post #4 made 11 years ago
I am not speaking from experience, but I would not recommend a chrome-plated valve. You should be able to get stainless, at least via internet. And yes, it's best to opt for the 3-piece that MS suggests. You'll pay a little more, but the chance of having to admit to PP that you got an infection from your ball-valve will be greatly diminished. 
Last edited by cwier60 on 17 Jul 2014, 05:37, edited 1 time in total.
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Post #5 made 11 years ago
Definitely get stainless steel. Chrome plating doesn't even matter, because they wouldn't plate the inside of it. It's purely for aesthetics, so make sure the base material is stainless and you're good to go.
Chrome plating may flake off over time, but that's really not an issue as far as I can see.
If it's chrome plated carbon steel, for a cheaper price ... then you have a problem.
Chrome plating may flake off over time, but that's really not an issue as far as I can see.
If it's chrome plated carbon steel, for a cheaper price ... then you have a problem.
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Post #6 made 11 years ago
I found a stainless steel ball valve with all the fittings needed on ebay. Now i don't expect much quality, but at least the fittings will do. I am also turning my head to a jiggler siphon, it will be a much simpler method to no chill. Does those jigglers have a heat resitant ball?
I am thinking of making a copper jiggler siphon with a bearing ball, do you thing this will work, or will the ball be too heavy for that purpose?
I am thinking of making a copper jiggler siphon with a bearing ball, do you thing this will work, or will the ball be too heavy for that purpose?
Post #7 made 11 years ago
I am back with an update. Today I made an jiggler siphon head from copper and aluminium tubing, and a bearing ball. When I jiggle it in liquid the liquid goes up the tubing, but it doesn't flow because the ball is too heavy for the liquid to lift it.
After that i made a copper racking cane that fits the silicone tubing i have and i will siphon old school :D
I can post pictures with the jiggler and the racking cane if anyone interested.
After that i made a copper racking cane that fits the silicone tubing i have and i will siphon old school :D
I can post pictures with the jiggler and the racking cane if anyone interested.
Post #8 made 11 years ago
Post away bionut! I'd love to see it! 
Try and source a nylon ball instead (with a stop to prevent it ending up in your cube of course!)
A SS ball-valve off E-Bay is probably just as good as any other. See how you go with your jiggler first though as that will be easy to maintain.
Try and source a nylon ball instead (with a stop to prevent it ending up in your cube of course!)
A SS ball-valve off E-Bay is probably just as good as any other. See how you go with your jiggler first though as that will be easy to maintain.
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Post #9 made 11 years ago
Nylon would be good, like the brew bag. That't a good ideea.
I will take pictures and post them.
I will take pictures and post them.
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