Copper boiling and steam extraction

[Cheesey]

As part of my planned upgrade I want to sort out the problem of steam.

Has anyone got some novel ways of dealing with the large amount of steam generated during the boil.

I brew in the garage, I've fitted a bathroom extractor just above the copper, but it's useless. My worry is based on the fact that the steam condenses above the copper on the felt of the roof and drips everywhere, almost certainly at times into the cooling wort.

I know not to put the lid on as you need to get rid of any DMS in the brew, but has anyone fashoned a lid connected to an extractor , or any other ideas. What do commercial brewers do?

Many thanks for any tips and advice.


C

[Dads_Ale]

I brew in the kitchen and have fabricated the following:





The raised lid helps prevent boil overs which was a problem with my old set up with the lid on and no extractor.

[Hogarth]

What do commercial brewers do?

C

They use a chimney. It seems to be a home-brew myth that you have to keep the boiler open. The most effective way of getting rid of steam is to use a chimney. I use 54mm copper pipe:



You just need to stop all the condensate returning to the boiler; for instance, by angling the chimney downwards, or in my case by leaving the joints in the horizontal section unsoldered, so the condensate drips out of them and into a bowl.

[Cheesey]

Ahh very interesting, many thanks Hogarth and Dads-ale. More food for thought.

Hogarth, is that a wooden top , and does it hinge so you can add hops?.

Whats at the top of the pipe, does it vent to air, or do you have an extractor drawing up the air?.

Cheers

C

[Fil]

after faffing about with a squirrel fan and one bad mid winter boil in the kitchen under a cold SS cooker hood wich condensed more vapour than it sucked away I went KISS..

in my brewshed the kettle lives under a table and is pulled out to sit 6" or so off the floor in the doorway to facilitate a simple gravity drain from the tun.

i then open the window and sit a fan behind the kettle.

when boiling the fan pushes the vapour out of the open doorway and the air in the shed is replenished via the open window..

setting up..


and boiling

[tourer]

Sorry i dont have photo but made an extracter from rainwater downpipe 2.5" i think it is. Cut the length i wanted long enough to go through the shed wall, fitted a 45 degree elbow the downpart going to the the cut hole in the boiler lid, at the rear of the 45degree fitting pushed in a motor from a old hair dryer (perfect fit) wired that to a 12 volt transformer. That setup cost me nowt with bits lying around and it works. The steam billows out at the back of the shed when it's in use. Forgot to say i do lift the lid slightly to allow air in.
Good luck

[Hogarth]

Hogarth, is that a wooden top , and does it hinge so you can add hops?.

Whats at the top of the pipe, does it vent to air, or do you have an extractor drawing up the air?.

Yeah, it's oak, two inches thick, with a piano hinge down the middle so the front half lifts.

At the top, the pipe turns to the left and goes out through an air-brick. There's no fan or anything -- I just use good, old-fashioned steam pressure.