Turn Up The Heat

[Brizbrew]

Thanks for the frame comments too.

No problem mate, it is nice to see someone else's way around the problem and relate it to the ideas I already had in my head.

I have a question if you don't mind. When I first looked at the picture it looked to me (bad eyesight) that you had tack welded the metal together but on closer inspection I see bolts have been used.
How exactly did you fix it and has it worked as you hoped?

Cheers.

 

[warrenlw63]

Brizbrew,

The cradle was made from 1 x 2.2m piece of angle iron. ($20 from Bunnings). I just drilled and bolted it to the existing Dexion members. The thought here was that they'd be less prone to buckling under direct heat than Dexion would be.

Main part of the stress is taken by the longer horizontal bearers. Keg sits very securely here and can more than handle the weight (I squatted and jumped on it to make sure :blink: ). The smaller bits were cut from the remaining metal and are to stop the keg rocking slightly sideways.

This (the rocking) doesn't hinder more than it annoys. As you can see I only "just" had enough metal left. Holes are drilled a little too close to the edge. Thankfully the two smaller bits don't really have to take any weight. They're really only there to steady the ship.

The rest of the frame is masonary-bolted to the floor and wall. Won't go anywhere in a hurry.

Warren -

 

[TidalPete]

Brizbrew,

The cradle was made from 1 x 2.2m piece of angle iron. ($20 from Bunnings). I just drilled and bolted it to the existing Dexion members. The thought here was that they'd be less prone to buckling under direct heat than Dexion would be.

Main part of the stress is taken by the longer horizontal bearers. Keg sits very securely here and can more than handle the weight (I squatted and jumped on it to make sure :blink: ). The smaller bits were cut from the remaining metal and are to stop the keg rocking slightly sideways.

This (the rocking) doesn't hinder more than it annoys. As you can see I only "just" had enough metal left. Holes are drilled a little too close to the edge. Thankfully the two smaller bits don't really have to take any weight. They're really only there to steady the ship.

The rest of the frame is masonary-bolted to the floor and wall. Won't go anywhere in a hurry.

Warren -

[post="66403"][/post]​

Warren,
Your setup is along the lines of what I need. Am pushing your good nature here, but wonder if you could supply a pic with your (CFC???) chiller in action.

:beer:

 

[warrenlw63]

Pete,

I don't use a CF chiller. Mine is immersion. That's why I made the cradle for the boiler. This allows me to remove the burner at flameout. Then I will hose the bottom of the boiler to take away some of the direct heat. This will prevent me cracking the burner.

Warren -

 

[TidalPete]

Warren,
You have saved me a lot of sleepless nights. Many thanks & happy brewing.

:beer:

 

[Brizbrew]

Brizbrew,

The cradle was made from 1 x 2.2m piece of angle iron. ($20 from Bunnings). I just drilled and bolted it to the existing Dexion members. The thought here was that they'd be less prone to buckling under direct heat than Dexion would be.

Main part of the stress is taken by the longer horizontal bearers. Keg sits very securely here and can more than handle the weight (I squatted and jumped on it to make sure :blink: ). The smaller bits were cut from the remaining metal and are to stop the keg rocking slightly sideways.

This (the rocking) doesn't hinder more than it annoys. As you can see I only "just" had enough metal left. Holes are drilled a little too close to the edge. Thankfully the two smaller bits don't really have to take any weight. They're really only there to steady the ship.

The rest of the frame is masonary-bolted to the floor and wall. Won't go anywhere in a hurry.

Warren -

[post="66403"][/post]​

Cheers for the detailed reply there Warren, it is a great help.
I am going to be building something along the same lines as you have there but crossed with a few ideas I pinched from Batz pics in another thread.
The way you have incorporated your burner is a stroke of genius and I will be pinching that idea if you don't mind. :super:

 

[Brizbrew]

I did a test burn with my NASA over the weekend and they are loud scary beasts, it sounds like the end of the world is nigh. :super:
What I wanted to know from other NASA owners is have you had any problems with the flames licking under the keg/kettle and threatening to burn the gas line?
The regulator obviously gets very very hot and the gas line is attached to a metal fixing directly into this, is it something to worry about?

Here is a picture of the regulator and the fixings I am worried about.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v516/downunder73/hpreg.jpg

I am considering getting a mate to weld a screen to protect the regulator and hose or using some copper pipe to build an extension type thing.

Anyone given this any thought?

 

[Doc]

Mine is a braided hose.
I've had a few boil overs go over it and all is good.
I've seen the underside of my boiler glowing and all is good.
Once the wort is boiling you turn them right down and you can barely hear it.
I'm not aware of anyone using a non-copper or braided hose. So I'd be a little warey too.

Beers,
Doc

 

[warrenlw63]

What I wanted to know from other NASA owners is have you had any problems with the flames licking under the keg/kettle and threatening to burn the gas line?

[post="66885"][/post]​

Another advantage of the metal cradle. Seems to supress the flames from creeping under the edge.

Warren -

 

[Brizbrew]

What I wanted to know from other NASA owners is have you had any problems with the flames licking under the keg/kettle and threatening to burn the gas line?

[post="66885"][/post]​

Another advantage of the metal cradle. Seems to supress the flames from creeping under the edge.

Warren -

[post="66896"][/post]​

I thought that might be the case and I was hoping you would answer this question because I was thinking about your cradle and wondering (as it is hard to tell from the pictures) is there much of a gap between the top of the NASA stand and the cradle or does the cradle sit on the stand?

Cheers.

 

[warrenlw63]

is there much of a gap between the top of the NASA stand and the cradle or does the cradle sit on the stand?

[post="66902"][/post]​

Brizbrew.

Gap is about 5mm. Quite easy to raise if need be. Bolts are sitting at the bottom of the Dexion slot. This gives me the freedom to bring it up about 15mm if a need arises.

Shouldn't be necessary. 5mm gap shouldn't find the NASA wanting. Also raising it further will make it difficult to slide out at the end of the boil.

Warren -

 

[Brizbrew]

is there much of a gap between the top of the NASA stand and the cradle or does the cradle sit on the stand?

[post="66902"][/post]​

Brizbrew.

Gap is about 5mm. Quite easy to raise if need be. Bolts are sitting at the bottom of the Dexion slot. This gives me the freedom to bring it up about 15mm if a need arises.

Shouldn't be necessary. 5mm gap shouldn't find the NASA wanting. Also raising it further will make it difficult to slide out at the end of the boil.

Warren -

[post="66914"][/post]​

Thanks for that mate, this is what I thought you had probably done but thanks for the picture too.

 

[Darren]

I did a test burn with my NASA over the weekend and they are loud scary beasts, it sounds like the end of the world is nigh. :super:
What I wanted to know from other NASA owners is have you had any problems with the flames licking under the keg/kettle and threatening to burn the gas line?
The regulator obviously gets very very hot and the gas line is attached to a metal fixing directly into this, is it something to worry about?

Brizbrew,
Yes this is something to worry about. I am fairly sure that Chiller had his rubber hose "blow" at a brewday. Scared the **** out of me.
I think he has replaced it with a copper or braided connection.
He would be the best to ask about this though
Chiller??

 

[user 384]

Just go to the very first page of this thread and you will see the copper stand-off pipe Chiller uses. I was at the brewday with Darren, and you've never seen a bunch of lazy brewers move so fast, when the original hose blew off.

At Globe Importers they now sell the regulators with a braided hose.

Cheers
MAH

 

[Jazman]

the braided hose is good thats what i use with my nasa

 

[TidalPete]

the braided hose is good thats what i use with my nasa

[post="67084"][/post]​

Jasman,
Is your braided hose similar to the one that Brisbrew got from Grain & Grape? :unsure:

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v516/downunder73/hpreg.jpg

:beer:

 

[Brizbrew]

Not being a plumber or anything but I do know one end of a compression joint from another, would a copper extension be difficult to hook up or would you get a pro on the job?
I need the peace of mind factor because the flame this thing puts out over an hour would have me worried, now I have read that Chillers hose burst I am defo going to get an extension on it.

 

[PeterS]

And another;

Edit: Pic.

Warren -

[post="65818"][/post]​

Hi Warren, I got my NASA last week from G+G and have given it a quick test run out in the garden but I kept getting problems when going at a really high pressure with it blowing itself out, have you experienced this?
I have the same red "made in China" reg as you have in your picture and am not exactly sure what I am supposed to be doing with the little brass turny bit on the reg :unsure: I have tried it in a few different positions but it did not make much difference. I also tried swivelling the air inlet plate to different positions, I am thinking of covering it and seeing what that does.
Nice stand you have built there mate, I am green with envy here, it has given me a few ideas though.

[post="66352"][/post]​

Bisbrew, you got me interested. I purchased a similar burner that looks exactly the same stand and all and comes with a high pressure regulator. The trouble is I could never get it to run high pressure. It is just on a very low burn and it looks useless. If I try to adjust anything, it just goes out. I gave up on it and am using another type of low pressure burner. If you get yours going let me know what you did.

Cheers,
PeterS....

 

[TidalPete]

Not being a plumber or anything but I do know one end of a compression joint from another, would a copper extension be difficult to hook up or would you get a pro on the job?

If you can get hold of a good quality flaring tool you'll have no worries. Just put the connections on before you flare the ends.

 

[warrenlw63]

And there's the rub. Good quality flaring tools are quite expensive.

Don't even be tempted by the cheaper ones. They're not worth the effort. Been there, done that. They produce sub-standard flares.

One of these days I'm going to get myself a good one. <_<

Warren -

(Avoid this type, basically they're crap) :excl: