Food Grade Welding

[Will_Davis]

As mentioned in my earlier intro posts I am interested in welding SS fermenting vessels ( Ideally all 316 grade )

Now I am pretty sure that there are some guidlines as the the techniques/finish/quality requirements for the INTERNAL welds as this is where the product and the nasty bacterial thingies live. External is more cosmetic ( but much easier to polish up )

Can anyone point me in the right direction for specs/suggestions as to how to do the best job?

I appreciate that most of us homebrewers tend to us plastic/old kegs as fermenters and the fittings are usually plumbing standard brass/copper and are hardly FG!!

Having decided to go with tig I would like to try to get the best welded seams and fabs as possible

Cheers

Will

 

[hotrodder]

Search the TIG forum for 'purge' and google/search the forum for 'hygienic welding' and/or 'hygienic welding standards' if you haven't already.

Ugly/less than stellar finish on the outside with a hygienic root/inside ain't gonna happen i.e. by the time you get the inside good enough the outside will look nice too. Having said that a lot of this sort of thing is done autogenously (no filler wire) which is kinda a double edged sword in that it's easier in some respects but very unforgiving with regards to fit up and stop/starts

Here's an example of a root (2.25" tube IIRC) that isn't good enough (12 o'clock) but that's OK as i was welding an exhaust ...



Fit up is king, MUCH easier if you're not dealing with mismatches

 

[piman]

Hello Will,

all our fermenting vessels have the internal weld seam ground down and polished so the inside is smooth. What size vessel are you making as their are quite a few small fermenters available to buy, or is it just the exercise of welding one that you want?

Alec

 

[Will_Davis]

Hello Will,

all our fermenting vessels have the internal weld seam ground down and polished so the inside is smooth. What size vessel are you making as their are quite a few small fermenters available to buy, or is it just the exercise of welding one that you want?

Alec

This is more of a learning curve and costing exercise. Typical sizes would be about 33L ( to take a standard 5 gallon or 19 L Cornie keg.

They run at about 400 to €600

I'm intrigued as to what the fab costs will be.

When you talk about "All our fermenters" do you use the fermenters or do you make them.

Cheers

Will

 

[piman]

Hello Will,

we buy them in, last one was about 4000 litre capacity.
I see you are talking very small, I was thinking off 2.5 bbrl (90 gallon) as small.

Out standard Firkin cask (9 gallons\40 litre) cost about £70.00 plus vat each, which could be adapted?

Alec