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You are here: Home --> Forum Home --> Brewing Forum --> Brewing Discussion --> Pretty good deal on a keg Dry Hopper

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testingapril
Charter Member
Atlanta, GA
595 Posts


Not sure how much to trust this thing, but it's nearly half off compared to the ones stainless brewing and utahbiodeisel sell. Reviews are good though.




Posted 34 days ago.

mchrispen
Bastrop, TX
485 Posts


I have been burned on some stuff from aliexpress... really never been happy with the 'generic' stainless stuff. I bought some so-called stainless Tri-Clamps that turned out to be chromed brass - survived only 2 soaks in StarSan. It is just so easy for them to cheat.




Posted 34 days ago.

ercousin
Charter Member
Toronto, Canada
77 Posts


mchrispen: I am working on building out my tri-clamp HERMS setup. Any particular recommendations for tri-clamp suppliers?

I am leaning towards Brewers Hardware, they are affordable but seem to be good quality.

Thoughts on gaskets? White vs black vs clear?

I think they are all different materials.




Posted 34 days ago.

mchrispen
Bastrop, TX
485 Posts


Brewer’s Hardware is a bit expensive, but I have been really happy with the quality. If you are going with 1.5”, you will have a lot of options for vendors… even MoreBeer. I grabbed the last batch when down in San Antonio at a pro-wine supply.

I like the black Buna – they are the best for hot application, but harder to see if they are degrading. I use the white teflon for when I need to turn something – like a racking port in a fermenter. And I avoid the clear silicon ones – they seem to break down fairly quickly and allow you to over tighten the TC by a fair margin.

Sabco ships the opaque silicon gaskets for their internal kettle siphons… they seem to work well to keep a water tight seal (and a good siphon). They are, however, only exposed to wort and hot water – not boiling temps. I just went through and replaced them with the black rubber Buna gaskets – and prefer these over the silicon ones.





Posted 34 days ago.

ercousin
Charter Member
Toronto, Canada
77 Posts


BH has the 1.5" clamps for $6 while B3 has them for $7.

I haven't seen them cheaper anywhere where I could trust the quality (not ebay/aliexpress etc..)

Is this what you use?http://www.brewershardware.com/1.5-Tri-Clover-Gasket-Buna-N.html

Brewer's Hardware claims that EPDM is the best thing to go with for homebrewers. Buna is only useful for fermentation side according to them.

Silicone: Silicone brewery gaskets have a very wide temperature range of -58F to 446F making them suitable for a wide range of applications and great for home brewing locations where they will be near flame or in heat wash. They are very flexible and relatively soft making them easy to work with and seal. They can get gummy over time when used with strong acids and caustics in commercial applications. Silicone brewery gaskets are translucent clear.

EPDM: EPDM brewery gaskets have a narrower temperature range than silicone (-30F to 300F) but stand up to stronger acids and caustics than silicone making them more desirable in commercial applications and excellent for home brewery applications. EPDM brewery gaskets are relatively soft, easy to seal and probably the best all around choice for any application that doesn't need to live close to a flame source. EPDM brewery gaskets are black.

PTFE: PTFE Teflon brewery gaskets have the widest temperature range (-100F to 500F) and are also the hardest making them ideal for locations that need to rotate against each other like racking arms. (Never rotate or loosen a connection that is holding back hot liquid!) Being hard, they are somewhat more difficult to get a good seal. PTFE brewery gaskets are solid white.

BUNA-N: BUNA-N brewery gaskets have a fairly narrow temperature range (-30F to 200F) but remain flexible across that range and seal well. They do not do well with acid (Star-San is fine) or caustic cleaners and should be kept away from UV light where they can oxidize. BUNA-N brewery gaskets are a good choice for the fermentation side of a brewery where their low cost makes them nearly disposable. Black in color.







Posted 34 days ago.

ercousin
Charter Member
Toronto, Canada
77 Posts


Found a cheaper tri-clamp:





Posted 34 days ago.

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