Kegland Condenser

[user 4749]

I normally brew in my garage with my Front door and Rear doors open in the winter. Last year it got very cold and at times the condensation and steam were bad. Plus a neighbour complains about the smell as it apparently stinks her house out.
I was looking at getting the Kegland G30 condenser as a hood or extractor aren't feasible.
Does anyone have any experience of them? Wondering will it help. Was hoping it would help with the smell and the condensation so I can close my doors.
Thanks in advance

 

[LeeH]

Firstly, your neighbour’s sound delightful.

Secondly, you can always keep the lid on 90% closed and use a fan to disperse the rest. Works without issues in my garage.

 

[Stan's Brew]

I use the Brewtools steam hat and condenser on my Brewtools pot to keep the steam down in my garage, I tried the door and fan method but it just doesn't cut it and limits the ability for equipment placement. The condenser works brilliantly, the Brewtools version has various water spray nozzles available to create the vaccum needed to draw the steam and the condensate just runs to drain, in my case an intermediate waste bucket that runs to drain. There is still a smell but it is not as noticeable as an open pot, if you can run it to an enclosed drain then you could reduce the smell further.

Other benefits are reduced boil off and less power to boil.

 

[rekabmit]

I use the Brewtools steam hat and condenser on my Brewtools pot to keep the steam down in my garage, I tried the door and fan method but it just doesn't cut it and limits the ability for equipment placement. The condenser works brilliantly, the Brewtools version has various water spray nozzles available to create the vaccum needed to draw the steam and the condensate just runs to drain, in my case an intermediate waste bucket that runs to drain. There is still a smell but it is not as noticeable as an open pot, if you can run it to an enclosed drain then you could reduce the smell further.

Other benefits are reduced boil off and less power to boil.

Can’t see dimensions for this, have a generic Klarstein allin one. WhTis the diameter of this lid ?

 

[RoomWithABrew]

I made mine, works great on my 70 litre guten AIO.
Brew indoors, do have a small wall fan but all works really well.

The spray of water does not produce a vacuum! but the steam is condensed by the water spray and I only use about 15 litres for a 60 minute boil.

YOU MUST turn the power down when boiling otherwise with lid on you will get a boilover.

Nearly 2000 posts on this thread to read through.
https://www.homebrewtalk.com/threads/boil-kettle-condenser-no-overhead-ventilation-needed.636955/

 

[rekabmit]

I made mine, works great on my 70 litre guten AIO.
Brew indoors, do have a small wall fan but all works really well.

The spray of water does not produce a vacuum! but the steam is condensed by the water spray and I only use about 15 litres for a 60 minute boil.

YOU MUST turn the power down when boiling otherwise with lid on you will get a boilover.

Nearly 2000 posts on this thread to read through.
https://www.homebrewtalk.com/threads/boil-kettle-condenser-no-overhead-ventilation-needed.636955/

Interesting turn the power down not the temp. I guess this means when the unit calls for heat it is using 1000w in stead of 2000w so heat is less but maintains temp as is on for longer. How low do you go with it being able to maintain a boil, 600?
I brew outside back door march to sept. But cone winter brew in a cellar with a window and two fans, it gets very wet and I do worry regarding steam in electrics. So will look at the lids. 15 litres is low was expecting around 50.

 

[Neil Whittaker]

I have recently purchased the kegland condenser and have a couple of observations.
1. Works great but I tested it outside to just get the hang of it. Had the hose pipe connected, would like to convert to a bucket and pump.
2. There is going to be a little steam due to having to sort the boil over first. Worth not pushing quantity of the vessel to the max.
3. I sometimes find that the bittering hops can be lifted up the side of the brewzilla, given a vigorous boil, going to be hard to stir them back in.
4. The big one: I only have a immersion chiller. I often boil for 30 min, but 10min of that i want my chiller to be in the boil. Need a counter flow.

 

[hoppyscotty]

Steam hats are great...it used to rain inside my small garage when I brewed during cool temps but the steam hat has sorted it. I do use the waste water for rinsing but not cleaning as it smells a bit rank, so not totally wasted.

 

[RoomWithABrew]

Interesting turn the power down not the temp. I guess this means when the unit calls for heat it is using 1000w in stead of 2000w so heat is less but maintains temp as is on for longer. How low do you go with it being able to maintain a boil, 600?
I brew outside back door march to sept. But cone winter brew in a cellar with a window and two fans, it gets very wet and I do worry regarding steam in electrics. So will look at the lids. 15 litres is low was expecting around 50.

My unit has a 3kw element, boil indoors with lid and condenser I get boil at 26%.

Prior to making condenser I used an extractor fan and ducting. This was a death trap really.

Condensation dripped off ceiling and ran down walls, nightmare.

 

[MashBag]

This was a death trap really.

Why?

I used a wok* lid and bathroom extractor for many years. Effective and really easy to use & setup.

* now moved on to a never-boil-over-lid.

 

[MashBag]

Somebody tell me that the Brewtools steam hat is an April fools joke?

Or have a missed something?

 

[Birdsnestbrewery]

Somebody tell me that the Brewtools steam hat is an April fools joke?

Or have a missed something?

The concept looks OK but the price seems crazy.

 

[hoppyscotty]

Brewtools pricing is Brewtools pricing....but to be fair the Brewtools steam hat, if you ever handle one, is a very sturdy and well made bit of kit. Of course you're paying the BT premium, but it's far more sturdy than the cheap alternatives from the usual providers - you're talking pro quality and definitely overkill for home brewing. You pays your money had takes your choice. I picked up one used off eBay for a much more reasonable price but was the only option for me as I was fitting it to a completely different vessel and the BT steam hat just happened to be the right size.

I use PID controller int he boiler so that sorts out the power output. I'm also converting most of my recipes to 30 minute boils so that cuts down on electricity and water.

For the OP any extractor method isn't going to work because his neighbours are complaining about the smell, so depends where you vent the steam to and if it can avoid the neighbour.

 

[RoomWithABrew]

Why?

I used a wok* lid and bathroom extractor for many years. Effective and really easy to use & setup.

* now moved on to a never-boil-over-lid.

240 v fan on the end of plastic ducting, water pooled at the lowest point and it was 240v fan. It was dangerous.

 

[MashBag]

It's not the price. The design is poor.

Silicone seal and Clamps!?! Where does the air get IN.

AIR is the carrier of the steam. No air in no movement of steam.. Simples (other than by condensate)

If you put a bung on the end of your vaccuum cleaner it would not suck up debris.

Tbh. It is a cracking looking thing and I am sure the build is good. I like the "hatch" but I have never thought it good practise to take a power drill to something I have just purchased

 

[hoppyscotty]

Well there is a big hole in the side of it and a big hole in the end of it where the steam goes into the condenser. but once you've hit the boil you only get seam going out of both of those holes.

Anyway, being pedantic, a debris is not sucked up into a vacuum cleaner...its pushed up from outside

 

[MashBag]

"pushed" yup good point.

And the same applies if you are connecting extraction to "accessory port". Still no air to push the steam through.

 

[hoppyscotty]

Well when a fixed mass of water changes to steam it increases its volume by 1700 times, so that creates adequate push.

 

[MashBag]

I did not get adequate push in all the testing I did, over a number of brews and years without air going in.
But I will agree it will push the foam up the extractor pipe and make a right proper mess.

I can put my lid on (with the extraction running) at mashout and walk away. I return to add my first hops at 15mins into boil, and never have a boilover.

 

[JockyBrewer]

Well when a fixed mass of water changes to steam it increases its volume by 1700 times, so that creates adequate push.

... and when it returns to being water in the condenser it contracts again. The reduction in volume reduces pressure in the condenser relative to the kettle, causing more steam to be drawn into the condenser.