Anyone every have the teflon inside their ball valve blow out? I use 20 tip jet burners[/url] on my NG setup, the thing gets crazy hot. I had two SS ball valves blow out on me over the last couple years, both times during the boil when I had the gas humming (about 50-60%). It sounds like a gun shot going off when the tefflon blows… scares the grap out’a you. Lucky I was able to get the wort through the valves. I need the highest rated valve I can find. Seems like this valve is rated to 450 degress, but wonder if [url=http://www.northernbrewer.com/shop/media/catalog/product/cache/3/image/800x600/9df78eab33525d08d6e5fb8d27136e95/i/m/image_2001.jpg]this one http://a248.e.akamai.net/origin-cdn.volusion.com/no4tr.u43q3/v/vspfiles/photos/901130-2.jpg
is rated higher.
Anyone have any thoughts on which one can handle higher temps?
Sounds like an easy solution MB, I am going to see what I scrape together. Should also keep the insulated valve handles from melting on me, that stuff really stinks when it melts!
Just picked up an infrared thermometer, cant wait to start playing with it and seeing just how hot all the parts of my setup get during a brew session!
Did you get a IR thermo that reads upwards of 600F? I have a budget one (Ryobi) that is only good to around 500F IIRC.
When using the IR try to not read on shiny surfaces for temp accuracy otherwise the temp reading can really be off.
I’m curious, did you take the valves apart to see if the Teflon melted or if it cracked?
Those valves are probably have PTFE (Teflon) which is going to be about the highest temp rated material and type of valve you will want to afford. Like MullerBrau said earlier, fabricating a heat shield is what you need.
When I took the valve off the kettle and looked inside the body, the white teflon is all squeezed out from the ball joint and looks melted and burnt. I bet some moisture or wort got in between the joints and burst when the pressure built up behind it. Again, the pop it made when it burst was pretty loud.
I’m sure you can figure out a heat shield for your setup but I’ll offer up the cheap and dirty method I use. I take a good hunk of commercial grade (a bit thicker) aluminum foil and fold it so I have two or three layers, then use the base of the valve where it enters the pot and wrap it around it. The remaining portion of it is fanned out towards the bottom leaving access to the valve handle. With the monster burner you use it may melt the aluminum though if too close.
A coffee can (it might be difficult to find a tin one now) makes for cheap material to mock up a shield and play with.
I always store my ball valves half open so no water will stay trapped in there. Many years ago, I had a ball valve freeze and it blew the casting apart.
My ball valve was getting wicked hot and I noticed I had cut the hole for the valve just above a hole in the chime. A simple hunk of steel for a heat shield solved the problem.
Me too, I didn’t figure out mine was cracked until it was leaking strike water. I also now store valves 1/2 open. Some times I’ll also hit them with the propane soldering torch for a few seconds to help dry them out at at the end of the brew day if the weather is really cold.
Me too, I didn’t figure out mine was cracked until it was leaking strike water. I also now store valves 1/2 open. Some times I’ll also hit them with the propane soldering torch for a few seconds to help dry them out at at the end of the brew day if the weather is really cold.[/quote]
Add me to that list too. I’ve also froze my pump a couple times. When I think the system is fully drained… I try to drain it some more
