Anyone here have experience with sanitary welds in a brewery? Seattle area. Paying well.

Apr 17, 2007 4 Replies
B

Hi All,



I am in the Seattle area and have some stainless steel brewing equipment that I need to be welded. Specifically, I have a 31 gallon stainless steel (don't know what type off hand, but I can find out) conical fermenter and I need two stainless ferrules (like this one, but possibly with a different diameter:

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,one welded to the bottom of the cone and to the side. The holes might also need to be enlarged a bit. Also, I might want some other fittings and/or legs welded to the sides.



Now, the deal with this, and forgive me if I'm being insulting because I don't know much about about welding, is that the fittings need to be welded from the inside (can't have voids that will harbor bacteria), the welds must be very smooth (bacteria again), and treated afterwards to be safe for contact with consumables and rust prevention (phosphoric treatment I assume?). The fermenter is not gigantic, but it is large enough that welding the bottom ferrule could be a little awkward. Pictures of a similar fermenter can be found here:

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Anyone in the Seattle area have experience welding brewery fittings? If not, could you provide a reference to someone who does? I'll be paying, or course, and will pay any fuel costs for you to get to and from my place. I have a garage where the work can be done.



You can contact me here or at brew.science at gmail dot com with any questions.



Thanks,



Dave



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B

As an update, the fermenter is a spun, 304-type stainless hopper:

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Dave

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J

Dave,

You have the good fortune of having the best welder bar-none in your own backyard. Mr. Ernie Liemkuhler (yeah, I probably misspelled his last name, usually do) is a Seattle area legend in his own time, heck he has even been brought into the Las Vegas area to perform his particular brand of magic.

Seriously though, Ernie is this groups go-to guy on all questions welding related, no matter how strange or vague the question may be put. Google this group as well as RCM for his name and be ready to be pleasently surprised. I'm sure he will be chiming in to your post soon, or contact you personally, and if the opinion of a Tenn. redneck matters any, go ahead and give him your street address and pay him when he gets finished, simple as that. IF you need to see some of his work, check out his site,

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he has several pics and explanations of work he has performed.

Regards, Jim

PS I only mentioned my being in Tenn so you would know that I am in no way affiliated with Ernie, only get to admire him from afar. (G)

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E

I am the on call welder for the McMenimans brewpubs in the greater Seattle area, and have been doing sanitary welds for 15 years. I have also done work for Maritime Pacific Brewery in Ballard.

I can easily weld your parts.

email me direct and we can chat.

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B

Please move to Tucson. It's nice and warm here and very dry. Even your welding rods would be happier. :)

Al in Tucson

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