Soldering stainless

[Shaun]

I was wondering if I would be able to solder a stainless nipple into a 16 quart stainless stock pot for bottling on a hobby operation. Can you use flux for soldering copper pipes or do you need something special. Also the pot is made out of thin metal, would this be a problem? If it works, I was thinking you could do the same on a steam table pan with a valve to warm your sap before going to the pan.

[KenWP]

Instead of solder do like the rest of use and bolt it on to the pot.Works very well and you don't have to bother with solder.

[CBOYER]

Like KenWP said, install a bulkhead fitting, it is very easy. you could find some on line on Home brew supply store like kegglebrewing.com

[maple flats]

bulkhead is easier but if you want to solder, it takes a different flux. You need a silver solder and SS flux.

[StayinLowTech]

I made a bottler by soldering a stainless spigot to a steam table pan - works for me - this pan was the thicker version but still pretty thin and I had no problem soldering with a propane torch even with the difference in thicknesses - cleaned it well and used the stainless solder and liquid acid flux from a sugaring supply house. Can't get the spigot low enough to completely drain the bottom of the pan but the rest can be poured out the corner or saved for the next batch. Good luck.

[michiganfarmer2]

I guess I should have asked here when I had trouble wiht my drop flue drain leaking a couple years ago.

I used regular flux, and couldnt get the solder to stick so I removed the drain pipe, and welded the holes shut.

Story of my life. ruin everything I touch.

[RileySugarbush]

It's not so hard to solder stainless. Just a bit trickier than copper. Here is how I do it:

Clean each part with sandpaper. apply Harris Stay Cleen liquid flux immediately. With the lowest flame possible, apply solder to each part ( called tinning the parts). If the part turns black and the solder will not flow, stop and go back to the first step. You got it too hot. Once both are tinned, put them together and gently heat to flow together. You can add more solder if you need too, but it will likely just run through and drip out. If one part is copper and the other thin stainless, concentrate most of the heat on the copper part. Same goes if one is thicker stainless. Just don't get the thin stainless part too hot. Low flame and keep it moving.

I have had very good results using lead free plumbing solder.

Here is a water jacket bottler I made from very thin stock pots and copper fittings:

http://imgur.com/eTSVU.jpg
This is a copper cap drilled and soldered to the bottom of the syrup pot so I can get the last drops out:
http://imgur.com/4Et0o.jpg

More descriptions here:
http://www.mapletrader.com/community/showthread.php?t=12354&highlight=water+jacket

[3rdgen.maple]

Acid liquid flux and silver solder will get you the best results. Just dont breath the vapors from the acid flux it will curl your nose hairs.

[Homestead Maple]

I use a water soluble liquid flux made by Kester and a soldering iron. I use 95 - 5, or silver solder.You can solder with this flux on stainless as easy as soldering copper. It is sold by Grainger and is catalog # 1VJP8