• Equipment

  Suggestions for Steam Control Valve Selection

  Posted by upadam on August 3, 2022 at 8:44 pm

  We are scaling up production to a 600 gallon steam jacketed pot, any suggestions on valve type (Gate, Proportional, Ball) for control? I would like to stay away from a ball valve but if anyone has any insight it would be very much appreciated.

  beach time replied 2 years, 4 months ago 6 Members · 5 Replies
• 5 Replies

• 

  kindred spirits

  Member

  August 3, 2022 at 10:17 pm

  Definitely use globe valves, they allow for much better flow control, gate or ball valves are fine for isolating systems.

• 

  jocko

  Member

  August 4, 2022 at 2:03 pm

  In my reading, globe valves are the way to go, one’s that have good proportional control.  I can’t find the original threads that I read last year.  I believe @Silk City Distillers posted some pictures of his globe valve setup.  

  McMaster has some that seem very inexpensive, so inexpensive that I’m conccerned, as Iv’e seen some that are 10x the price.  For my still I only need a 1.5″ valve.   You need to hook two of them up in parrallel, one for macro control (a big one that lets 100% of line capacity through, and then a smaller one for fine control.  On mine, the plan is to have a 1.5″ macro globe valve and a 3/4″ micro globe valve.  Come up to heat on the macro, then open up the micro and shut off the macro.  

  https://www.mcmaster.com/valves/for-use-with~steam/valve-type~globe/

• 

  whiskeytango

  Member

  August 4, 2022 at 2:57 pm

  Globes are great for fine control but they are kind of a pain when starting up and you want a lot of steam to the kettle to quickly heat it up.  Do some sort of bypass with a ball valve so you can blast it in the beginning then close it so you can fine tune the globe.  Otherwise your just opening and closing the globe all the time 

   

   

• 

  violentblue

  Member

  August 4, 2022 at 4:56 pm

  dual uneven sized parallel valves.

  smaller globe valve for fine adjustment and a larger gate valve for gross.

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  beach time

  Member

  August 10, 2022 at 5:40 pm

  I agree w/ VB, a put 2 valves in parallel, the big valve for heat-up and small valve for run-off.

  Globe valves do not shut off tight, so you should consider a gate valve ahead of the previously mentioned parallel valves.

  Assuming the steam pressure is less than 15 psi, these will be large valves for a 600 gallon pot.

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