Homemade condensing pipe for kettle

Question

For various reasons (climate being one) I'm trying to bring my brewing indoors and I cannot simply vent the steam out. A condensing pipe could allow me to remove the vast amount of steam and thus close the garage door. I am also looking to upgrade to a bigger kit so understanding how these work will help me pick the best equipment for my needs.

The following link explains a little bit but it doesn't detail the explanation: http://microbrewerysystem.com/Blog/Steam_condenser_in_microbrewery_934.html

• What is the principle behind a condensing pipe?
• Must a certain temperature and flow rate of water be achieved in order to successfully condense the steam?
• I have seen some breweries with a condensing pipe not from the highest point above the kettle, but almost from the side. Is there a reason for this?

This link shows a slightly different application with the water fired from above the steam rather than trying to create negative pressure to suck the steam through: https://www.brew-boss.com/Condenser-Boss-Boil-Kettle-Condenser-p/cb-bb-apmount.htm

Answer 1

1) steam condenses due to temperature change, all the water is doing is cooling the steam off so it condenses....

2) water is just used to cool it, you could use a copper pipe with cold water flowing through it inside the condenser pipe, or wrap cold packs around the condenser pipe, the only principle if you must cool it for steam to condense.

3) Depends on setup and preference...etc....maybe one way is more energy effecient or space saving, but the principle is the same.