HawkATP

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I am currently converting to electric, and think that having a bottom drain for the brew kettle would help tremendously for priming the pump and also clean in place. My question to those with bottom drains: how do you plump the ball valve for the bottom drain? I want to put a 1/2" ball valve on the bottom, obviously directly connected to the bottom of the keg is no different than my current dip tube that sucks from the bottom of the keg. But what about plumbing a 10" pipe from the drain in the bottom of the keg to the ball valve? Is the 10" of wort in the plumbing that is not boiling cause problems?

kevink

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Your looking at about .008 gallons of wort in that tube. It will be sanitized because of the heat, so that's not a problem. If you're worried about hop utilization or something, I'm sure that's not enough to make a difference. If you are super anal, you could drain out the .008 gallons during your boil and put it back in the keg, but I bet enough mixing will occur without doing that. I would not worry about it!

Thundercougarfalconbird

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You could circulate with the pump throughout the boil as well. I really like the idea though, there a lot more* dead space with a valve on the side of the kettle.
You'll have to post pics, I'd like to do the same eventually.

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The best beer I ever made was the next one I brew.

jusware

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Did you get a chance to try this out? I have a functioning RIMs setup that I'd like to upgrade to include bottom drains. I get air stuck in my lines while priming, which isn't a too big of a deal, but I want to add electric valves for some automation.

HawkATP

Recipes 

The bottoms are cut off of two kegs, just waiting on the tri-clovers from brewers hardware. I'll post some pics after they're built and a review, I was hoping to get a brew in before Christmas. Here are links for the rest of the parts I'm using:

Stainless Steel 304 Cast Pipe Fitting, 90 Degree Elbow, Class 150, 1/2" NPT Female
http://www.amazon.com/Stainless-Steel-Fitting-Degree-Female/dp/B001VXVZ9A

Stainless Steel 304/304L Pipe Fitting, Nipple, Schedule 40 Welded, 1/2" X 10" NPT Male
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B003JQJMV0/ref=oh_o03_s01_i00_details

2" Tri Clover X 1/2" Male NPT
https://www.brewershardware.com/2-Tri-Clover-X-1-2-Male-NPT.html

2" Tri Clover Clamp
https://www.brewershardware.com/2-Tri-Clover-Clamp.html

Silicone O-Ring for 2" Tri Clover Cap
https://www.brewershardware.com/Silicone-O-Ring-for-F1.html

Plus your ball valve.

LordUlrich

Recipes 

I currently have a keg setup using the coupler opening and a triclamp as a bottom drain for CIP, but use a side drain for wort transfer. I worry about using a bottom drain as you will be pulling all the trub toward the drain. But I am a huge fan of whirlpools and settling.
As far as any trub in your outlet pipe I suggest pumping during the boil. Last brew day I left my whirlpool pump on during the whole boil (I needed to stir preventing a boil over and got press ganged into bar duty) by the end of the boil I had trub chunks the size of marbles, once I stopped whirlpooling they dropped like rocks, and I had a clear transfer.

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jeffmeh

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That's what I would suggest, a center bottom drain for CIP and a side port with a pick-up tube to drain wort or recirculate. I believe Ohio-Ed welded a 2" tri-clamp ferrule to the bottom for CIP.

HawkATP

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Here are some pics of the completed set-up. I probably won't be able to test it until next week though.

cyclogenesis

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Got to say that is one sweet setup!
OT but what are you using as an exhaust fan?

HawkATP

Recipes 

Thanks, the fan is a Hydrofarm inline 6 inch, 400 CFM, off of Amazon:

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B002JQ14F8