My new keggle

Truble · 10-03-2006, 01:56 AM

Well, I got my keggle finished. I am still looking for a good welder who does TIG, so I put together a weldless fitting. The keggle was cut out using a grinder and a cutting wheel, and tapped out with a regular drill. The fitting is made of a brass full flow ball valve, a hex nipple, 2 stainless steel fender washers, 2 high temp O-rings, and a female thread to compression fitting. The manifold is made of leftover tube from my immersion chiller. Copper is pretty expensive now, so I wanted to use what I had. It is only 3/8", and I would like to go to 1/2", but this should do for now. The manifold has holes drilled on the outside perimeter. I figured that possibly debris, when whirlpooled, would collect in the middle. Have no idea since I am new to this. I tested the drain, and it only leaves about 1 cup in the bottom.
I took a couple pics, and will have more since I plan on breaking it down to replace the O rings with more rigid ones, since the ones I used compress a little too much. I got the burner going and tested it out. There was the slightest bead of water, barely a drip, that formed one every couple minutes or so once it heated up. I can live with that for now.

**the_bird** · 10-03-2006, 02:03 AM

Looks real nice. That's very high on the list of to-do homebrew projects, as soon as I can get my hands on a keg. Nice job!

**Dude** · 10-03-2006, 02:06 AM

Looks nice!
Congrats...great investment.

Truble · 10-03-2006, 02:08 AM

Thx man. Forgot to mention that total cost was around $40. I didn't keep explicit track, but the keg was $20, the nipple, washers,O-rings, and compression fitting were less than $10, the valve was $7 or $8 (can't remember-had it left over from another DIY), and the copper might be a buck's worth or so.

**Yuri_Rage** · 10-03-2006, 02:14 AM

I can TIG weld, and I plan on doing a bit of welding as well as using some weldless fittings on my stainless fermenter project. I might suggest that you stick with the weldless fittings for now and see if you can get a better seal - the advantage being that you can take the fittings completely off to clean your keggle and save a few bucks, too!

BTW, nice job! I'm envious, as I just paid a pretty penny for a 20 gallon stainless kettle! No luck finding used kegs legitimately around here, and I didn't want to be a scumbag and scam one by not returning it for the deposit.

Truble · 10-03-2006, 02:20 AM

Yeah. They are controlled here too, but a liquor store that I frequent does get legit ones from time to time, and sells them. There is a dent on this one, but it is not bad, and does not affect stability or volume. I have my name in for another to use as an HLT. I am currently constructing my MLT. Man copper got expensive since I last bought any! I still have a bunch of 3/8" tube from my chiller and about 10' of 1 inch from putting the whole house water filter when I moved in. I will probably make the manifold out of the 1 inch so I don't have to buy that much. Just a couple Ts and another weldless valve setup and I will be all set.

All Grain here I come.

Beer Snob · 10-03-2006, 02:44 AM

For all who are interested, go to a Community College and take a welding class. It was a lot of fun for me when I took it. Couldn't weld now though... pacemakers and weling don't go together very well.

**the_bird** · 10-03-2006, 02:46 AM

I think my dad has all the gear, he'd be happy as a pig in sh!t if I asked him to teach me how to weld. I think he's proud of how I'm half-ass decent with a skill saw these days, less than three years after buying my first one

Truble · 10-03-2006, 03:25 AM

I have a complete MIG setup, but I am a hack. I can do structural for home type stuff, and make it look ok after cleaning it up with the grinder, but I would want the keg to be more professional.

I am planning on fabricating my brew structure myself though.

God Emporer BillyBrew · 10-03-2006, 01:23 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Truble

Thx man. Forgot to mention that total cost was around $40. I didn't keep explicit track, but the keg was $20, the nipple, washers,O-rings, and compression fitting were less than $10, the valve was $7 or $8 (can't remember-had it left over from another DIY), and the copper might be a buck's worth or so.

Do you just have that so that you can drain from the keg without lifting it or is it an all grain thang?

Would you mind giving me a parts list and telling me how you cut the hole for that? Hole saw?