Yeah, I just got a sight glass from Bobby_M. It clears the bulge when I use a tee between the kettle and thermometer. Unfortunately my thermometer is higher than I would like. Think I'll have another coupling welded in lower. A street elbow should offer good clearance, I would think.
Like shawnguinn said, the Coors kegs work great. I use one for my boil kettle. How he found one without dents is beyond me, though. That bulge seems to be a dent magnet.
I have a question about sight glass placement. I see a lot of pics where the glass is placed before the thermometer or has its own coupling. Curious if placement before the drain will draw air into the wort and restrict flow. I don't have any experience. Ordered a sight glass from Bobby-M and...
That is what I was thinking. I use a torch often enough to justify owning some. If I only saw a need to solder a couple joints like Jdecarol, I'd be getting creative, too. I'm hoping he safely and successfully tries the burner route.
Glad this thread was started. Otherwise, I may not have seen this:
Good to know. Never would have guessed 3/8" aluminum would do that. Little different than melting aluminum cans in a campfire.
I brew(extract) in a converted keg. My buddy uses the 15 gallon Blichman. I guess it all comes down to preference. To me repurposing an out of service keg epitomizes home-brewing. My friend and I are both designing our all-grain set-ups. I'm on the hunt for more kegs. He is using a cooler...