$2 Dip Tube

I'm sure 90%+ of the people here already know how to do this, but this worked out so well I figured I'd have to share it with everyone.

I bought a bulkhead from Bobby, and wanted to install a dip tube. I checked bargain fittings, but they had them for no less than $10, plus S&H.

I decided to go to Home Depot and try to see if I could figure something out, and sure enough, I found parts that fit like puzzle pieces in the bulk head for about $1 a piece. Everything is 1/2" in size. Here are photos:

This is the male adapter: $1.44


And this is the rest of the setup.


I already had a 12" piece of 1/2" copper pipe leftover from building a CFC, so I just had to buy the elbow and male adapter. I will be cutting he copper pipe enough so that it's at the center of the keg, and attach a piece of the leftover at the bottom of the 90 degree elbow. Hope this helps someone!

good thinking. can't wait to see the finished product

Three piece SS bling with a copper diptube? For shame

iijakii said:

Three piece SS bling with a copper diptube? For shame

Click to expand...

This. Hahaha

I'm guilty of mixing copper with SS, as well, in all my brewing vessels. Copper is just so easy to work with!

BTW, this is not a $2 dip tube. More like 7 or 8.

I've always used copper for diptubes on my own system just out of cost and simplicity but I will admit that I just picked up a 5/8" tubing bender and will be converting to all stainless. The damn diptubes were the last of the non-stainless assembly.

Yes, I will be offering up stainless diptubes to go with the weldless valves. No, they won't be $2

Exactly what I use. Shoot I have a SS valve, Brass quick connects (McMaster Carr), and a copper diptube. Ghetto fab! I dont really care what it looks like as long as it functions.

EarthBound said:

I'm guilty of mixing copper with SS, as well, in all my brewing vessels. Copper is just so easy to work with!

BTW, this is not a $2 dip tube. More like 7 or 8.

Click to expand...

Agreed!
I had a 12" piece of 1/2" copper laying around, which was more than enough, and I'm sure other people do too, making this cost about $2; otherwise, yes it would be about $7.

Bobby_M said:

I've always used copper for diptubes on my own system just out of cost and simplicity but I will admit that I just picked up a 5/8" tubing bender and will be converting to all stainless. The damn diptubes were the last of the non-stainless assembly.

Yes, I will be offering up stainless diptubes to go with the weldless valves. No, they won't be $2

Click to expand...

Let us know when they are out on the market (and the thermo/sight glass shields). Can't wait to blow another $100 in converting to stainless

Bobby,

Certainly be interested in "test driving" one of those stainless dip tubes for you if you were to toss one in a little later this month when I order up my valve and sightglass for the keg I am polishing up (thanks for that too!).

Ryan M.

I think the ship has sailed on stainless sight glass protector tubes. I spent a lot of time last year trying to find a fabricator that could make very neat slots in tubing. Ironically, I even called shops that claimed "custom slotting" and "tubing specialists" and none of them took the job.

Test driving a stainless dip tube huh? I'm afraid it didn't take much more than one or two bends before I mastered it so there aren't too many prototypes floating around.

Actually I like some copper in my BK. Helps ward off the chance of H2S in the beer. Cheers, and Happy Brewing!!!

I used a SS street elbow attached directly to the nipple of my weldless fitting.
$5 SS side draw dip tube

Bobby_M said:

Test driving a stainless dip tube huh? I'm afraid it didn't take much more than one or two bends before I mastered it so there aren't too many prototypes floating around.

Click to expand...

Well, figured i would give it a try! Would like to know what you would charge a guy for one? May have to tack one onto my order...

Was thinking that I have seen folks complain about the center tubes picking up too much hop material, and others saying that side pickups leave too much wort behind. So what about a dip tube that is in between the two? Just outside of the whirlpooled hops/break material, but inside enough where you leave only a small amount of wort. Guess I am wondering if there is a "sweet spot"?

What have you guys experienced?

I have a side dip tube & I tip the kettle towards the end of the dip tube if I want more out of the kettle. I can get all but a few ounces that way. I adjust the dip tube height based on the amount of hops I'm adding. For an Imperial IPA it'll be horizontal. For a Vienna Lager it will be clear to the bottom of the kettle. Cheers, and Happy Brewing!!!

DustBow said:

I used a SS street elbow attached directly to the nipple of my weldless fitting.
$5 SS side draw dip tube

Click to expand...

That def works in a flat bottom pot. I think that would be a little too high up on a keg.

mccumath said:

Well, figured i would give it a try! Would like to know what you would charge a guy for one? May have to tack one onto my order...

Was thinking that I have seen folks complain about the center tubes picking up too much hop material, and others saying that side pickups leave too much wort behind. So what about a dip tube that is in between the two? Just outside of the whirlpooled hops/break material, but inside enough where you leave only a small amount of wort. Guess I am wondering if there is a "sweet spot"?

What have you guys experienced?

Click to expand...

It's different for everyone based on what kind of hop control you have. If you use the bags/hop spider thing, you only get a small dish of hot break and gunk in the dish of the keg. The way I have my tubing going into the bulkhead is with a modified compression fitting (using orings instead of metal ferrules). This allows you to put the long end in to reach the dish or the short end in for a side pickup. You can switch back and forth due to the Orings not permanently "swaging" to the tubing.

Bobby_M said:

I think the ship has sailed on stainless sight glass protector tubes. I spent a lot of time last year trying to find a fabricator that could make very neat slots in tubing. Ironically, I even called shops that claimed "custom slotting" and "tubing specialists" and none of them took the job.

Click to expand...

If I understand what you're trying to do, I did the exact thing for a sight glass tube for my keggle. Did it on a vertical mill. It was one of the quickest and easiest things I fabricated for it. Did you get any quotes and did they say what method they would use or did it not even get that far?

Bobby_M said:

I think the ship has sailed on stainless sight glass protector tubes. I spent a lot of time last year trying to find a fabricator that could make very neat slots in tubing. Ironically, I even called shops that claimed "custom slotting" and "tubing specialists" and none of them took the job.

Test driving a stainless dip tube huh? I'm afraid it didn't take much more than one or two bends before I mastered it so there aren't too many prototypes floating around.

Click to expand...

Bobby, I was actually referring to a heatshield as seen here:
[ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H06tDEbaqKM&feature=channel_video_title]Brewhardware Heatshield Prototypes - YouTube[/ame]

kevink said:

If I understand what you're trying to do, I did the exact thing for a sight glass tube for my keggle. Did it on a vertical mill. It was one of the quickest and easiest things I fabricated for it. Did you get any quotes and did they say what method they would use or did it not even get that far?

Click to expand...

This post is useless without pics! :rockin:

-Alex

Bobby,

So if you've got the tube bending mastered, how long before we can buy 'em? If Santa brings me some cash, I'll finally be able to put a valve on my keggle, and buying the whole kit from you would be awesome.

Bobby_M said:

I think the ship has sailed on stainless sight glass protector tubes. I spent a lot of time last year trying to find a fabricator that could make very neat slots in tubing. Ironically, I even called shops that claimed "custom slotting" and "tubing specialists" and none of them took the job.

Click to expand...

Out of curiosity, how long was the shield, what size were the slots? I can't imagine not being able to find a shop to take this. Although a lot of places which offer "custom slotting" are running wire EDM machines, which are hideously expensive to make parts with.

TheDom said:

Bobby,

So if you've got the tube bending mastered, how long before we can buy 'em? If Santa brings me some cash, I'll finally be able to put a valve on my keggle, and buying the whole kit from you would be awesome.

Click to expand...

They're on the site as an option for either 2 or 3 piece weldless valve kits.

bottlebomber said:

Out of curiosity, how long was the shield, what size were the slots? I can't imagine not being able to find a shop to take this. Although a lot of places which offer "custom slotting" are running wire EDM machines, which are hideously expensive to make parts with.

Click to expand...

Sorry, I thought the "protector" thing being mentioned was the concept of a metal tube shrouding the entire sight glass tube with a 1/2" wide slit cut into the entire length so you can actually see the sight tube. I was looking over a year ago to find a shop that would make them because a lot of people really wanted Pyrex based glass but would cry uncontrollably when they'd snap the glass in 2 days time

The heat shields that clip underneath, which was really the question, should be ready to go in about a week.

Apologies for hijacking this thread, I didn't mean it.

Someone had asked for the finished product, so here it is!


Here's the dip tube, pre-soldered.



Here is an inside look of the dip tube installed. I probably went too generous with the solder on the first part.



And here is the finished product, keg with valve, and sight glass. Yeah I know, I need to polish it.


Zero leaks, 100% functionality! Thanks for the products Bobby, I should probably post this at your site.

-Alex

Looks great. Nice build