Keggle Design

I'm starting a new all electric build and was wondering how everyone is setting up their Keggles? Where is the best placement for the valves and probes? I would like to have: main valve, sight glass, thermometer, recirculation port and temp probe. Pics would be awesome. Thanks.....

I am at the same point you are. The best advice that I can give now, from what I've researched and viewed is this:
If there is a chance you're going to brew smaller batches (5 gal) with this setup, make sure that the ports (temp, pickup, etc.) are LOW enough. Five gallons of liquid is not very high up the wall of a 15gal pot or keg.

See how close my therm is to the lower valve, almost protects it as well.

If you're going welded with a CFC or plate chiller and want the ability to whirlpool with a pump, and you also want pickup tubes here's what I would recommend. Punch 3/4" holes at the top and bottom, buy full couplers, and have your welder weld them half way through the kettle wall. Then you can screw your ball valve/camlock/etc in the front, and pickup tube/whirlpooling fitting in the back. I bought half couplers not realizing they aren't threaded all the way through, tried to tap them out, broke a tap off in one of them, then ended up cutting all of them off and starting over. Huge pain in the @$$. I am taking BK and HLT back to have the above done so I can recirculate strike water and sparge water for even temps, and recirculate BK during chilling, and also use pickup tubes, I think this helps minimize the number of fittings you have to install on each kettle.

I'm not going electric yet but this is what I did so it is low enough for five gallon batches as well. I'm planning on brewing 10 gallon batches for my staple beers but I still want to be able to make my experimental 5 gallon batches.

Check out Kal's site. theelectricbrewery.com I am building that system right now and will have the control panel finished this evening. Kal gives VERY good information on every aspect of an electric brewery build. I am using keggles and several others are as well.

I have an eKeggle that I'm using with BIAB. I built it upside down so I use a bottom drain. I have a top return in the side at 12pm, with the electrical element at about 9pm, sight glass (just added) at 7:30, and thermowell at 6pm. Of the lessons learned, I'd do a 1/4" thermowell with BobbyM's 1/2" welded sightglass. This would have reduced by one the lower holes. Still need the return, and prefer it in the side as opposed to a lid return.

I built two identical for my HLT and BK. The sight gauge in the picture has been replaced by a Bobby_M model.

If I had the energy to start over, I'd probably use a junction box connection for the element and dryer cord. I think a lot of others have done it that way. I built these about 3 years ago and at that time the only references I could find to do this was The Pol's build.

I'd also like to lower the element about an inch. I can safely do a boil of about 4g, but below that is risky. You just need to make certain that the ripple element can rotate without hitting the dip tube or anything else.