Help with keggle/mashtun build

So I am able to get my hands a few kegs pretty cheap so I'm gonna make the jump to 10 gallon batches. First is the boil kettle I want to put on all the bells and whistles. So I've ordered some stainless fittings and I'm going to drill 3 holes to get a thermometer, spigot and sight tube. the first 2 I think are easy the next one is what giving me some fits. I have a couple stainless steel 3/8 half couplers that I want to use for the sight tube. Should I just buy this fitting or is there something cheaper? McMaster-Carr I was also planning on trying to use this tubing with the ferrel and some o-rings to seal it to the compression fitting. McMaster-Carr. Then the next question is I'm pretty set on a false bottom for the MLT so I was wondering whose got what in thier Sankeys? I'm leaing towards the northern brewer one and bending a piecs of tube to fit through the 1/2 inch hole. I looked at the sabco one and it seems pricey. Since I plan on heating the MLT is there anything besides a false bottom that wont scorch the grain? Sorry for the long winded post but I'm anxious to get it set up so I can get it all burned home

I would try the Northern Brewer false bottom, I have had the More Beer one and on the third batch it turned itself inside out probably due to hydraulic pressures not really sure. I now have a Pico Brewing false bottom which works great but it has about 3 gallons of dead space which limits me on doing really big beers.

I've got the NB false bottom and I am happy with it. Havent used it yet but I dont think that sucker is going to collapse. I just put in some 1/2" copper with a 90. Don't they have one with a stainless 3/8" pick up for about the same price?
are you going to direct fire the mash? And, do you plan on recirculating while doing so?

I think I'm going to go with the NB false bottom with the dip tube. Searching through mcmaster I was able to find a 1/2" NPT to 3/8 OD tubing compression fitting so I won't have to go crazy finding stuff. Now the next qusetion is down the line would there be any benefit to me putting a false bottom in my kettle to help keep some of the trub and stuff out or just a dip tube with a sos pad?

hi,
this might be a stupid question, but how far from the bottom of the sanke keg should i drill the hole for the bulkhead?

Got the same question going in another thread I have one online source saying 3 3/4 up

I built my false bottom from a stainless grease splash screen I got from Target...it cost $19...added a 90 degree elbow, used a copper reducer as a 'shoulder' to give the screen support in the middle from underneath (notched the reducer to allow liquid flow) The screen has a raised area for the handle that must be removed and smashed down to not allow any leaks.

I'd post a pic...but, apparently I'm not allowed to do it.

I'd post a pic...but, apparently I'm not allowed to do it.

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You can post one from Photobucket, Imageshack, etc...you just can't upload one.

So based upon some rough measurements I just made, it's about 7.75" to the center of my keggle, give or take 1/8th" The fittings I'll use will reach approx 1.5" into the keggle. So for a dip tube I guess I need about a foot of copper pipe, + compression fitting and an elbow..cut to fit and sweat it.

Anyone got a line on a cheap 1/2" stainless compression union?

WC87 said:

Anyone got a line on a cheap 1/2" stainless compression union?

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I don't know about cheap.. but I check out mcmaster carr

WC87 said:

Anyone got a line on a cheap 1/2" stainless compression union?

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Stainless compression fittings aren't cheap, ever.

Stainless Steel NPT Pipe Fittings, Valves, High Pressure and Tube Fittings - 304 and 316 = awsome

Elfmaze said:

Stainless Steel NPT Pipe Fittings, Valves, High Pressure and Tube Fittings - 304 and 316 = awsome

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Holy crud, that place is the most expensive I've seen yet, by far, at least for compression fittings. The prices are almost 50% more than buying directly from a Swagelok dealer.

i guess i didn't look at the compression fittings. But there prices on threaded fittings are good. and they had the selection for one stop shopping for my project.

Elfmaze said:

i guess i didn't look at the compression fittings. But there prices on threaded fittings are good. and they had the selection for one stop shopping for my project.

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...and I didn't look at the NPT fittings. The prices might be good for those.

Elfmaze said:

Stainless Steel NPT Pipe Fittings, Valves, High Pressure and Tube Fittings - 304 and 316 = awsome

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for the most part the above site has good deals but mcmaster is almost always a good place to get stuff and quick to

Krelja said:

for the most part the above site has good deals but mcmaster is almost always a good place to get stuff and quick to

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Yeah, McMaster Carr rocks... especially with the compression fittings, you can build exactly what you need on the site. I have ordered from them a couple times.