Any pics or tricks to cutting a keg bottom completely out?

Hi,
I searched for a while but have not found any examples of what I am trying...and have started to do.

I am cutting the bottom out of a standard AB keg and plan on having a bottom drain ebiab kettle (with of course a tri clover clamp on the existing top middle valve).
I plan on cutting the bottom completely out of this keg and hope to cut/grind the bottom all the way out to the existing weld on the side, so I have a smooth sided kettle from rolled rim on down into the kettle.

My friend cut out the bottom as close as he could with a plasma cutter and welded the 4 holes shut where the bottom flange meets the keg bottom.

I only got to work on this a few minutes tonight but after I started grinding/cutting the rest of it out I noticed that bottom flange is really just setting on top of the keg and welded on top of the keg, so to speak, (same with the top also). I guess that is why there is a weld in the middle of a keg, since the top and bottom half are drawn/punched out then welded together, then the top and bottom flanges are welded on the bottom and top.
I thought that the top/bottom flange and the top/bottom of the keg were really 2 pieces and the were welded to the side, so 3 pieces coming together...but it is really just 2 pieces.

So before I grind a hole into the side of the keg by taking too much of the bottom out, and get really mad, has any one else successfully done this?

I will try and post some pics of my progress soon.

(before anyone asks....I dont want hot wort getting trapped in the lip and then boiling/burning/etc.... from the standard way we cut kegs. Which is currently happening with my other keg and gas burner BIAB setup today )

thanks Kevin

Interesting. I've see the wall and the rolled rim removed, to just leave the rounded top. But that's the opposite of what you are looking to do. Sounds like a tough thing to do with SS. Good luck. Make sure to post pics if you get it done.

Pics -

Cut out as close as we could with a plasma cutter and sawzall.




Close up of the first area I started on, with one of the 4 holes welded shut from the outside.
I am looking at this again in the daylight it seem there is a little more of the "bottom" left and hopefully I can remove it before I punch a hole into the "side"....all the pieces come together on a radius and so it will be tricky to pull off.
Using an eletric 4" right angle grinder with a cutoff wheel so far... might need to get most of the rim cut off then switch to a standard type wheel to finish it out...
Thoughts?




thanks Kevin

had pretty good luck with the sanding flap wheels. I think with the weld along the area you are grinding you will be good to go. when you get close I would change to a flat wheel just to save grinding nicks and what not.
I think this is a good idea and if I was doing your set up I would do the same thing.
good luck, keep us posted.

I cut the top of off a keg at the upper weld where the skirt attaches. A local shop rolled a ring from 1/2" SS round stock and I TIG welded it on and did the finish work with a grinder and then finished it with flap wheels on a die grinder. This gives me a straight-sided vessel for a BIAB setup I'm working on......

Hello,

rekoob-
Great idea to use a flap wheel, I got a lot of tools...but I dont have any of those wheels.

Junkster
Nice job welding that rim back on.
I have considered more than once just cutting the top of like you did and sanding down the edge. Dad has a keg like this and it is not flimsy at all for brewing purposes (or turkey frying, or wine making )
I even found some heavy duty stainless handles to weld back on the sides to move the keg around and that will be next move If I can not finish my keg this way.

I want to leave the extra 2-3 inches of the skirt/flange on if I can, that will increase the capacity by a couple of gallons I would guess though.

I appreciate the pics
Kevin

I think if you continue with grind and flap wheels or flap discs you should be able to get pretty decent results. Time, abrasives and beer works wonders!

haeffnkr said:

I want to leave the extra 2-3 inches of the skirt/flange on if I can, that will increase the capacity by a couple of gallons I would guess though.

Click to expand...

Not if the handle holes are still there!

Hello All,

I got to grind on this for a few minutes tonight and made a little progress

I figured out the "bottom" is welded a lot lower than I was originally thinking.
I held the grinder right above the weld line that I could barely see from the inside and was able to take out a few pieces at a time.

Looks like this might work with a little more patience and a flap wheel to clean up what I can not get out with the grinder/cut off wheel.

What I got out so far....





This is a close up, looking up the keg wall, on the left you can see, barely where the weld line and I was cutting just above it with the grinder -




Getting closer.... this is getting easy



Now I just need a flap wheel.
Are there different grits and types of these wheels?
Maybe one that will work on a big drill?

thanks Kevin

Have you cut into the wall with your cutoff wheel by mistake?

alexnharvey said:

Have you cut into the wall with your cutoff wheel by mistake?

Click to expand...

No not really.
You can see in a couple pics where I brushed it earlier on, but that will all sand out enough for me

The close up in post #9 shows my latest work.
I held the grinder almost parallel to wall and still what is left is a tiny bit of the "bottom". The original weld is not touched.

thanks Kevin

Looks good. Yes they have different grits on the flap wheels. HD has them. Thats where I got mine. Good luck and keep thbe pics coming.

looking good. I think you will clean it up to your satisfaction with the flap wheel. I think I used 80 grit on mine and it was smooth as can be. you might want to go higher than that but I think 80 would be a good start for you to finish the rough spots and then maybe a higher grit for what your looking for.
Great job, can't wait to see the final product.

This may be more work but easier than grinding all that left over metal. Can you cut it at the weld line from the outside all the way through, take out the leftover metal and weld back together. It would give you a lot smoother surface to clean up on the inside. You could possibly do 6-8 " at a time cutting old out and welding back together so you would not have to fit up the whole piece if you cut it completely off. My two cents.

Hello,

Made a little progress on this keg so I thought I would share.

Basically I have the whole lip cut completely out and ground down flat and fairly smooth.
I figured out how to hold the grinder up at a steep angle just above the weld line and cut out the remaining lip in about 3" chunks.
Then use some pliers/vice grips to bend the chunk back and forth on the grind line and it will come out cleanly.

Then I realized the underside of the keg lip aligns perfectly with my 4" grinder shield and make the perfect guide for my grinder held inline with the keg cut.
I was able to use the same cut off wheel to quickly grind down the remaining material and get it down fairly smooth, very quickly using this built in guide, and note a very small cut off wheel worked perfectly to align with the cut line.

I then found a 4" SS wire wheel at Harbor Freight and ground down the remaining cut/weld more as shown below. I have to take this back to the welder for a few touch ups and getting my couplers in place. So I will get this even better soon.

I feel it is definitely a success and the whole process really went a lot easier than I expected.
Anyone could do this in 2-3 hours from start to finish and one 4" grinder with a few cut-off wheels and wire wheel/flap wheels to polish it up.

thanks Kevin

haeffnkr said:

Hello,

Made a little progress on this keg so I thought I would share.

Click to expand...

Wow wow. That is EXCELLENT! I have to seriously consider doing this.

While I've sorta gotten used to the lip, I hate the mess that gets gunked under there in the boil kettle.

passedpawn said:

While I've sorta gotten used to the lip, I hate the mess that gets gunked under there in the boil kettle.

Click to expand...

That is exactly why I decided to do this

thanks Kevin

Thanks for the pics. I just nailed down a couple of 15.5 gallon kegs so they will get this treatment. Good thing my buddy just got a new plasma cutter. . .

KPSquared said:

Thanks for the pics. I just nailed down a couple of 15.5 gallon kegs so they will get this treatment. Good thing my buddy just got a new plasma cutter. . .

Click to expand...

Sure thing.

You dont need to get very close with the plasma cutter, stay back about 3/4 to 1" from the side.
I got some hot slag when we got too close.

You really just need an opening big enough to get the 4" grinder inside the keg and and start wittling away at the lip left.
Pretty easy to do once you get the feel for the where the weld stop/starts and bottom starts.

good luck
Kevin

Sorry to necro this thread, but I am strongly considering doing this same thing. I want to have a lid on my kettle when I am chilling. Did you find a lid to fit your finished product or did you make one from scratch or just do without?

Thanks!

I haven't purchased one but I've found lids online that match keg dimensions. Restaurant supply stores usually have big pot lids.

I found an oversized lid also at a rest. supply store but I rarely ever us it.

I will be using a lid... only to mount a motor to... when I build my version of this -
https://www.homebrewtalk.com/f170/ehlt-recirulation-pump-stir-motor-262170/#post3164394

Which will elminate my mash stratification issues and help a lot with chilling.

thanks Kevin

Thanks guys, I'll check with a rest supply company and see what I can find. Call me paranoid if you want, but I don't want to whilpool/chill for 25 minutes with no lid on my kettle so that anything that wants to can fall in to my beer.

Paranoid.

JK. I like to use a lid while bringing temp to a boil as well as chilling.

This one might be close:

http://www.webstaurantstore.com/15-5-8-aluminum-pot-pan-cover/407ALPC26.html

I happened to have an extra lid from a 32qt stockpot I used to make a mini smoker, and it fit the keg perfectly. A lot of the 32qt pot lids (or any pot with a 14.5" diameter) are close enough to give a good fit for a keg. It definitely comes in handy - shaves at least 5-8 minutes off bringing wort to a boil (taking it off after reaching boil of course) and great to leave on while chilling.

I hit up the local cooking store and they didn't have anything big enough that was available separate from the matching pot. There is a restaurant supply a ways south of me that I will hit on my lunch hour .

Stopped by a local restaurant supply store called Oswalts. Apparently they had been there for 25 years and I never knew. Anyway I got 3 lids that fit perfectly for $10 each on clearance so I'm thrilled. Thanks for the help!