Drilling my keggle holes

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Elfmaze

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I am about ready to drill my hole for the welded fittings. I have heard that 3 3/4" is a good hole center from bottom? any recommendations? I am planning on using sabco internals for the false bottom. Sabco is on vacation untill the 17th so i can't call them for advice.
 
I'm in the same boat. Anyone have recommendations? Also, does anyone have dimensions on a dip tube/siphon? Length of pipe till bend, etc.? Will HD or Lowes, etc bend the pipe? (I'm thinking copper)
 
Here's a pic of my setup:

DSCF0082.JPG


DSCF0078.JPG


The ball valve is a bit low, but I haven't burnt the plastic handle off...yet! I like it being close to the bottom, so my dip tube doesn't stuck up too far. Those pics are my HLT, but the setup is just the same on my MLT. 7/8" hole, just far enough up the side so I have a flat mating surface for the weldless washer/bolt/seal. That's really the only crucial part, you just want to have a flat surface to bolt to, otherwise you'll never get a good seal. Oh, and I just soldered the dip tubes out of 1/2" copper pipe. I had some laying around from my counterflow chiller build, and a friend let me borrow the torch, solder and flux.
 
Thanks 2Head. No issues with the temp gauge that low? I want to go as low as possible, because I'm going to be using a hop bag and don't want it to snag the temp probe.
 
I see alot of guys that have them right along that bottom edge. Just be carefull that you don't hit the concave part inside.
 
You can put the lower edge of the hole right on the skirt weld if you want to but it really doesn't matter give or take a quarter inch. The sight glass port should be as low as possible also. The thermo can be anywhere between the skirt weld and the first bump out. I like to put it just a bit higher than the drain port just to keep the burner heat off it.
 
do you want to pass the coupler thru the hole? or have it sitting on top of the hole before you weld it? basically 3/4 inch hole or one inch hole and let it pass thru?
 
Keep the valve, etc. as far away from the skirt vent hole as possible to avoid the excess heat the flows from it.
 
Thanks 2Head. No issues with the temp gauge that low? I want to go as low as possible, because I'm going to be using a hop bag and don't want it to snag the temp probe.

Sorry man, just saw your post. I actually have had an issue with it being too low, but only because I built a new burner that creates hell on earth beneath the kettle. Before, when I had the SQ-14 burner it worked great no problems. But my new burner kicks up flames all around the bottom and up around the sides at full blast. My last brew, I cracked the glass in my thermometer. That sucks, but it doesn't seem to effect the temp gauge at all. To combat all the heat my burner throws, I'll be getting some flashing to put right under the valve, sight glass and thermo.
 
Yeah, I don't run it full blast anymore...more like 3/4. But even so, it's an NG burner so gas is cheap. Jaybird's system has a great flough system that he created which funnels the excess heat around the sides of the kettle. I'd like to do something like this as well, and increase the efficiency of my burner.
 
I was mounting them half way and purging (Back gassing) but it was hard to see the bottom of the bottom weld. I was talking to the guys at my LBS and they said why not mount them flush:

keggle19_800x600.jpg


I also made sure the threads remained ok:

keggle23_700x933.jpg
 
Flush is great if you know what you're doing (or the welder does). A few guys here have had the backs of the couplings' threads inaccessible. Mount them half way in and there will be no problems.

Mounting the thermo port that high up near the center line makes it useless with 5 gallon batches. The center weld is the 7.75 gallons.
 
Flush is great if you know what you're doing (or the welder does). A few guys here have had the backs of the couplings' threads inaccessible. Mount them half way in and there will be no problems.

Yea, thats why I make sure I can thread from the inside. The issue I was running into with the bottom weld, when I was purging, was that I could not fully inspect it to make sure it was sanitary all the way around. I just could not see it, I guess I am getting old. If you had issues with the threads on a flush weld, do you think you could re-tap it to get the threads back on line? I have never had a problem with it.

Mounting the thermo port that high up near the center line makes it useless with 5 gallon batches. The center weld is the 7.75 gallons.

Thats why I don't do 5 gallon batches with this one. Thanks for the info.
 
I was mounting them half way and purging (Back gassing) but it was hard to see the bottom of the bottom weld. I was talking to the guys at my LBS and they said why not mount them flush:

keggle19_800x600.jpg


I also made sure the threads remained ok:

keggle23_700x933.jpg
did you have the plugs in there while welding or just checking the threads after the fact?
 
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