Rubber coated keg for Brew Kettle?

I'm getting started on a new electric BK. I picked up a keg and it's rubber coated. I want to make this one bottom draining with a tri clamp.

I'm wondering if the rubber can handle boil temps? It is stainless inside.

I hear the stainless is thinner on these kegs. That won't matter, will it?

Any tips for cutting the rubber off where I want to drill my element holes and cut the bottom off? Thanks. I was going to use an angle grinder with a cut off wheel.

Get a different keg for a boil kettle. Because the rubber will melt and it will be a hazard.

Crap. Is this confirmed or just a general concern? Seems like everyone on Craigslist wants $60 or more for a keg these days.

Hmmm.... I doubt that the rubber will melt at 212 degrees. I wouldn't try to direct fire it, but since you said electric, I think it would be worth a try.

I helped a buddy remove some of the rubber coating on one years ago, but don't remember the details. I think we used a combination of a cutoff wheel on a grinder, utility knives, homebrew & an assortment of swear words....

Flip the keg to where the tap neck is on the bottom and use a 2" tri-clover fitting and valve on the tap neck. Cut out what is normally the bottom of the keg for the main opening. You can either use a router or a dremel with a small rabbeting bit to remove the rubber.

Boiling temps (ELECTRIC FIRED ONLY) will not effect the rubber.

A combination of a grinding wheel and a VERY sharp utility knife and swear words as noted will help you cut the rubber.

Note the handles are part of the rubber so you have to leave them on. The stainless insert is shaped like a bottle.
Only trim circles back away for the holes and lips of any holes you cut through the stainless insert.

I just made an electric HLT out of one yesterday and its a pain in the butt to get the rubber off.

I used rubber kegs for awhile with my setup. There are no issues with the temps, if you go electric. They also hold temp nicely. To cut away the rubber for your element, use a holesaw and stop at the metal, then just pop the rubber plug out. Cutoff wheels eat through the rubber easily (wear a mask).

-HTH

Loren

I know this is a couple months old now but figured someone might pull it up like I did when looking for answers on this.

I just got done removing a bunch of the rubber stuff from the bottom of two kegs and found a pretty quick process. What I did was use an angle grinder with a 1/8th thick cutting disk Invert the angle grinder so the disk is cutting strait down into the rubber as far out against the base as you can. Cut down into the rubber using the base as a guide by running the angle grinder against it all the way around. This gives you a 1/2"-3/4" cut down into the rubber insolation.

I then moved the angle grinder in about an inch and cut another circle all the way around keeping about an 1" distance away from the first one. You should end up with a doughnut that is about 1" wide and the diameter of the bottom. You can cut deeper down into the rubber on this second circle because the outer base doesent block the angle grinder. On this second cut I just went down to the stainless which I knew I hit when the sparks flew up.

I then used an air chisle with the 3/4" wide flate blade and chisled through the rubber insolation on the circle I just cut with the angle grinder. The air chisle will get through and under the rubber and then just work it around popping up the 1" wide doughnut.

This was all I needed becasue I am having a guy with a plasma cutter cut the bottom out and you just have to have clear access to the stainless. I did this on the bottom becuase I'm going electric and will be using the original inlet as my dump with a 2" Tri-Clamp.

Hope this helps, I don't have any photos at this time. All in all it took only about 10-15 mintues per keg to get it cleared so a plasma cutter could cut it out. On one of the kegs the vibration from the air chisel actually caused the entire bottom rubber section to pop off which was nice.

Mark