Keggle question

I am having some welding work done to a Keggle (Bulkheads for Ball valve & Sight glass/Thermometer), and I thought I mine as well get 3 Keggles welded up for the future.

Question(s) are;
Should I get bulkheads welded into the Mash Tun for Sparging, and the Kettle for Recirculation ?

Dose the HLT need one as well ??

Will 1/2" bulkheads do the trick, and are they installed as high on the Keg as you can put them ???

You might as well have a return welded into the mash tun if you plan to recirculate.

The HLT only needs a bulkhead to drain unless you want to incorporate some type of fill port or an inner coil for a herms or something.

1/2" full couplings welded nearly flush to the skirt welds on the bottom for the drain ports and then wherever you decide for the other ports.

BargainFittings said:

You might as well have a return welded into the mash tun if you plan to recirculate.

The HLT only needs a bulkhead to drain unless you want to incorporate some type of fill port or an inner coil for a herms or something.

1/2" full couplings welded nearly flush to the skirt welds on the bottom for the drain ports and then wherever you decide for the other ports.

Click to expand...

Alright ! Think I got it, the same couplings/bulkheads that I am using for the 1/2 Ball Valve & Sight glass / Thermometer combo I would use for the Sparge/Recirculation ports.
I think I will put one in to the HLT as well, and if I don't need it just plug it. I was thinking this would be good for cleaning ??? any thoughts ???

Do you ship up to Canada ???? Having a very hard time finding parts for All Grain home Brewing up my way.

ThX

Any other thoughts, before I drop them off ?? Im jumping into this head first and just don't want to F-up things.

Bump !

I think you will have to figure out your system configuration and orientation before you have
a bunch of fittings welded on.

BargainFittings said:

You might as well have a return welded into the mash tun if you plan to recirculate.

The HLT only needs a bulkhead to drain unless you want to incorporate some type of fill port or an inner coil for a herms or something.

1/2" full couplings welded nearly flush to the skirt welds on the bottom for the drain ports and then wherever you decide for the other ports.

Click to expand...

Wouldn't you also want a place for a sight-glass and thermometer on the HLT?

RoadKing said:

I think you will have to figure out your system configuration and orientation before you have
a bunch of fittings welded on.

Click to expand...

Agreed, are you planning on doing HERMS or RIMS in the future? Do you know what your process is going to look like on a brew day?

I would get an idea of exactly what you need before getting things just arbitrarily welded.

If I am understating the different systems right, I am going in the direction of a Direct fired Brutus 10 at a latter point in time.

My original plan is to use 1 Keggle as my HLT & BK with a converted cooler as my Mash Tun, then down the road move up and into a 3 vessel system, which seems to be a Brutus 10.

I just figured if I was getting 1 Keggle welded up I mind as well get all 3 done at once.

If you're paying the welder by the hour and you're getting a good deal, I'd put in more ports than you need. Just as an example, you may think you want a direct fired MLT but in the end, you might want a HERMS coil in the HLT.

HLT: 1/2" drain (I'd seriously consider putting this dead center at the bottom of the dish for complete draining without no diptube), 1/2" coupling for thermometer. 1/2 or 1/4" half coupling for sight gauge. The advantage of breaking them up into two ports is that you can put the sight port nice and low while the thermo is up a few inches for easier viewing and a slightly more average temp reading. If you go with the HERMS ports, in general one goes near the bottom and one about 2/3rds of the way up from there, say just above the top bumped out ring.

Bobby_M said:

HLT: 1/2" drain (I'd seriously consider putting this dead center at the bottom of the dish for complete draining without no diptube

Click to expand...

Bobby, looking at pixs of your HLT are you are saying mount it below the "seam"/ lowest section of the Keg ?

One last question (who am I trying to fool Should the couplings be welded in Flush to the inside, outside or halfway ??