Help me build my keggle!

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Zacharomyces

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So I just got a keg that I'm going to be converting to a keggle. I wanted some advice from people on how far off the bottom they put their valve. I want it high enough to leave hops and hot break behind, but low enough to avoid wort waste. Any ideas?
 
the bottom of most kegs dips below the lowest point where you are able to put your valve. a dip tube does the rest of the work for you.

i'd put the coupler or weldless fitting as low as you can and then you'll have to connect a dip tube to the inside and with that you can control how much liquid you want to remove and how much crap you want to leave behind. there are also many techniques to filter out the trub/cold break/hop stuff. stainless steel scrubby on dip tube, stainless mesh filter, strainer bag, false bottom, etc.
 
You'll need to put a dip tube in, otherwise you'll be leaving ~3 gallons in the keg. One way to do this is to just put the coupling in an inch or so above the weld-line. Then put a dip tube on the inside that goes straight down. You'll be leaving the wort/break/hops that are in the center. That way when you are done chilling you can get the wort swirling, leave it for 20 minutes then come back and drain off the wort. The hop break etc. should have settled into a cone in the middle of the keg by that time.
 
IMG_2835.jpg

somthin like that
 
Got the top cut off tonight, luckily it was a lot easier than I anticipated. Weldless fittings are in the mail so I'm going to wait till they come. I got them from WeldlessFittings.com, anyone had any experience with their stuff?
 
I just got the basic bulkhead with the stainless ball valve and barb. might upgrade down the road to a sightglass, seems like a decent investment.
 
from what i understand, those are pretty straightforward to install. if you have some step drill bits to get the perfect sized holes, you should be all set.
 
why not use hole saw bits? pre drill a small hole for the pilot bit then drill away for a perfect hole... or a knowck out kit would also work.
 
I bit the bullet and got the step bit because 7/8" was a really hard size to find in a regular bit. The hole saws were a lot cheaper, but it looked like there was no drillbit in the canter of it to hold them steady while the bit rotates. Hopefully I will be making another keggle soon that I want to keep, but might just put up on craigslist or maybe even HBT to sell. who knows though.
 
Step bits are like a plateaued cone. The deeper you drill through a sheet material, the larger the hole gets. The downside is that you actually drill a bunch of holes, one at a time. A hole saw cuts the final diameter in one pass, but the hole is a bit more sloppy because the smaller diameter pilot bit has a hard time holding everything centered when drilling a hard material like stainless. Also, a step bit can always make a hole a little larger while a hole saw only works in an undrilled raw material unless you get really crafty and back it up with wood.
 
Well, this project is officially done! Water up to the top and not a drop leaking from the fittings. SWEET! If anyone is thinking about not using the white teflon tape stuff, trust me you need it. Also, dont be afraid of using an edge grinder to cut the top off, its easy and fun as a barrel of(or keg of) monkeys!
 
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