experienced opinions wanted!

ok guys, im trying to get really serious about homebrewing, so im moving up to all grain along with spending most of my days reading about beer and trying not to ask newb questions.

i have an opportunity to buy a keg for 20 bucks, and i'm flirting with the idea of making a keggle. is there any solid start to finish right ups with this? is it worth the time? im all for DIY stuff, im trying to keep this as cheap as possible, but quality at the same time.

so basically what im asking is if i plan on going big (ten gallon batches) should i buy the keg and DIY, find a keggle for sale, or wait and save up for one of the big pots? money IS an issue here. thanks for anything you can give to help !!

There are write ups and there are several videos on youtube. It's very easy. I'd link them for you but I'm feeling lazy.

If money is an issues, then to me a DIY keggle is the way to go.

having just built my keggle...last week...I'd say NEVER buy one. They are rediculously priced!

You can cut the top out of one, or start asking around...I'll bet you know someone with a plazma cutter that can do it for you.

Also... the weldless fittings work well, and are pretty cheap on the interwebz.

alright, i really havent heard any negatives on the keggle, i just wanted some reassurance i suppose

Buy the keg for $20 the deposit is $35 so worst case you make $15 or buy this and make a 15.5 boil kettle for under $30
Bargain Fittings

Buy the keg for $20 the deposit is $35 so worst case you make $15 or buy this and make a 15.5 boil kettle for under $30

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You wouldn't want to use it. Buy it convert it and then send it down to me for my enjoyment.

flyangler18 said:

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Assuming it is an out of commission keg of course

The latest Brew Your Own has an article on making a keggle. Worth a read.

If you decide to make a keggle, Bobby_M has a great video on YouTube.

Just as a heads up, a drain valve really is optional on a kettle, in order to start brewing asap and as cheap as possible, you certainly can siphon out the finished wort.

Too true. I had some problems a while ago with my dip tube losing siphon, and had to siphon out from the top.

talleymonster said:

If you decide to make a keggle, Bobby_M has a great video on YouTube.

YouTube - Keg to Brew Kettle Conversion

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haha good video there. alright i'll go with the legally purchased keg now if i go with the bargain fitting, would one of the bazookas fit? i'd probably just make my own simple false bottom. should be getting my king kooker next week:rockin:

im getting pretty pumped for the all grain, now its just time to start kegging!

any other input from you pros is appreciated

Keggles are great but do it legally!

- WW

defenestrate said:

i'd probably just make my own simple false bottom.

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I have given this much thought in the past. I wonder if when you cut the top off of your keg, if you could drill a million holes in it and set it down right in the bottom of the keggle to act as a false bottom. it may take some time and drill bits, and you would have to plug the main hole in the center, but it would be DIY as all hell. You would want to have a clean cut. ( desperately trying not to make a Biermuncher joke)

hmmm yes, this could work.

talleymonster said:

I have given this much thought in the past. I wonder if when you cut the top off of your keg, if you could drill a million holes in it and set it down right in the bottom of the keggle to act as a false bottom. it may take some time and drill bits, and you would have to plug the main hole in the center, but it would be DIY as all hell. You would want to have a clean cut. ( desperately trying not to make a Biermuncher joke)

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might be better off just using a thin nail and punching a bunch of holes through. who knows. maybe i can start a trend. i wouldnt necessarily plug the hole, i could maybe run the bazooka through that.

alright, so it turns out im getting some home brew gear for my birthday next week, heres the list for my keggle, tell me what you think.

keg, obviously
king kooker
weld b gone deluxe (stainless steel) or should i just go with the bargain?
bazooka screen

and what exactly is the sight gauge? is it just a thermometer? is it needed?

site gauge allows you to know the volume you have in the keggle. It is very helpful for figuring out preboil volumes and sparge amounts, also for doing the alcohol math. its not necessary at your stage but something you would want soon. the brass fittings work just as well as the SS but some peeps think it imparts lead or other undersirables to your brew. I started out with brass then went SS. I noticed no difference in flavor or quality when the switch was made. I thermometer is needed to get your correct temps for mashing and sparging. Some beer gods(such as Orfy) can tell temp by how pretty their reflection is in the water, us mere mortals can not so we use instrumentation.

well i use a thermometer, i have one of the floating guys. i guess i dont need one in the keggle just yet, but im sure i will down the road.

are there any popular false bottoms you guys recommend?

If you are serious about spending a bunch of time turning the top of the keg into a false bottom, I would look at getting a dremel and using the thin cut off wheels to put a series of thin slits into it, instead of the time, money, and frustration in trying to use a bunch of small drill bits to drill that many small holes in SS. Something kind of like Blichmann's new "button louver false bottom"... not exactly the same, obviously, but close, and should be effective...

im flirting with the idea, but im not sure. would the top of the keg even really be effective, im not sure if it would fit the base of the keggle snuggly. what is the diameter of the base of the keg? im not sure which false bottom to order if i do take that route.

I just got the domed one available at the LHBS. I seriously thought about Jaybirds but could make myself spend the extra $30 plus shipping. The 12" dome works great and had no problem suspending my last 36 lb grain bill. (My last FB was crushed under the weight of pumpkin ale grain bill)

I have two of Jaybirds, and they are AWESOME looking...
now I just need to get my kegs converted so I can start using them.

12" Stainless Steel False Bottom :: Midwest Supplies Homebrewing and Winemaking Supplies

what do i use to connect this to the weld b gone? do i use high temp hosing or do i have to use metal with an elbow?

use a metal tube and compression fittings, bent so that it helps hold the false bottom down. It may not float but when you start stirring it could lift a bit.

Weld-B-Gone Basic + KETTLE Conversion- Brass with 1/2" Barb :: Midwest Supplies Homebrewing and Winemaking Supplies
11" Sanke Stainless Steel False Bottom :: Midwest Supplies Homebrewing and Winemaking Supplies
Sanke False Bottom Stainless Steel Adapter :: Midwest Supplies Homebrewing and Winemaking Supplies


alright so this is what i will need? thanks for the patience with me guys

anyone? i promise i'll stop being annoying soon

oh booy, this is just getting embarrassing now. i guess i overstepped the newb allowance

defenestrate said:

oh booy, this is just getting embarrassing now. i guess i overstepped the newb allowance

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Hahaha! Left hanging is just wrong.... funny though, but wrong.
11" Sanke Stainless Steel False Bottom :: Midwest Supplies Homebrewing and Winemaking Supplies

This is the one I have been eyeballing.

yeah thats the one i had in the post #27 with my supplies i wanted checked off, i suppose it will work? im just trying to make sure it will all work together so i dont end up blowing money.....thanks for the response you made my night...sadly haha

That is essentially what I have. The differences are I have a welded fitting, I threw out the 3/8 false bottom tube and made a 1/2 tube to replace it, to match the flow for my pump more closely. I used brass compression fittings from home depot because they were 1/4 the price. I plan on putting a seal around the edge of the false bottom so no grain gets past the edge. I have had a slight problem with this.

do you also use something like a bazooka screen?

No, I use hop bags and let the break flow. I'm considering switching to a homemade hopstopper since I use about 1/2 and 1/2 pellet and leaf. I haven't been getting very good utilization with the bags for late additions(by that time I have 6-8 oz of hops in the bag).as long as I use a good percentage of leaf to help form a filter bed then clogging shouldn't be an issue. I have also made a hopback but have yet to try it.

ok so the 3/8's copper tube goes into the false bottom and is just open? what i mean is that the only thing filtering out the hops/loose grains is the false bottom itself? so i guess what im asking is if i need one of the bazooka screens along with the false bottom. what exactly is a hop back?

false bottoms are used for mash tuns and bazookas or hopstoppers are used in boil kettles. False bottoms filter the grain out of the wort before boiling. Bazookas prevent the hops added to the boil from clogging your plumbing when transferring to the primary. A hopback is a small canister(like a water filter) that is filled with hops and the boil kettle is drained through it. Since it is closed to vapor loss all of the aroma from a flameout addition is kept in the wort instead of drifting away on the wind.
As a beginning AGer you will need a false bottom for the mash tun. Other contrivances for the boil kettle can wait as long as you use hop bags to contain your hops in the boil. stirring vigorously at the end of the boil and then letting it settle, called whirlpooling, will keep some break material out. Using Whirlofloc will make break clump up and separate easier in the primary. There are many different approaches, but start with a false bottom for the mash tun and hop bags for the boil kettle.

That's it, defenstrate, you're over your post quota and you're out the window!

Just a thought - and ONLY a thought - If you or a loved one has a Sam's Club membership, they have 60qt aluminum stock pots for VERY cheap. Sam's Club - Aluminum Stock Pot

Saves on the cutting, and heats more quickly than super-thick S/S does. Also avoids that pesky "legality" debate.

That is all, sorry to interrupt. Keggles are still fun and cool.

EvilTOJ said:

That's it, defenstrate, you're over your post quota and you're out the window!

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i guess i should have mentioned that i was going to make the AG leap by first trying BIAB..... thus deeming it necessary to have some sort of false bottom in the keggle because i will have all the grain in the boil kettle before the boil and i dont want the grain bag sticking to the bottom. i apologize for the confusion.

Chriso said:

Just a thought - and ONLY a thought - If you or a loved one has a Sam's Club membership, they have 60qt aluminum stock pots for VERY cheap. Sam's Club - Aluminum Stock Pot

Saves on the cutting, and heats more quickly than super-thick S/S does.

That is all, sorry to interrupt.

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after i followed the link, i was in a state of ponder much like the ape in your avatar... anyways, thanks-i still want to go the keggle route but im sure i could find some use for this...