Keggle - how to get all the wort out into chiller

I'm brand new to my keggle and am installing a spigot here this weekend. Hor do you guys with keggles manage to get all the wort out when the spigot is potentially 2-4 inches from the bottom of the keg? I see some people make a copper pipe come off the spigot inside and at a 90 degree bend to the bottom.

I have a March pump on order that I can use once I get it.

Some people use the copper pipe on the spigot.

Also, what other people do is just compensate for that loss. Fill up your kettle, then drain it and measure the water that is left over. This is your dead space. Then just compensate by adjusting your recipe for a a higher finishing volume, accounting for that dead space. That way, you still hit your numbers, but dont have to worry about getting every ounce out of the kettle

For now I'm still doing extract kits also so adjusting the recipe is a little tougher. Will my kit requirements change that much by boiling an extra gallon or so to make up for the deadspace?

What about using the March pump to get it out of the pot from spigot and into the chiller?

Put in a dip tube. That's a lot of beer to waste otherwise. A dip tube isn't hard to build. You're going to have the fitting there anyway. Might as well use it.

Sparky has the right idea. Some copper pipe, a 90º elbow, a little solder and you're golden.

A march pump is not self priming so you might have a tough time "sucking" the wort from the bottom of a kettle. The pump does not work like a shop vac... once you have if full and primed, it will pump.

Create a dip tube, it's not that tough.

If you can put a hole in your kettle and install a weldless fitting, you should be able to put together a dip tube.

Good luck.

Dip tube for sure. do NOT just make up for deadspace. it's such a waste and dip tube is soo easy. With the dip tube, you will want a hose on a nipple on the outside of teh abll valve. Without this (valve just draining like a spigot) you will not create the suction needed for the pickup to ..well...pickup.

Ohio-Ed said:

A march pump is not self priming so you might have a tough time "sucking" the wort from the bottom of a kettle.

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I must have a rogue March Pump then since I have no issue "sucking" wort from the bottom of the keggle. Unless I'm missing your point, which has been known to happen from time to time.

I think he's just saying you have to prime the pump first. Its not made to suck air.

here's my setup: 1/2" copper pipe -> elbow -> Bazooka T-screen. Gets all but maybe 1/4 gallon of wort out. Haha, don't laugh at my soldering job!

Kilted Brewer said:

I must have a rogue March Pump then since I have no issue "sucking" wort from the bottom of the keggle. Unless I'm missing your point, which has been known to happen from time to time.

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The OP mentioned that he has a pump coming and suggested that he may not need a dip tube in his kettle. Without a diptube, that last bit of wort "MAY" be difficult to get with a pump.

With the March Pump Group Buy that just happened, I see the potinetial for a bunch of people trying to figure out how to use there new pump.

What I meant, is that you can't just stick a hose on your pump and stick it in a kettle and pump the wort out. You have to prime the pump and that can be a bit tricky (notice in my original reply I said you "might" have a hard time).

You would need to try to keep the pump and the input hose full while you started the pump, or you will likely loose the prime. (Can be done, but a bit tricky)

Thanks all. Really I just wanted to see what people have done and take a survey and then make my decision. I have no problem soldering up a dip tube. I will do that and have purchased a screen that I cann put on the end of that as well. Knowing that I have the March pump on the way I was just wondering what I may use it for at this stage, one thing I believe I can use it for is to keep my counterflow wort chiller sanitized properly. I plan on just growing into my new equipment one step at a time and have LOTS of random questions and thoughts. I really appreciate everyone's input. I've been in my Kitchen brewing partial boil extract kits for so long that this full 5 gallon boil, on a burner, in a keggle, in the garage, sorta cost conscious has thrown me for a loop and it will take me a while to figure out!! Thanks again everyone.

I just wait until it's cool and use my autosiphon. I have a March pump but I haven't set it up yet (and I don't have any high temp tubing yet).

TwoHeadsBrewing said:

here's my setup: 1/2" copper pipe -> elbow -> Bazooka T-screen. Gets all but maybe 1/4 gallon of wort out. Haha, don't laugh at my soldering job!

Click to expand...

Maybe I'm just not as picky as some people but it looked good to me. Wish I had that set up.