Installing a Brewometer and drain valve..?!?!

I got a stainless valve and brewometer for my bewpot this christmas, but now I am trying to figure out if I can do the install myself... I have no problem with the drilling part, but I dont know what the best placement is for the valve ...??? does something connect to the valve to allow it to drain closer to the bottom..?!?! does anyone have pics or a writeup on the right way to set this all up..?!?! Thank in advance for everyones help...

Jester

You need to put it as close to the bottom as possible but have it on a vertical flat face, not curved and not on a weld. If this means fitting it higer then do so because you can fit a dip/syphon tube to get to the bottom of the kettle.

Hope that makes sense.

orfy said:

You need to put it as close to the bottom as possible but have it on a vertical flat face, not curved and not on a weld. If this means fitting it higer then do so because you can fit a dip/syphon tube to get to the bottom of the kettle.

Hope that makes sense.

Click to expand...

Do you jsut use a tube or should it be something like all the copper manifolds I see people building..?? also, should I think about using some sort of screen over the tube to keep the hops from siphoning out..?? Thanks again...

Jester

I wouldn't use plastic tubing, it could melt. Use copper an yes you need some type of screening device to stop the hops.

Do you really need a thermometer on your brew kettle? It's boiling or it's not... I think they started putting these on brewpots "just because". Unless you use your brew kettle as a HLT you don't need it, kinda like a site glass on a brew kettle, not needed and if it breaks while your boiling, you'll lose all your wort with no way to stop boiling hot wort from coming out.

Brew kettle needs a way to get the wort in to boil it, and a way to get the wort out when finished boiling. Anything else IMO, is a point of failure for something to go wrong. If you insist on knowing the temp of your "boiling" wort, use a turkey fryer style of thermometer, it will never start leaking out the side of the pot.

I connected a domed false bottom from More Beer to my kettle valve. It stops the hops nicely and leaves less than 1/4" of wort in the kettle.

My LHBS has my brewpot now and is installing everything... I'm going to let them drill this first one and then when I convert all my keg shells, I'll do those ones myself....

dcbrewmeister said:

Do you really need a thermometer on your brew kettle? It's boiling or it's not... I think they started putting these on brewpots "just because". Unless you use your brew kettle as a HLT you don't need it, kinda like a site glass on a brew kettle, not needed and if it breaks while your boiling,

Click to expand...

I like having a thermometer as I cool with an immersion chiller and keep the pot covered during cooling, it also gives me a gauge of when I'm nearing the boil to watch for a boil over. More than a thermometer, I like having a sight gauge on the brew kettle so I know when I'm near my boil volume. Neither are necesary, but I find both helpful and added them to my kettle after having neither for quite awhile.

anojones said:

I like having a thermometer as I cool with an immersion chiller and keep the pot covered during cooling, it also gives me a gauge of when I'm nearing the boil to watch for a boil over. More than a thermometer, I like having a sight gauge on the brew kettle so I know when I'm near my boil volume. Neither are necesary, but I find both helpful and added them to my kettle after having neither for quite awhile.

Click to expand...

good reply... I also feel like when you have to constantly use an external thermometer, each time you are opening yourself to a possible contamination... We all sanitize our equipemnt , but you never know whats could happen... just my opinion...

I would be interested in the proper placement of a site glass since I would like to add one also. Can you put it anywhere height wise and then calibrate it by filling with water and marking the different levels or does placement need to be a specific spot?

The thermometer is also very useful if you use the kettle for heating the mash and sparge water.

-a.

2nd Street Brewery said:

I would be interested in the proper placement of a site glass since I would like to add one also. Can you put it anywhere height wise and then calibrate it by filling with water and marking the different levels or does placement need to be a specific spot?

Click to expand...

That's essentially what i did- it's lower on my HLT, but higher up on my boil kettle as I don't need it as low (always a few gallons left at the end of the boil). Here's a webisite on how to do your own. Zymico also makes some weldless sightguages.

http://www.texanbrew.com/article.php?story=20030625140627793

To each his own I guess - I use a turkey frier thermometer, sanitize once put it in the pot and forget it. I'm going to a CFC, so even that will go away. Just one less place to leak. Site glass? I used a friends of mine (who is a metal worker) stamps (dies?) to stamp liquid levels into the kettle from the inside. 1-gal increments up too 5-gal, then 1/2 gal from there.

Like I said, one less place to leak... but then again I have a separate HLT.

I'm all about the info. I like to have a thermometer on my brew pot. lets me know how cold or hot the wort is getting. I have no problems with leaks but it is a possibility. Leaks are easy to find and to fix though.

67coupe390 said:

I have no problems with leaks but it is a possibility. Leaks are easy to find and to fix though.

Click to expand...

Easy to find during a brew - but how are you going to fix it when it starts leaking at the beginning of your boil? Just burn off some of your wort - and let the rest leak out?

dcbrewmiester <=== HATES failure points. It's just the way I want my equipment. Not one argument any one can post will change my mind. I conceded and said "to each his own I guess" but nothing will convince me that I need to stick a thermometer into the side of my brew kettle - or a site glass.

A ball valve to drain it and a dip/siphon tube is all I need - thanks.

dcbrewmeister said:

Easy to find during a brew - but how are you going to fix it when it starts leaking at the beginning of your boil? Just burn off some of your wort - and let the rest leak out?

dcbrewmiester <=== HATES failure points. It's just the way I want my equipment. Not one argument any one can post will change my mind. I conceded and said "to each his own I guess" but nothing will convince me that I need to stick a thermometer into the side of my brew kettle - or a site glass.

A ball valve to drain it and a dip/siphon tube is all I need - thanks.

Click to expand...

Yup, KISS.

But I and most other brewers like gadgets, bling and shinies. Resistance is futile.

anojones said:

That's essentially what i did- it's lower on my HLT, but higher up on my boil kettle as I don't need it as low (always a few gallons left at the end of the boil). Here's a webisite on how to do your own. Zymico also makes some weldless sightguages.

http://www.texanbrew.com/article.php?story=20030625140627793

Click to expand...

Nice, thanks alot for the info.

I got the brewpot back now, but still have to construct a dip tube setup... I'll have to get that done this weekend sometime, sine i'm planning on brewing...

I've heard if i use nylon hop bags, that a mesh type strainer is not necessary... I am going to try this before getting something like a hopstopper...

These have to be one of the best upgrades I've ever done... The brewometer is awesome for steeping and chilling... I know exactly when the boil is going to start... and the valve is lot easier than siphoning... still need to work up some sort of filter because the nylon hop bags dont keep everything out of the wort...

Jester said:

These have to be one of the best upgrades I've ever done... The brewometer is awesome for steeping and chilling... I know exactly when the boil is going to start... and the valve is lot easier than siphoning... still need to work up some sort of filter because the nylon hop bags dont keep everything out of the wort...

Click to expand...

A SS braid is a very effective and cheap solution. You might want to attach something heavy to the end to keep it from floating up.

cweston said:

A SS braid is a very effective and cheap solution. You might want to attach something heavy to the end to keep it from floating up.

Click to expand...

Can you buy SS braid at home depot or places like that..??

Jester said:

Can you buy SS braid at home depot or places like that..??

Click to expand...

Yeah: buy a toilet supply line, cut the fittings off, and pull the little tube out with a pair of pliers. What's left is a SS braid.