Using Sanke valve as port for drain valve on MLT

I am in the process of building an Ekeggle to use for all grain brewing. I'v done quite a bit of searching in regards to design, false bottom style, valve placement ect. From what I have seen the most common valve placement is on the side as low as possible with a dip or spiral tube to the lowest point. My local homebrew supplier tried this first on his own set up and ended up changing it and putting his valve on the bottom at the lowest point. After debating on what to do my father asked why I dont just use the flange from the sanke valve and weld a nipple on that and have the valve come off of it. So I would cut a 12'' hole in the "bottom" instead of the top as most do. This way the valve would be at the lowest point, fully removable and easy to clean ect.

Any input, figured there had to be some issue or people would have done it allready.

Draining from the bottom would be great. You could get close to 100% lautering efficiency.

Since you're not direct firing the MLT a bottom drain would be nice. You would need to bring it down to 1/2", and a welded on nipple should be a good solution. I assume you're using pumps over gravity, as a bottom drain would require more height difference between MLT and BK.

I had my 1/2" coupler welded to the bottom of my mash tun. It works great. Here's my HLT project that shows a lot of pictures of my MT. I've never used a pick-up tube in my MT. If I hadn't already had a port hole and coupler welded to the side of my HLT, I would have done the same thing for it.

Cost me $20 to have it done, but it took me waiting several weeks to get him around to doing it. Still, worth every day I had to wait. While it isn't the most showing of pictures, here is how it looked pre-Line-X bed lined. The tape in covering the threads in the center of the bottom, and the next pic shows it up on the stand finished with bed liner (talk about insulated).

The mash tun on my RIMS system is made from a Sanke keg turned upside down. The keg bottom is cut out and is now the top of the tun and I used the spear neck for a center bottom drain by welding a 3/4" FPT 316SS weld spud onto the spear neck (McMaster Carr 1145K54 fits perfectly). I screwed a 3/4" to 1/2" reducing bushing into the weld spud and have a copper manifold made of 1/2" pipe threaded into the bushing. This manifold holds my thermocouple probe vertically which protrudes up into the wort under the false bottom. The manifold tees off to a QD connection to my pump inlet. I have used this set up for 12 years with never a stuck mash.

Regards,
BorderBrewer

I figured a bottom drain would be very efficient, and then started thinking why not put the nipple on the flange of the sanke pick up. It comes apart easily enough and would be easily removable with no threads to ever worry about and fabrication on the keg. Not that thats a problem, I already have a stainless roll of wire for the lincoln. I wanted to ask figuring if it would work well people would be doing it this way.

At this point I am looking at a pump system, unless I was to stumble on something that would make a great stand to hold the keg high enough to slide the bk under it. I will be using a 1/2 nipple so nothing to worry about there.

Thanks for the responses guys! Iv watched the board for quite awhile but as you can see I just got around to signing on, first post woot! Ill try to get some pics in the next day or so to show exactly what Im thinking.

Heres some pics as promised.

The sanke valve and siphon tube come apart really easy



I was planning on only using the flange seen on the left and welding a threaded nipple onto it. Something similar to the pic below, except I would use a 1'' to 1/2'' stainless nipple or 1 1/4'' to 1/2''. The one in the pic is straight 1'' set in place. Also do you guys recommend mail or female on the valve end of the nipple? I would also turn the transition and weld smooth on the inside as well as the threads to help with cleanliness.



After thinking of what I would need to keep the o-ring in place, (weld in and turn a flange to replace the spring retainer) I think I may just leave the retainer basket and line the inside or outside with stainless mesh for a second filter of sorts.



Any input is appreciated, this is my first AG set up and I want to get it right

I would weld to the keg rather than to something that could leak later and need replacement O rings for no real purpose.
male or female? Most ball valves are female/female so keep that in consideration. The less parts the better, in my opinion.

bdavanza said:

I would weld to the keg rather than to something that could leak later and need replacement O rings for no real purpose.
male or female? Most ball valves are female/female so keep that in consideration. The less parts the better, in my opinion.

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I'm still under the same impression. I mean, you're gonna have to weld something anyway. Why have all this to take apart to clean every time? If it was something that needed a heating element or another (larger) port then I could see it, but why all the work? It will cost you the same amount to weld your fitting to the spear assembly as to a drilled hole in the bottom-center. I am not trying to discourage you from something you really want to do, I just don't understand.

The only thing by doing it this way you lose the luxury of the handles for easy carrying and moving....