Blichmann boilermaker questions

I've just brewed my first full wort boil with a 20 gal Boilermaker I just recently purchased. Everything seemed to go well but I have a couple of questions. One is the heat shield. I tried positioning it to protect the thermometer but couldn't get it situated where it sits on the burner correctly. I'm using the Blichmann Top Tier burner with the leg extensions. The Edge of the 20 gal pot seems to sit far enough away from the heat source that the shield wouldn't be necessary. Now I only did a 5 gal batch (boiled about 7.5 gals) so I didn't have to have the flame real high. I guess when it comes time to doing a 10 gal batch I'll have to figure something out with the heat shield. Does anybody use the heat shield with the Top Tier burner and how do you have it situated?

My second question relates to the valve on the pot. I just drained the boiled wort out of the pot using the valve into my fermentation bucket. It created a little too much aeration for my liking. I see Blichmann has Quick Connect fittings for the valve in different sizes and configurations. Would I use this connector and connect it to some tubing to drain the wort into the fermenter? Or am I better off siphoning it? That seems a little silly considering the pot has this built-in valve that I'd like to take advantage of. I've been brewing for about 15 years now but this is the first time I've ever used a pot with a valve.

Thanks.

I don't use my heat shield. All it would prevent is water boiling in the sight glass.

Just buy a 1/2" barb and screw it onto your valve. Then slide in tubing and drain.