weld vs weldless keggle

I just acquired a keg and want to convert it to a keggle... But not sure whether I should use weldless fittings as opposed to welding them.... Whats the difference?!

Welded fittings are permanent, stronger, and leak free. They're generally more expensive, though. They also have that "bling" factor some brewers are looking for, but can also be easily botched by a less-than-skilled welder.

Weldless fittings are completely removable, easily installed at home, and replaceable. They can leak, however, if not properly installed.

That said, I use weldless fittings ... these fittings, to be exact. Installed into a 7/8" hole, they are perfectly leak free.

If you are adept at welding, by all means, weld them. You can also solder the fittings. I did the latter, it's easy and strong.

jimmayhugh said:

If you are adept at welding, by all means, weld them. You can also solder the fittings. I did the latter, it's easy and strong.

Click to expand...

+ 1. I silver soldered all my keggles. No leaks. Strong. I've wrenched QD in and never have been worried about breaking the joint

Hello guys. I have two new 15gal ss kettles. I've been using weldless fittings for years on my old 10gal aluminum kettle and my two 10gal coolers. They are fine, but if you bump them just right they will leak. I have a guy near me that welds stainless and he welded a stainless part for my mahogany boat. He is not cheap but does know what he is doing.

There are so many threads about fittings, I did not want to start a new one and I just selected one that was from the current year. Since I've always used weldless, I've never paid attention to welded fittings. From looking at bargain fittings, it appears that a 1/2" coupler is used just like a weldless fitting. So my question: Do I drill a hole (with my step bits of course) that allows the 1/2" coupler to pass through and then weld it? That seems the logical way and that would allow outside the kettle fittings and inside the kettle fittings.