Converting 10 gallon stockpot to 3-port (drain, thermo probe, Whirlpool return).

[Gadjobrinus]

While it's been nice to come back to brewing as simply as possible, I will admit some better functionality would be nice, at least with my BK. Right now it's just one of my old restaurant's stockpots. Great make, but simply a vessel. I have to clip a thermometer to the side, hand-whirlpool, hand-raise and lower the IC/stir the wort to cool, auto-siphon wort to the FV.

I looked into Spike, but a new vessel with 3 ports would be $330 (their standard 10-gallon is only $260. Even though the standard has two ports and would require only the addition of a 3rd port for WP, they're not setup for this easily and so it would have to be priced and made as a custom kettle, each port and fittings costing individually). Probably not worth it by the time I get done paying a good TIG welder to do proper welds, and buy all the fittings (with fittings, that same Spike is $512), I might as well buy a dedicated BK. But querying for thoughts.

Having a whirlpool is key. Spike's quality is extremely good and I love their pickup solutions. But tough to swallow $512 for one vessel, as indeed generally Spike is considerably out of my price range anymore (I had a 3V 20 gallon system back in 2017 or so. I think all in I was under $1000 at that time, and that was for a 20 gallon, not the 10 I'm using now). Looking for a way to possibly make it work starting with a good, but blank canvas of a tri-ply stockpot.

 

[Broken Crow]

If your current stockpot is SS and you're happy with the size, why not just add the bits you want?
https://www.brewhardware.com/product_p/stepbitsm.htm
https://www.brewhardware.com/product_p/truebulkheadedge.htm
https://www.brewhardware.com/product_p/spincyclesubmerge.htm
https://www.brewhardware.com/product_p/3pbv.htm

 

[whoaru99]

I put an o-ring type bulkhead fitting in my "blank slate" 10 gal Megapot not too long ago. It worked great on the one and only brew I've done with it since then.

That said, the silver solder pull-through ports at Brew Hardware have me thinking about going converting to that way.

 

[WayFrae]

I upgraded my Bayou Classic pots with the pull through tool from @Bobby_M at brewhardware.com. If you have soldered copper before then you can solder the fittings you want with his tool and solder kit.

You can even do the weldless fittings if you don’t want to do soldering.

 

[Malticulous]

Weldless fittings have worked fine for me.

Williams has a $10 22 mm hole punch. It makes a near perfect hole for weldless 1/2 inch pipe fittings. They also sell a 32 mm for water heater elements. I used their cheap step bit to pre-drill for the punches. The $6 step bit alone is probably good enough.

https://www.williamsbrewing.com/Hom...less-Pot-Cooler-Fittings/22mm-Knockout-Punch-
https://www.williamsbrewing.com/Hom...less-Pot-Cooler-Fittings/4-to-22mm-Step-Drill

 

[whoaru99]

I used a carbide hole saw to do mine. Was like a hot knife through butter.

 

[Deadalus]

I have almost all weldless fittings (NPT) on my 3V EHERMS except my two heating elements are welded TC ports. I do a major breakdown of taking the valves off every 10-12 brews (yearly). I also did a complete breakdown of taking the valves, whirlpool ports, bulkheads, almost everything except maybe the HERMS coil last year. That was the only time in about four years I did that completely other than occasionally reconfiguring specific ports. Weldless may save you money but welded will save you time. NPT will save you money and TC will save you time as well. I had my TC ports welded by BobbyM and current charge is $42.99 for either a 1.5" or 2" TC. I didn't see a price on the Brewhardware site for welding an NPT port but I would expect it to be any more than that, perhaps less.

I think you are implying that you want thermometer, whirlpool, and drain valve ports. I have all keggles and they all have dial thermometers installed. As a weldless port, that port is pretty easy to drill and maintain. It doesn't have to be big, there are 1/4" NPT sizes. On the other hand, I use both an IR gun style thermometer and a digital one as well when brewing. These are checks on my panel's temperature readings. I do watch the BK dial one though as I don't have a probe on that to the panel. On the mash tun, a long probe hand held is helpful as you can get a better read on potential temperature differences in the mash column. Same applies to the HLT but if you have a recirculation system working stratification is probably not so much an issue. Worrying about that might not be of much importance for you, my HLT has the HERMS coil in it. Thought I'd mention these for future consideration even though you were discussing your BK.

As far as a whirlpool fitting, the spincycle one that Broken Crow linked is one I would have liked to have seen before adding in my own. I put a bulkhead, then a 90, then a 45 pickup tube. It works well but for $22 the spincycle is a little cheaper and I bet the bulkhead is a better design than my more generic ones. Plus it's compact. And my whirlpool setup is a good example of how time is lost because with NPT threads and weldless, you have to get the fittings oriented properly. They are threaded, so getting them threaded tightly, in the correct position, and sealed as far as the hole can be a little tricky sometimes. You may have to change the order of assembly or add in some extra wraps of the teflon tape or add extra rubber and metal washers. The spincycle I would guess is pretty easy. Get it situated and the bulkhead tight and then a three piece valve on the other side would be relatively easy to get the valve handle where you want it as there are four positions for the handle.

Since you already have a good quality pot, I don't think the Spike one would be worth the cost. Maybe for a mash tun where the false bottom is designed for the specific pot.

 

[Gadjobrinus]

I have almost all weldless fittings (NPT) on my 3V EHERMS except my two heating elements are welded TC ports. I do a major breakdown of taking the valves off every 10-12 brews (yearly). I also did a complete breakdown of taking the valves, whirlpool ports, bulkheads, almost everything except maybe the HERMS coil last year. That was the only time in about four years I did that completely other than occasionally reconfiguring specific ports. Weldless may save you money but welded will save you time. NPT will save you money and TC will save you time as well. I had my TC ports welded by BobbyM and current charge is $42.99 for either a 1.5" or 2" TC. I didn't see a price on the Brewhardware site for welding an NPT port but I would expect it to be any more than that, perhaps less.

I think you are implying that you want thermometer, whirlpool, and drain valve ports. I have all keggles and they all have dial thermometers installed. As a weldless port, that port is pretty easy to drill and maintain. It doesn't have to be big, there are 1/4" NPT sizes. On the other hand, I use both an IR gun style thermometer and a digital one as well when brewing. These are checks on my panel's temperature readings. I do watch the BK dial one though as I don't have a probe on that to the panel. On the mash tun, a long probe hand held is helpful as you can get a better read on potential temperature differences in the mash column. Same applies to the HLT but if you have a recirculation system working stratification is probably not so much an issue. Worrying about that might not be of much importance for you, my HLT has the HERMS coil in it. Thought I'd mention these for future consideration even though you were discussing your BK.

As far as a whirlpool fitting, the spincycle one that Broken Crow linked is one I would have liked to have seen before adding in my own. I put a bulkhead, then a 90, then a 45 pickup tube. It works well but for $22 the spincycle is a little cheaper and I bet the bulkhead is a better design than my more generic ones. Plus it's compact. And my whirlpool setup is a good example of how time is lost because with NPT threads and weldless, you have to get the fittings oriented properly. They are threaded, so getting them threaded tightly, in the correct position, and sealed as far as the hole can be a little tricky sometimes. You may have to change the order of assembly or add in some extra wraps of the teflon tape or add extra rubber and metal washers. The spincycle I would guess is pretty easy. Get it situated and the bulkhead tight and then a three piece valve on the other side would be relatively easy to get the valve handle where you want it as there are four positions for the handle.

Since you already have a good quality pot, I don't think the Spike one would be worth the cost. Maybe for a mash tun where the false bottom is designed for the specific pot.

First of all, I wanted to thank everyone for coming forward. Detailed and really helpful info, and I appreciate it. I'd completely forgotten about Bobby's silver-solder solution, so thanks for the links and thoughts here, too guys.

And Deadalus, thank you for such a generous contribution! To be honest I've always wanted T/C but never bothered as I'd pretty much already set everything up NPT. Maybe this gives a chance from the start. Yeah, right now, just the BK as I'm working through an Igloo - and hear you on stratification, pretty dramatic, as I use a short digital a medium-length analog and a really long length analog, and as you say, these can differ pretty radically. I do admire your guys' HERMS setups - here for a couple years more, but once we decide on our "final resting place" I do hope to build the brewhouse I've always wanted (as well as a dedicated, wood-oven based traditional German/French bakery, and likely a cheesemaking room, with cave). So great thoughts to chew on going forward. Thanks again.

 

[Want2Brew]

Those pull through fittings are pretty cool. Anyone know how thick of a kettle wall they will work on? I have some 30 gallon kettles I’m working on but the walls are pretty thick, just wondering if this would work. Thanks

@Bobby_M

 

[Bobby_M]

I haven't really met a kettle they don't work on. As the wall thickness increases, I make the hole a little bigger so I don't have to deform as much metal. On standard kettles, I usually only go large enough for the male threads to fit through (13/16"). For sanke kegs, I'd go up to 7/8" and that should work for up to 2mm

 

[Want2Brew]

I haven't really met a kettle they don't work on. As the wall thickness increases, I make the hole a little bigger so I don't have to deform as much metal. On standard kettles, I usually only go large enough for the male threads to fit through (13/16"). For sanke kegs, I'd go up to 7/8" and that should work for up to 2mm

Thank you sir, expect to see an order from me soon!