Just bought a keg, what now?

[tophatxj]

I already searched the forum and found a bunch of threads on putting in dip tubes and such, but haven't found out if I actually need one or not.

Ok I went and bought a keg from a local scrap yard. Ended up paying $37.50 for it, they sold it by the pound at their going rate for stainless.
(If anyone in the shenandoah valley is looking for a keg, I got it from rose time scrap in Staunton. Just ask if you can look in the stainless pile for a keg.)

I extract brew right now and have been doing all my batches on the stove top in a kettle that was too small for full boils. I plan on buying a bayou classic sp10 in the near future to use my keggle on.


So here is the question(s). Do I need a dip tube or can I just use my auto siphon? And if I did put a dip tube in how would a siphon work going into a carboy, because it doesn't look to me like a siphon would work since the keggle wouldn't be sitting high enough on a turkey fryer.


Thanks

 

[outside92129]

You want to cut open the keg to make a keggle? A dremel will work but an angle grinder plasma cutter will work much better.

Check out the DIY section, it has all the information in there you need.

p.s. using one of those plastic auto siphons on hot wort is not recommended! You'll be lucky to get a single use out of it.

 

[Jaybird]

It really all depends on what YOU as the builder wants to do. A diptube and a ball valve is going to save you a lot of headaches along the way but you can siphon as well. I would guess your going to be using an immersion chiller so you can absolutely use an auto siphon but as outside92129 said not on HOT wort. I would suggest if you are going to siphon make sure the keg is sitting high enough to siphon out of before you even start filling it. As for adding a dip tube and the siphon affect all you have to do is make sure the bottom of the tube coming off the ball valve hangs a couple of inches below the bottom of the keg and all will siphon just fine..

Good luck on the build.

Cheers
Jay

 

[tophatxj]

Yes, I plan on cutting off the top with an angle grinder.
I have an immersion wort chiller to cool the wort before I siphon it.

So if I have the end of the tube running into my carboy, but the top of the carboy is above the actual dip valve it will still siphon? Just wanted to make sure I'm understanding correctly. Here is a picture I drew up as what I am asking

Also assuming I do a dip tube is it possible to whirlpool the keggle to collect all the trub in the center away from the dip tube to keep it from clogging?

Thanks

 

[Jaybird]

Yes, I plan on cutting off the top with an angle grinder.
I have an immersion wort chiller to cool the wort before I siphon it.

So if I have the end of the tube running into my carboy, but the top of the carboy is above the actual dip valve it will still siphon? Just wanted to make sure I'm understanding correctly. Here is a picture I drew up as what I am asking

Also assuming I do a dip tube is it possible to whirlpool the keggle to collect all the trub in the center away from the dip tube to keep it from clogging?

Thanks

Yep.
That wont work.. You need to have the top of the carboy below the bottom of the keg.

Cheers
Jay

 

[Dan]

Jaybird made this clear and so I'm beating the horse dead. Won't work the way you have it set. Easy fix though. Raise your boiler on something. Cinder blocks if heavy are not expensive and are very heat resistant. They are easily stacked, will be a solid base and are mobile.

 

[tophatxj]

Ok thanks guys. I will probably end up buying a taller burner or using cinder blocks if I can't find a deal on a tall one.
I think I will put in a dip tube which if nothing else will make transferring from the keggle to mash tun much easier when I switch over to all grain.