Plastics Kegs...are they useful for anything?

[Grond]

I recently was given a black, plastic 1/2 barrel keg. Are they good for ANYTHING other than storing beer? Honestly, I only took it because I wanted an extra spear for transferring...but now I have the rest of the keg to deal with. Could I use it to make an electric keggle? Should I just chop the thing into pieces and put it in the garbage?

EDIT : The keg is only COATED in plastic. The "vessel" inside is stainless steel.

I'm open to suggestions...

 

[Golddiggie]

As a keggle? NO.
As a fermenter, maybe.
I'd just cut it up and toss it.

 

[apache_brew]

What you have is plenty good for all things beer related except anything involving cutting/welding/heating. I'm not sure how the plastic shells are typically attached to those bumper kegs. Maybe you could hack it off if you really wanted to mess with it? I'd leave it alone and find another core keg to modify if that's what you want.
If you were talking about these types of plastic kegs, my advice would be to cut them up and recycle them.

 

[Grond]

Here is what the keg looks like outside and inside:

 

[apache_brew]

Fermenter, brite tank, serving keg... Sankes are awesome.

 

[Grond]

Wit h

Fermenter, brite tank, serving keg... Sankes are awesome.

With it being stainless inside, I wonder if I could cut the top off and turn it into an electric keggle...with times being what they are, I want to buy an electric brew setup, but they aren't cheap.

 

[Golddiggie]

So it's a normal sanke keg just plastic coated for the entire outside? That's different than a plastic keg (entire thing plastic). I'd want to know what kind of plastic it has adhered to it. How it is adhered to it as well. Since glues can off-gas on you when warmed up past a set temperature.

Personally, I wouldn't use it for a BK. Even if you could get the top portion cleaned of the plastic, and cut a hole in it. Maybe as a MT it would work. You'll also need to get fittings long enough to deal with whatever thickness the plastic is (on top of the stainless).

 

[apache_brew]

Wit h

With it being stainless inside, I wonder if I could cut the top off and turn it into an electric keggle...with times being what they are, I want to buy an electric brew setup, but they aren't cheap.

Could you? Sure. Should you? Up to you, I wouldn't.

For what it's worth, if you're going through the hassle of building an electric system to make wort, keggles are kind of clumsy, especially if the intent is some sort of BIAB variation. The off the shelf 5 to 10 gallon electric wort making systems seem very well proven and alleviate all the DIY sourcing.

I was pretty close to buying into the electric temperature controlled mashing/boiling system but held off and re-baselined. For me, I'm good with single infusion mashing as well as BIAB. I only need to heat strike water and a rolling boil, so there's no need for temperature control on brew day. I normally use propane tanks to supply my Hellfire burner (love it) but the hopes are to hard pipe Natural Gas to a dedicated brew location and not deal with propane tanks anymore.