4" triclover fermenter

I have an old keg I have been fermenting in. The last batch I made got infected and I think it's due to not being able to clean the inside effectively. I would like to get a 4" tri clamp ferrule and have it welded to the top of the keg. This will make it much easier to clean. Since beer won't really be in direct contact with the welded ferrule, would this need to be sanitary? I'm not sure if there is anywhere around here that does sanitary welding. I do know some people that can weld stainless.

 

Any weld on a fermenter needs to be sanitary, or you are asking for problems.

 

Why not just cut a port in the top for a corney lid? no welds to worry about, plus it's a bigger opening.

 

How well does the lid seal? Did you make a jig of some sort to cut the hole?

 

This one isn't mine, but it should seal just as well as on a corny. I am probably going to cut mine out with a plasma cutter and then dress the cut with a grinder, but you could easily cut it with a die grinder & cut off wheel(s). To mark the cut I will just flip a lid upside down & mark directly on the sanke keg with a Sharpe. I am planning to add a gas in post to my lid so that it can be pressure sealed with CO2, and then I can also use a gas fitting hooked to a length of hose in place of an air lock.

 

I noticed in the picture that the kegis upside down. If a person were to figue out a way to attach a valve to the tap port on top, and I'm sure someone already has, then that would eliminate needing to put another hole on the keg.

 

I ferment in sankes all the time. I sanitize with heat (boil about 2 gallons with foil covering the original hole). I let it steam for about 10-15 minutes then roll the boiled water around inside and tip over to drain. No need for a bigger hole, no infections. After fermenting, I fill it up with water and oxy-clean let soak for a day or so, then dump.

 

Here is what Swagman came up with




Works very well plus it has a 2inch dump in the bottom. Top gasket seal well.

Here is the second one with different ideal on top clamps



This shot of the racking cane I had made later.



God Bless
Woodie

 

Woodie,
Is that top the same one that you cut out of that keg? If so, how did you make it over lap the edge of the hole you cut?

 

Swagman cut a 10 inch hole in the keg and used a top cut from another keg that about 12 inch

God Bless
woodie

 

I actually saw someone do that with a thick piece of acrylic and then clamped down. Might go that route. Also, it is a 50l euro sanke, so it has the threaded neck. I was thinking of trying to find what threading that is, get a tri clover insert that would fit those threads and place a valve on it. Then I could almost use it like a conical, minus the 60 degree slope. Anyone know what threading it uses? It's probably metric so I don't think it uses the NPT standard.

 

Sorry to revive this old thread but. I just bought 3 euro keg last night and i was planning to do inverted keggle. Anyone know what kind of threading is necessary in euro neck.


I read on another site it is a Type S coupler that is needed for Euro style keg.
http://www.kegman.net/pages/Which-Keg-Coupler-by-Beer.html




There is pdf I found browsing the web : http://siba.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2012/02/50l_Keg_Standards__Specifications.pdf

 

These guys are not to far from Pottsville. They've done work at a few local breweries and some work down south at Abita Brewing. Sanitary is what they mainly do. Ask them if they have a job coming up in your area that you can swing by or ask if you can bring it to the shop.
http://sanprosys.com/