Bottom Drain Trub Snorkel/Pick Up Tube

I want to minimize the number of fittings I have on my bottom drain keggles. I also wanted to whirlpool, but that is obviously a little problematic with the trub cone forming in the center.

So far, I have already used the bottoms as a lid, a false bottom and a practice piece for soldering fittings. The spear tubes are sightglass guards, and now I have found a use for the Sanke valve housing portion of the spear.

I soldered a reducer to a SS washer, and then slid the washer under the retaining ring tabs and soldered to the valve housing. I just press fitted the copper tubing and fittings....for now they are tight enough to hold their position during the boil. The whole unit just slides into the Sanke opening.

Brewed on it this weekend and didn't have any problems forming a trub cone and only picked up a slight amount of trub at the very end (I need to make a small adjustment to the angle of the pickup opening).

I re-used the o-ring on the bottom of the housing, I figured that since they clean kegs with high pressure steam, it should be food safe and capable of taking the heat.

Now all I have to do is figure out how to use the spring, valve ball and retaining ring and I will have used every single part of the keg except the bushing that held the valve ball.

 

Looks great, very creative.

-G

 

That sight glass looks awesome. Can you post details/pics of how you made it?