Keggle Accessories

I am still trying to get my head around all the possible accessories you can add to keggles vs what you actually need. Do the accessories differ between the HLT, MLT, and brew pot?

So far these are the accessories I know about.
Ball Valves (welded coupling or weld-less)
Thermometer
Sight Gauge
Dip Tubes
Heating Element


My general questions are

1) Sometimes I see pictures where people have 4 couplings welded into one keggle; what are all those for?

2) Do you need thermometer on the all three keggles, or is it more important on some than others (granted you could probably get by without an installed thermometer at all)?

3) Is a dip tube needed on a HLT?

4) Is there an advantage of SS over copper for a dip tube?

5) Anything else, that may be helpful!

Thanks to anyone that can enlighten me! I never knew trying to get a simple pot could be so overwhelming!

 

you don't NEED anything. People brew with a keg with the top cut off.
I only have a SS ball valve with copper pickup tube that I use SS scrubbie with for filtering.
Would like a thermometer just to see how close I'm getting cause I'm impatient.
For a HLT I'd want a ball valve with pickup tube, Thermometer, and sightglass. Mash tun, Ballvalve with SS False Bottom and thermo.

The insane ones you see with 500 ports on them are being used in RIMS and HERMS (recirculation) systems. Some ports are for recirculating water/wort back through a system and so on.

 

1) My HLT has 8 couplings I think.

• Diptube
• Whirlpool Return (reduce temp stratification with HERMS coil)
• HERMS coil IN
• HERMS Coil OUT
• Thermometer
• Sight Glass (1/8" half coupling)
• Electric Element (1" NPT half coupling)
• RTD probe to PID

It really is dependant on your process what you will need.

2) I plan to have them on all 3, though my BK is without right now. Would like to use it to monitor when I approach boil and see chill progress.

3) If you're coming out the side of the keggle wall and don't want a gallon or so of 'dead space' you need one. If you don't mind keeping a gallon in there that you can't pump or drain out I guess you don't. You could dump it manually.

4) Stainless is less prone to tarnish/corrode/look ugly than copper. Stainless is hard to bend though and can be expensive.

5) Plan what you want in your system and that will tell you what you need. Use bigger couplings than you need if you think you might want that port for something else in the future. Plan it all out before you cut and weld.

 

Here's my e-keggle



The sight gauge and RTD temp probe are in the same 1/2" nipple.
The top nipple is for an input for circulation for cooling.

I have two coolers to act as MLT and HLT

I am going to add an element to the HLT with a temp sensor and site gauge in it as well.

The MLT will have a temp sensor and site gauge as well.

I use a three tier system and found I was loosing a lot of heat transferring water around. Being able to keep the lids closed and monitor temps with probes will hopefully solve this. I will open only to stir but be able to heat monitor from the outside.

All my keggle fittings are welded. There are mixed reviews on weldless.
I have a hose going to the bottom on my HLT but do not get it all out, but it is just water, not really a concern.