adding ball valve to my 7.5 gal pot

[it99]

I want to add a decent stainless steel ball valve to by brew pot but am having find a hard time finding all of the peices together. I was looking at the Blichmann ball valve that seems nice but it's missing the dip tube that goes on the inside of the brew pot to bring in liquid. I can't find anywhere to purchase this dip tube for blichmann but I can see it on their web page. I'd like to get all of the peices from inside the pot to outside with a barb fitting.

Thank you!!!!!

 

[Dr. Francois]

Bargainfittings.com is a great source for this kind of setup. Contact the owner if you need advice...I'm sure he'd be happy to custom-build something for you.

 

[Bobby_M]

IMO, people are buying over-engineered diptubes for their flat bottom pots. There's really no reason for compression fitting and SS tubing based assemblies. I say the same about whirlpool recirculation ports as well. A simple elbow on the interior is fine. I'll gladly take the extra $20 for those that insist, but really, no need for all that hardware.

 

[CyclingCraig]

I JUST did this Saturday night with my old 7.5 Gal SS brew pot, so I can use it as a HLT.

I purchased the parts from Bobby at BrewHardware (See above post), and it worked out perfect.

I went with this: Bulkhead.
Scroll to the bottom and pick option 3 from the list.

Pretty easy install, just measure twice and drill once!

 

[Stocktonbrew]

I did this with mine and it works perfect. I also cut a piece of scrap aluminum and bolted it to my burner to deflect direct flame contact. I am very happy with the results.

 

[it99]

That's the site I found and was thinking about getting option 2 bulkhead.
I wasn't sure the difference between option 2 and 3.
I was going to add it to my boil kettle.
Also, did you get the step drill bit from that site and did it work well.Seems like they have good prices. Thanks!!!!

I JUST did this Saturday night with my old 7.5 Gal SS brew pot, so I can use it as a HLT.

I purchased the parts from Bobby at BrewHardware (See above post), and it worked out perfect.

I went with this: Bulkhead.
Scroll to the bottom and pick option 3 from the list.

Pretty easy install, just measure twice and drill once!

 

[CyclingCraig]

That's the site I found and was thinking about getting option 2 bulkhead.
I wasn't sure the difference between option 2 and 3.
I was going to add it to my boil kettle.
Also, did you get the step drill bit from that site and did it work well.Seems like they have good prices. Thanks!!!!

Option 2 uses a street elbow inside: (The one all the way on the right in this pic)
Street Elbow pic

Option 3 uses one of these inside:

I already had a "Uni-bit" so I didn't have to buy one.

 

[LandoLincoln]

I want to add a decent stainless steel ball valve to by brew pot but am having find a hard time finding all of the peices together. I was looking at the Blichmann ball valve that seems nice but it's missing the dip tube that goes on the inside of the brew pot to bring in liquid. I can't find anywhere to purchase this dip tube for blichmann but I can see it on their web page. I'd like to get all of the peices from inside the pot to outside with a barb fitting.

Thank you!!!!!

I just picked up a weldless stainless steel dip tube assembly with a 3-piece valve from www.brewhardware.com. Add a barb fitting onto the end (which he also sells, I believe) and you'll be in business.

That new dip tube is really nice. It's way better than my other copper dip tube that I built. The best thing about it is it's attached via a compression fitting with o-rings inside, so it only has to be finger tight to give you a good seal, and the dip tube can be rotated in place.

 

[eric19312]

I followed Bobby M's advice when I built my pot and used the 90 degree elbow. I placed it so that when turned to the bottom of the kettle there is a 3/8 inch gap between the bottom of the elbow and the floor of the kettle. If I tip the kettle slightly at the very end of draining I leave about half a cup in the pot.

I'm very happy with my kettle and very much appreciate Bobby recommending the lower cost option after I'd already placed the order for the dip tube!

That said after a few batches I've given up messing with whirl pooling to build a trub pile and draining out the side. Read all the threads I could find, tried with and without whirlfloc, AG and partial mash batches, more or less same result every time....the flow immediately disrupts whatever trub pile I managed to create. Instead as soon as chilling is done (immersion) I drain full speed through my giant fine meshed kitchen strainer. Aerated wort and filters hop gunk and much of the trub. I lose almost no wort in this process, the strainer more or less squeezes the last drop out of the trub.



Only problem I have had with this is when I tried some leaf hops. Plugged my valve immediately, had to siphon wi my racking cane. Messy annoying hassle. Il stick with pellets when I can from now on and when I don't have that option the leaf is going into a bag!

 

[it99]

Can't use some kind of kettle mash screen like they have:

http://www.brewhardware.com/false-bottoms-filters/139-screen

I followed Bobby M's advice when I built my pot and used the 90 degree elbow. I placed it so that when turned to the bottom of the kettle there is a 3/8 inch gap between the bottom of the elbow and the floor of the kettle. If I tip the kettle slightly at the very end of draining I leave about half a cup in the pot.

I'm very happy with my kettle and very much appreciate Bobby recommending the lower cost option after I'd already placed the order for the dip tube!

That said after a few batches I've given up messing with whirl pooling to build a trub pile and draining out the side. Read all the threads I could find, tried with and without whirlfloc, AG and partial mash batches, more or less same result every time....the flow immediately disrupts whatever trub pile I managed to create. Instead as soon as chilling is done (immersion) I drain full speed through my giant fine meshed kitchen strainer. Aerated wort and filters hop gunk and much of the trub. I lose almost no wort in this process, the strainer more or less squeezes the last drop out of the trub.



Only problem I have had with this is when I tried some leaf hops. Plugged my valve immediately, had to siphon wi my racking cane. Messy annoying hassle. Il stick with pellets when I can from now on and when I don't have that option the leaf is going into a bag!

 

[eric19312]

I've got that exact one in my latter tun. It is an awesome screen. I don't know if it would really strain out trub and pellet gunk. Would be fine for leaf hops.


I think I could maybe go with a false bottom and then always use som leaf hops. Gordon Strong describes doing that in his book. But for now I'm really liking my giant strainer. Thinking of posting it to the ghetto rigs thread too.