Advice on buying used keggle

[Patirck]

I found a used keggle on craigslist. 13 gallon with 2 tig welded ports for ball valve and thermometer. The price is $60. Seems like a good deal - it is fairly local to me. Is there anything I should look out for? I am graduating (hopfully) from an aluminium turkey fryer set up.

Any advice would be appreciated. I don't know anything about welding and want to make sure I don't buy keggle shaped boat anchor.

 

[redalert]

I'd be all over that. I'd visually inspect the welds. There's really not that much to look for when buying a keggle. If the welds are good and it holds liquid, then it's a go.

 

[samc]

If you intend to do 10 gallon batches then a 13 gallon keggle is no good unless you are doing low gravity beers.

 

[WAdamC]

If you intend to do 10 gallon batches then a 13 gallon keggle is no good unless you are doing low gravity beers.

Explain? Its a keggle, not a mash tun from what I understand. What does gravity matter?

 

[Patirck]

If you intend to do 10 gallon batches then a 13 gallon keggle is no good unless you are doing low gravity beers.

Right now I do 5 gallon batches using a rubbermaid MLT. I don't see myself doing 10 gallons batches. I like to brew alot of different things.

I think I'll ask him to fill it with water and see if anything leaks.

 

[IrregularPulse]

Don't listen to samc. I have a keg (they're all 13G) that I do 11G batches in all the time. He might be thinking you're using it for a mash tun. Gravity size has nothing to do with a boil pot.

 

[samc]

Don't listen to samc. I have a keg (they're all 13G) that I do 11G batches in all the time. He might be thinking you're using it for a mash tun. Gravity size has nothing to do with a boil pot.

+1 on ignoring me, I am suffering with a sinus infection and can't read and comprehend anything. Ignore whatever I post except for this admission of stupidity.

Yeah, I was thinking Mashtun, not BK.

 

[passedpawn]

Don't listen to samc. I have a keg (they're all 13G) that I do 11G batches in all the time. He might be thinking you're using it for a mash tun. Gravity size has nothing to do with a boil pot.

I think they are all 15.5g, 1/2 bbl.

If it was 13, might be a tight fit for a boil.

 

[Tom]

European kegs are usually 50L which is about 13.2 gallons.

 

[jspence1]

You won't get a 11g batch in a 13g keg.

 

[LumberjackJohn]

You won't get a 11g batch in a 13g keg.

Sounds like a challenge to me! But seriously, 2 gallons worth of headspace isn't enough?

 

[lumpher]

i saw where you said right now you only do 5g's, but this will allow you to upgrade to 11g boils. if it doesn't leak, go for it.

 

[Patirck]

I just picked it up and I'm very satisfied. It is going to be a great improvement over my aluminium turkey fryer. It fits on the burner as well. It is an old Heinekin keg in very good shape. Has 1/2" threaded fittings - two down low and one up high. The previous owner was using it as a mash tun. I got to peek at his setup - three big keggles on a stand with an electronicly controlled propane burner that can keep temperature withing 1*. Makes me think I'm brewing on Giligan's Island when I see stuff like this.

 

[boogyman]

Sounds like a challenge to me! But seriously, 2 gallons worth of headspace isn't enough?

Probably not. Depending on the boil off rate, you'll need more than 11g to start.. it'd be really close with only a 13g pot for an 11g batch.

 

[Bobby_M]

My preboil on a 10.5 gallon batch can be up to 12.5 gallons for a 90 minute boil. I've even boiled over with 8 gallons in a 15.5g keg. Just be careful.

 

[Walker]

Sounds like a challenge to me! But seriously, 2 gallons worth of headspace isn't enough?

Depends on whether you pay attention or not.

I have boiled over a 5 gallon batch in a 15.5 gallon keg. 7 gallons of wort + (apparently) 9 or more gallons of foam = 1 big mess.

 

[Patirck]

I don't know if I'd try a 10g batch in this - like I said - I like to brew a lot of different stuff. I may up the batch size to 7 gallons or so if I want to do a seperate secondary for fruit or perhaps have some left over to bottle instead of keg.

 

[LumberjackJohn]

Ahh dang I always forget to account for boil-off so your initial wort volume is different. Probably why I end up with half empty fermenters and go "Wait.. what just happened?"

 

[sfinger]

My preboil on a 10.5 gallon batch can be up to 12.5 gallons for a 90 minute boil. I've even boiled over with 8 gallons in a 15.5g keg. Just be careful.

I was going to pick up a European keg (13.2 gallons) that I saw on Craigslist but it sounds like it would be better to hold tight and find a half barrel for the extra room...

 

[slakwhere]

for $60 i say go for it. for 5 gal it's a no brainer. worst case scenario is that you can't do 11+ gallon boils in it, so you retire it to an HLT and get a full 15.5 gal keggle for a BK.

 

[sfinger]

for $60 i say go for it. for 5 gal it's a no brainer. worst case scenario is that you can't do 11+ gallon boils in it, so you retire it to an HLT and get a full 15.5 gal keggle for a BK.

Hey slakwhere, don't know if you were replying to me specifically, but regardless thanks for the advice--as these things usually play out, I bought the European keg for $50.00 and while talking to the seller discovered he had a 15.5 gallon keg welded with two vertical connectors sitting around--bought that for $100.00--so now I have the 13.2 gallon keg for an HLT and the 15.5 gal welded keggle for the BK! Looking forward to doing more volume as my buds seem to know exactly when each batch of beer is ready to drink--I am hanging out with a bunch of brew psychics....sigh....

 

[slakwhere]

that's a pretty good score! congrats!

 

[lumpher]

Depends on whether you pay attention or not.

I have boiled over a 5 gallon batch in a 15.5 gallon keg. 7 gallons of wort + (apparently) 9 or more gallons of foam = 1 big mess.

yep. i just had a 5.5g dunkelweizen boil over in my 15.5 bk last weekend. still cleaning the garage floor