Brew kettle modifications with your help

[JUST_BREW_IT]

I bought this dude today.

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B001PZBEM2/?tag=skimlinks_replacement-20

the reviews talk a lot about the thickness of the aluminum and how stout it is so it seemed like a good buy for a beginner like me. I plan on installing a 3 piece valve and thermometer both weldless.

1.) it's this kettle a good buy?
2.) where should I purchase my fittings?

I plan on doing a " weldless fitting install for dummies" thread here. hopefully with video.

Thanks for the input

 

[ColoHox]

That kettle looks pretty decent. Be sure to boil almost the full volume of water in it to lay down a protective oxide layer.

I would recommend Bobby_M at brewhardware.com for the fittings and great install tutorials.

 

[erikpete18]

No idea on the kettle, but it doesn't seem like a bad price, depending on how sturdy it is and, more importantly, how you wind up liking it. As far as fittings, for the thermometer, I'd say skip the basic thermometer and get BobbyM's thermo/sightglass combo. The sight glass will make your life a ton easier, and you still only have to drill the one hole. You can get weldless bulkheads at a bunch of places, including BobbyM's. Most are fairly standard and about the same price, so its hard to go wrong.

 

[SpottedDogBrewing]

I bought the same brand but 160qt!

No issues, works great

This is what I did to mine before I used it:

https://www.homebrewtalk.com/f11/natural-passivation-boil-water-268797/