DIY Keggle Conversion (video!)

[kenmc]

but surely I'll be cutting the top off anyway, to turn it into a keggle? what difference does it make if the seal is broken?(i know I didn't say so in the first place, but I figured it was in the right thread..)

 

[rdwj]

good stuff yuri

 

[Yuri_Rage]

It doesn't matter...personally, I wanted to save the fitting for a future project.

 

[Harris]

That video was awesome!!! It shows exactly what to do. I am wondering since I have not yet brewed beer, if I should go directly to the keg rather than pay $100 plus for a Stainless Steel Kettle only to go to a keg style anyway. Any suggestions???


Thanks
Harris

 

[Wables]

Fantastic videos! I, in fact, picked up a keg this week. I have been waiting for 4 days to get the OK to bring the keg into the mill that I work at to get the top plasma'd. Got the go-ahead this afternoon and I will bring it in on Tuesday. I will probably add the coupling at the same time. What size coupler did you use?

 

[Cede]

Just saw the video, and now I want a plasma torch !

It's doing really nice job. I'll try to find someone in town who has that just to try.

I cut my kegs with an angle grinder with a few discs for stainless. Took long time.
I welded the inserts with a mig/mag and I'm pleased with the results but I'll have to fit other inserts for thermometers. I might try your technique.

 

[davefleck]

It's probably wise to lay the keg on its side so you don't get a bunch of beer/foam spraying up at you while you do that.

Timing is everything...
I should have read that an hour ago. Now I'm off to take a shower

 

[sharpstick]

I am wondering since I have not yet brewed beer, if I should go directly to the keg rather than pay $100 plus for a Stainless Steel Kettle only to go to a keg style anyway. Any suggestions???

Harris

you can always make smaller batches in a keggle if you think you will be moving up later. the keggle weighs a bit more, but that is the only drawback. if i find another keggle, i might cut it down to 7 gallon size for smaller boils.
i made a keggle, but didn't have a plasma cutter available, so tried it with my dewalt 18 volt reciprocating saw (sawzall type saw). took about 5 minutes and only wore out one blade, then finished up the edge with an angle grinder with paint stripper wheel(flaps of sandpaper on a conical wheel).
I also did not have access to welding eqpt, so i used threaded fittings. i pieced it together from lowes, but there is a kit for that.

 

[Skrimpy]

but surely I'll be cutting the top off anyway, to turn it into a keggle? what difference does it make if the seal is broken?(i know I didn't say so in the first place, but I figured it was in the right thread..)

If you don't release the pressure before you start cutting it's going to blow beer into your face. My thoughts are that getting beer blown in your face can't be all that bad (just a little messy) but it might not be too pleasant if a small piece of that hot metal gets blown into your face.

 

[Dwain]

I'm going to attempt this tomorrow. Should I try to back weld the inside in case I use it for anything except a boil kettle? I'm thinking some amount of the weld protrudes through the back side, right. If so, as long as I scrub it prior to brewing it should be O.K. Let me know what ya'll are thinking. - Dwain

 

[Yuri_Rage]

The back of the weld will crystallize unless you back gas or use flux. Crystallized stainless is weak, porous, and usually rusts.

 

[Dwain]

Yuri,
Yes, I will flux the back side when I weld the front just like your video shows, which is excellent by the way and thanks for doing it. I will be using a mig set up with trigas. I am just curious if there is any value in trying to weld the inside also or does the weld penetrate like it does when welding two pieces of pipe together? Sorry if I'm not explaining myself well enough. I just saw one of the comments on the post that said something about welding the inside flush. Thanks - Dwain

 

[Yuri_Rage]

If you weld properly, it should look similar on both sides. The front of the weld is easier to make "clean," so if you're worried about your skill level, weld from the inside.

 

[humann_brewing]

Yuri,

Where did you get that ball valve with male on the end that went into your coupler? I am looking at mcmaster and they don't seem to have one that is stainless steel.

 

[DrPaulsen]

The back of the weld will crystallize unless you back gas or use flux. Crystallized stainless is weak, porous, and usually rusts.

Yuri -- I had someone weld together a keggle last year and I noticed after he was done that some of the welds on the inside were black and a little rusty. I am wondering if that black stuff might be the "crystallized stainless" you mention here. I don't know how to post a picture on this site, so I'll just post a link:

Electric Keggle - a set on Flickr

Is that black stuff around the welds what you are describing as "crystallized stainless? I don't know if the welder back-gassed or used flux, so I have no idea how this happened. I think he had a tough time attaching the legs (upon reflection, that was a pretty stupid design decision - if anything, they should have been attached to the skirt). He told me to just ignore it, but I'm not convinced he really knows what he's talking about.

After I took these pictures, I cleaned up the welds with some BKF and a green scrubbie. All the rust went away and hasn't returned after 4 or 5 batches of beer (I haven't noticed any strong off-flavors, either).

Does this look to you like something I should worry about? If so, do you have any recommendations? I've considered grinding it out, but didn't want to take a chance on creating a leak.

 

[tspilker]

Did you fill the keggle with water before plasma cutting to ensure no damage to the inside? That is my only concern.

 

[Yuri_Rage]

hb, I used a nipple fitting to join a female coupler to a female ball joint.

DrP, your suspicions sound correct. There isn't much you can do about it other than what you already have. Just keep after with with BKF and an abrasive pad.

tspilker, the beer residue was quite sufficient to stave off any slag damage in all of the keggles I've made so far.

 

[tcMonk]

I am confused are your kegs stainless? I thought kegs come in aluminum.

 

[CenCalWorthog]

Why don't you talk during your videos.... it's like a silent movie!
I would rather hear you explain what your doing than reading...c'mon! haha

 

[Yuri_Rage]

Most kegs are stainless. Some years ago, kegs were made from both aluminum and stainless, but I don't know of a company that still produces aluminum kegs. I have never personally seen or worked on an aluminum one.

As for the lack of narration...I'd rather concentrate on the work than the talking. I can always add subtitles later, but I don't have a microphone to do after-the-fact voice-overs.

 

[knightbeer39]

Great stuff Yuri! I am planning on having a keg plasma cut this weekend. I was going to use weldless fittings (don't know how to weld), do you recommend against that? Pros, cons?

Also, I noticed your wort return set up in a different thread, what fittings and size hole did you use to create that set up? Looks simple and out-of-way and if you aren't getting channeling, it seems ideal as opposed to a big, awkward return manifold.

Thanks in advance for any help.

 

[NoisufnoC]

good stuff. thanks for taking the time to put together the videos.