Drilling Hole for Fitting

[DeRoux's Broux]

i'm about to drill a hole in my kettle so i can put a fitting in it. should it be 1" off the bottom of the kettle, or more? i have a 7/8" bit that i'm going to use.

thanks
DeRoux's Broux

 

[Janx]

Ours is at least an inch off the bottom because we have a converted keg and you don't want to hit the seam. We have a little filter on the inside to filter the hops and we do have to tilt it to get all the wort out.

I'd put it as low as you safely can, but make sure to take into consideration whatever filter you'll be adding to the inside. It will need clearance off the bottom of the kettle. Ours is kind of a hollow cylindrical tea-ball type thing that threads into the fitting from the inside. So it needs at least an inch.

 

[Uncle Fat]

Mine's about the same way (converted kettle, fitting above the seam). I use a couple of pieces of copper pipe with an elbow to reach the bottom (no tilting). It's held on to the bulkhead with a compression nut and I haven't had a problem yet.

 

[DeRoux's Broux]

Mine's about the same way (converted kettle, fitting above the seam). I use a couple of pieces of copper pipe with an elbow to reach the bottom (no tilting). It's held on to the bulkhead with a compression nut and I haven't had a problem yet.

cool guy's, thanks. i didn't plan on having a hop filter i hadn't read anything about having one......i'll see how the first batch goes this weekend.....and if i need to modify, i'll do it before the next batch.

Cheers!
DeRoux's Broux

 

[Janx]

Well, a lot of us go into the chiller from the kettle, so the hops could clog that up and make everything a PITA. So something to keep them in the kettle is nice. Get yourself a Chore Boy or similar scrubby steel Brillo pad (not the kind with built in soap) and shove that in the outlet hole inside the kettle. That'll be a good enough temporary filter.

 

[Uncle Fat]

I'd really think about adding SOME kind of filter medium. My first attempt was without a filter, and it clogged several times in the first batch... Had to tilt the kettle into a strainer to empty it (and what's the point of having a valve at that point?) After that, I got a bazooka screen which solved the clogging problem, but I still had to tilt a bit toward the end. Now I have the down-tube with a false bottom, and LOVE it.


Of course if you're using a hop-sock or something similar, you don't have to worry about the clogging.

 

[D-brewmeister]

So does a fitting for a sanke keg work w/ a regular stainless brewing pot? The one I want to outfit has a slightly curved bottom, as you can sort of see from this photo (the photo makes the curvature even more accentuated, due to the angle):

Would a fitting leak alot if fitted to this sort of kettle? And what about the internals, I have a "sure screen" that is designed to fit over a racking cane (3/8" ID) and wondered if that would fit over the end of the fitting, or would I have to spring for one of those bazooka screens? (which do look pretty cool! But my pot is just barely wider than 12", would it fit in there?)

 

[Uncle Fat]

What's the volume of that pot?? it's definitely more of a curve than a sanke keg. If you're using a fitting with high temp o-rings, you might have a problem. Even with a keg, you have to tighten the fitting REALLY well to get the o-ring to seal. With a pot like that, I'd think the best way would be to get a couple of stainless pipe washers (one for inside, and one for outside), and bend them to conform to the curve of the pot. Then put the o-ring between the washer and pot.

Your sure-screen will work fine. Fit it over a piece of soft copper (refrigerator) pipe (you can find it in any hardware store), and use a compression fitting to connect the pipe to the valve fitting you're going to install (it's even easier than it sounds).

Here's a directory of links homebrew systems.
Homebrew Systems
Some of them are really worth checking out for detailed design descriptions (some even have schematics).

 

[uglygoat]

great site uncle fat!

thanks much

the history of their homebrewing and the evolution of their brewery is awesome.

 

[D-brewmeister]

What's the volume of that pot?? it's definitely more of a curve than a sanke keg. If you're using a fitting with high temp o-rings, you might have a problem. Even with a keg, you have to tighten the fitting REALLY well to get the o-ring to seal. With a pot like that, I'd think the best way would be to get a couple of stainless pipe washers (one for inside, and one for outside), and bend them to conform to the curve of the pot. Then put the o-ring between the washer and pot.

Your sure-screen will work fine. Fit it over a piece of soft copper (refrigerator) pipe (you can find it in any hardware store), and use a compression fitting to connect the pipe to the valve fitting you're going to install (it's even easier than it sounds).

Here's a directory of links homebrew systems.
Homebrew Systems
Some of them are really worth checking out for detailed design descriptions (some even have schematics).

Would the same compression fittings fit on both inside and outside of the valve? I would need to use the same size copper pipe (3/8" OD) for outlet hose and the screen inside.