Gly-Coil for Kegmenter

[OakIslandBrewery]

I'd check into one of those stainless steel weldless fittings and see if it has enough depth for the .20 TC cap. I've seen some thermowells with the weldless fitting but you might have to adapt a couple pieces to get what you want, like a separate thermowell that threads into a weldless fitting. Getting the thread depth is the key with the thickness on the TC cap. Besides Amazon there's several places that specialize home brewing fittings, valves and such.

 

[WesBrew]

Thanks. I emailed brew hardware. Prob have to use a couple of pieces like you said. Someone made one out of a gas post on another thread hut not sure how that was done or if it holds pressure

 

[Bago-0]

I emailed Kegland about a coil for the kegmenter. Looks like one is in the works but no ETA yet.

Hi John

Currently we do not. We do have a gen 2 Temp Twister on the way - I don't have an ETA as yest. This is designed for a 4" tri clover fitting, so propbaly keeping an eye out for that would be the best bet.

Kind Regards,
Darin

 

[WesBrew]

I just realized why i had so much trouble drilling and getting the fitting through. The spike cap is thicker. I measured the cap thickness of the one the came with it, thinking they are all the same. The edge of the spike cap is the same but it tapers up on top making it nearly 3/8.

 

[WesBrew]

Mostly finished....

 

[OakIslandBrewery]

Looking Good!

 

[WesBrew]

Finished coil last weekend but had to rebuild my non functioning spunding valve-new valve then tried two digital gauges but they didnt work. Junk. Got a dial on there thursday. Keg Maintained pressure all week. Success!

 

[OakIslandBrewery]

Great build, glad everything is working for you now after all that issues!

 

[WesBrew]

not quite done. the bev dip tube with the bulkhead/post is so short it doesn't protrude past the bulkhead, its useless. I'd have to find a pipe thread attachment like a barb to attach the floating dip tube tube to the post. decided to just get a longer replacement dip tube. when that arrives its brew time.
I've been stocking up on ingredients

 

[OakIslandBrewery]

Did you try pulling the dip tube from a corny keg that could get you into a brew right now then swap it out later? I sourced some scrap kegs and stripped away the good parts for future needs.

 

[WesBrew]

I did try that but it hits the coil and would have to be cut. I'll have to cut this one too and just clamp the tube to it.

 

[OakIslandBrewery]

I know the frustration of working through a build. I'm still working on a motorized grain mill. I swapped out the mill head with a larger unit that was a little different than the other one. So it's taken longer to get that back into operation. I want to brew soon so I got to get it done.

 

[WesBrew]

I know the frustration of working through a build. I'm still working on a motorized grain mill. I swapped out the mill head with a larger unit that was a little different than the other one. So it's taken longer to get that back into operation. I want to brew soon so I got to get it done.

Yeah. the struggle continues, lol. -my last keg of beer just kicked too. I've been waiting to do a 10gallon Alt. I need to find some narrow 10gallon kegs

 

[OakIslandBrewery]

It's a sad moment indeed when the last drop is poured.

I just put the last coat of stain on so I'm real close to get the mill done. The roller head, motor and control box are mounted to a piece of plywood. I can lift that piece on/off the mashtun. I mill my grain directly to the mashtun instead of to a bucket or bin. One less step.

 

[WesBrew]

I just put the last coat of stain on so I'm real close to get the mill done. The roller head, motor and control box are mounted to a piece of plywood. I can lift that piece on/off the mashtun. I mill my grain directly to the mashtun instead of to a bucket or bin. One less step.

That is getting serious on the mlling! I use a drill on 5-10 gallon batches. There is definitely a cool factor to pouring in and pushing a button. Especially if youre doing it often

 

[WesBrew]

And finally the 1.5 gallon diptube came. Shocker: it was too long. hits coil. I cut it down and put everything together.

 

[NewJersey]

I used to ferment in sankes too (for a few batches anyways)
Are you at all concerned with the location of the thermowell being right inside the coils?
I'd think it'd read lower than the beer was actually at, no?

 

[NewJersey]

Love that you got it to work btw and it looks good!

 

[OakIslandBrewery]

That is a great looking setup. Thanks for the pictures. The mill platform is done but I want to add an extension to the hopper. I have one sort of fab up just need to get it fitted but at least I can use it now and certainly need another batch going. With holiday time off of work I want to take advantage of that.

 

[WesBrew]

I used to ferment in sankes too (for a few batches anyways)
Are you at all concerned with the location of the thermowell being right inside the coils?
I'd think it'd read lower than the beer was actually at, no?

I think it might be a degree or two. I don’t know how fast the temperature of the beer will level out in the vessel. I might fill it with water and run a test and see if I need to make temperature adjustments. But I didn’t want to drill holes in the side of the Keg To also be able to use it as a serving vessel.

 

[WesBrew]

Honestly my only real concern is what to do if there is a heavy fermentation, not having a blow off tube. I’ll be venting CO2 with a responding Val.

 

[NewJersey]

I think it might be a degree or two. I don’t know how fast the temperature of the beer will level out in the vessel. I might fill it with water and run a test and see if I need to make temperature adjustments. But I didn’t want to drill holes in the side of the Keg To also be able to use it as a serving vessel.

If you permanently installed (welded) a thermowell in the side it wouldn't effect ita function as a serving vessel, but I do understand why you might not want to do that.

 

[NewJersey]

Honestly my only real concern is what to do if there is a heavy fermentation, not having a blow off tube. I’ll be venting CO2 with a responding Val.

I use a blichmann spunding valve with no blowoff. Set to 1-2psi
There are plenty of ball lock sounding valves you could uses

 

[Broothru]

If you permanently installed (welded) a thermowell in the side it wouldn't effect ita function as a serving vessel, but I do understand why you might not want to do that.

This brings up a question I've thought about. What would be the net effect of using weldless bulkhead fittings, specifically on the top of a kegmenter but not the lid? You could drill and install a thermowell, carb stone fitting, PRV, even a weldless 1.5" TC port which opens up a variety of accessories.

The biggest question would be how much pressure holding capacity might be compromised. Cornelius kegs are "rated" to 130 psig, but I can't imagine anyone crazy enough to test that limit.

That said, most purpose-built kegmenters I've seen advertised seem to be rated around 2~2.5 atm, roughly 32 psig, which seems to be more than enough for the average home brewer's purposes of spunding and force carbing. Can weldless bulkhead fittings safety withstand these pressures?

Brooo Brother

 

[WesBrew]

thermowell is leaking like a sieve. the flat gasket just isn't cutting it and the orange o rings I got are too thick to get it to thread on top. annoying since I called and emailed brew hardware and couldn't get an answer on weather or not this was long enough. put a note on the order form with measurements too. also tried flat washer with flat seal but it isn't long enough to thread. I think I'm left with more drilling of the top to expose more thread unless there is an assembly with a longer thread to pass through the think 3/8 TC plate & a seal.
-the thin flat seal is tearing-

 

[WesBrew]

does anyone know of a thermowell, at least 8" long that has fairly long threads? like 5/8 long or more.

 

[WesBrew]

the first pic is the under/ coil side. thremowell is threaded on top with a weldless coupling to seal it up. goes in from the bottom. 2nd pic shows the top of tc plate w/o the thermowell installed. the last pic shows the thermowell installed with no exposed threads.

 

[apache_brew]

Hard to picture your thermowell issue. Any way you can incorporate a 3/8" compression fitting and use a nylon sleeve? TRUE Weldless Bulkhead - With 3/8 Compression Fitting Bore Thru

Otherwise, taping a temp probe to the sidewall and covering it with a piece of R-13 insulation (or whatever thick insulation) works fantastic and is one less thing to clean and potentially leak.

 

[WesBrew]

This coil is a spike/triclover plate. it was unexpected that the coil-tc plate was way thicker than a common 1/4" triclover plate. so I'm having to pass the thermowell threads with two o-rings through a 3/8 thick steel plate. there are no thermowell threads exposed on top, even with a chamfer, to thread a coupling to seal it up.

 

[WesBrew]

taping the temp probe to the side is an option, then I still have to find a bulkhead & plug the hole with. Is that accurate? if so wish I would have done that a month ago.