How do you build a Keggle? Show me please.

[Festmaster]

I would like to build a keggle. I've done some searching on how to do it but there are so many threads on here. I've seen some finished products and and some beginnings to some but I haven't come across one that is detailed. If you would, please outline a process and what parts I would need or if you know of a post already, provide the link. Thanks!!

 

[Cpt_Kirks]

Turn the keg on it's side. Face the top away from you. Press in on the little silver ball in the middle with a screwdriver. Be prepared for a stream of old beer.

Drill a small hole in the top, near the center. This insures all the pressure is gone.

Mark a circle 12" in diameter around the center. A sharpie on a string works well for this.

Take an angle grinder with a cut-off blade, and cut the top out of the keg. Remove the center, cut out part.

Smooth the edges with a file, sandpaper or emory cloth.

You now have a keggle. You can drill holes for welded or weldless fittings as you want.

 

[Festmaster]

I actually have a keg that was cut for me already. Knew a guy that had a plasma cutter. So that part if taken care of. Its the fittings that I would need help with. How big do you make them? what parts would I need? How far off the bottom do you make it? That sort of stuff. Thanks for the help!

 

[SamuraiSquirrel]

bargainfittings.com ......... you can buy all the stuff and I think they have the info on hole size and placement on the website as well.

 

[dinokath]

Check this out. This is what I did:

- Since the top is cut, you are 90% done.
- Go here and get this - Bulkhead
- Take a holesaw made for metal, use some veggie oil for cutting fluid (easier to clean up I think) and cut a 7/8" hole in the keg centered about 1" from the bottom seam. CUT SLOWLY with steady pressure. You can rush if you like, but you'll fry your holesaw blade. Install your bulkhead per the directions with the silver 'barrel' looking part on the inside of the keg.
- Get one of these - Ball Valve - take the rubber handle off. It will melt anyways. Install it on the outside of the keg.
- Get one of these - Stainless nipple - install it on the end of the ball valve outside the keg.

Hook up you high temp silicone line when it comes time to drain and you are good to go. You can install a screen, false bottom, whatever to keep you beer clear(er) when draining but what I have found works best for me is to whirlpool the wort, let it collect in the concave center of the keg and drain it after about 20 minutes. You can tilt it ever so slightly to get as much wort out as possible but I just brew up and extra couple quarts I wind up using the extra quarts to make canned starters, but that's another episode....

Good luck!

Dean

 

[dinokath]

Alternately, a quick search on Google with the terms 'how to build a keggle' yeilded me this step by step guide...

Linky

That new fangled Interweb is something else, let me tell ya...

 

[Festmaster]

Thanks. These are all great!