Just got 2 kegs

[pitt100]

I just got 2 15.5gal kegs froma buddy. I want to convert them to a boil/sparge water kettle and a liqour collection/brew pot for use in a tiered system. What do I need to convert them. Do I need a ball valve and thermometer in each? I haven't seen a tiered system in use so I'm going by the set-ups I've seen on the board. What do you use for getting the strike water into the mash tun? Tubing, free flow from valve into tun or siphon it? How much temperature do you lose when the water flows into the tun? Let me know if I'm leaving anything out. I don't want to get into pumps and stuff--yet. Thanks in advance.
Pitt

 

[Monster Mash]

For the HLT you will want a ball valve and thermometer. A sight glass is not necessary but it is nice to have. The boil pot will only need a ball valve.

If you set it up as a 3 tier system you can get by without a pump but sooner or later you will want one. Everyones systems / locations are different so you will need to figure out how hot your water needs to be to hit your strike temp, start at around 200 and see if that is close. By the time the water adjusts to the cooler it should be around 170 and by the time you mash it it should be about 155 but run some tests to be sure.

You can check out my pics below for some ideas....