Keggle build question

[deadboy]

I'm setting up for all grain with a 3 vessel HERMS and will be using a half barrel sized keggle. I am going to have some manner of mesh screen on the drain valve to prevent dregs from entering the pump/chiller/fermenter but I wonder where are the optimal places to put the ball valve for draining the kettle and the return for coming back from the chiller to minimize the disturbance this causes to the wort?

I asked this over in a thread on electric brew forum but it wasn't my thread and I didn't want to outright hijack it. Also I can reach a wider knowledge base here for keggle builders.

 

[Jdk261]

The center of my keggle valve is 1" above the bottom skirt of the keg.

 

[deadboy]

That's what I was figuring for the valve. Any advice for returning the wort from a chiller plate? I initially thought just down thru the top but that leads to a lot of agitation to the wort leading to foam and mixing up the sludge.

 

[water2beer]

As far as returning to the keggle, you could use a whirlpool port, but that would require a pump to execute. You might be able to not use a pump if the height difference is enough.

 

[deadboy]

I do have a pump to pull out of the kettle and run thru the chiller plate/into the fermenter so I could definitely something along those lines. Obviously to create a whirlpool effect I'd have to somehow point the in flow toward the side of the kettle rather that straight in which would just shoot the cooling wort into the sludge. I guess I could add a 45 degree elbow to the inside of the port and angle the jet...