Keggle volume question

[jekeane]

My valve is above the 1.5G volume mark on my keggle. The way it was welded I have no way to add a dip tube. For other people in this situation how much wort do you try and get out by tipping the pot. I am trying to figure out my loss to trub/dead space for beersmith...

 

[CadiBrewer]

This doesn't answer your question, but if you can't add a dip tube to that welded port, how about installing a weldless fitting with a valve and dip tube and then using your welded fitting for a thermometer, sight gauge or recirc fitting? 1.5 gallons seems like a lot to leave in the bottom of your kettle.

 

[jekeane]

Cadi: I have thought a bit about that I have a thermometer already again in a funky welded spot. Both the welds are male nipples that the guy then put a 1/2 in to 1/2 female coupling on to screw the thermometer or valve on. Your idea certainly could work and may be something I look into. However, I am currently transitioning to all grain and there are some other items on the priority list.

 

[FuzzeWuzze]

Can you post a picture? I cant imagine how the welding location or technique prevents a dip tube from being installed...you may need to do a DIY dip tube but thats not difficult.

 

[jekeane]

Here are the welds. I didn't think to take one close from the front it is a male nipple to a 1/2 female coupler that receives the valve or thermometer.

 

[CadiBrewer]

There's your problem. The coupler was supposed to be welded to the keg, not the nipple. With the full coupler, you can screw in the dip tube from the inside and the nipple to the outside. Your ball valve then gets screwed to the nipple. Not sure how you remedy it now.

 

[jekeane]

yeah the original owner had some theorhetically great reason for wanting it that way I however am not sure what that was...

 

[Rivenin]

could always get a stopper like you would for a carboy and put some copper right through the middle and bend it down

like this, but with copper maybe? i have this same kinda thing going on for a thermometer in my mashtun.

 

[jekeane]

Rivenin: I could see something like that working. The trick would be finding something that is food grade at boiling temps and would also stay put when it is inevitably bumped by a chiller or spoon.

I have seen them soldered in but that just seems like a cleaning headache if you don't have a pump to blast clean water through the dip tube. If I were going to modify it that much I would rather drill a new hole and put a proper weldless valve in and use the old valve for a sight glass.

 

[charliehorse]

I'd turn the keggle around, and put a weldless on the other side where you need it and put a cap over the welded nipple. Then you can do what you want.

 

[mattd2]

Rivenin: I could see something like that working. The trick would be finding something that is food grade at boiling temps and would also stay put when it is inevitably bumped by a chiller or spoon.

I have seen them soldered in but that just seems like a cleaning headache if you don't have a pump to blast clean water through the dip tube. If I were going to modify it that much I would rather drill a new hole and put a proper weldless valve in and use the old valve for a sight glass.

Given a coupler has a larger OD than the nipple you could try and drill out the nipple and weld in a coupler in the same spot.

 

[haeffnkr]

You could do a few things with that setup -

- Tip up the keggle when you are done boiling and get some of the remaining wort out of the keggle.
This is the simplest and would work well with an Immersion Chiller, since the dip tup would not be in the way
I would try and get about 2/3 of the remaining wort out of the keggle... nothing wrong with trying to get it all out.
Beer will taste same regardless of how much trub you have in the fermenter... it will all settle out and still get you clear beer in the end.

- Have some one weld a stainless street 90 to the inside of the pot - again would be fairly easy to use an immersion chiller with, you need to find a welder....
I like street 90 in the kettle cause it gets most of the wort out but leaves the last bit if really chunky stuff and you get chiller on the bottom of the keggle.

- Get 2 bored through compression fitting and add a dip tube and a valve to the dip tube, not really an ideal solution and costly...and a lot of hardware...

-Get a weldless fitting and add a dip tube or street 90 to the inside of the pot and put the valve on the outside. Plug the existing hole - not a bad solution IMHO

let know what you decide
thanks Kevin

 

[mattd2]

Ok, now thinking slightly outside the box... Get a piece of 1/2 SS tube (I need to check what size ) and bend one end for the dip tube and then flare the other end (make sure the flare od is still smaller than the od of the thread). Then use an o-ring behind the flare and insert it into the nipple. Thread the valve on to secure the dip tube in place and seal the flare against the o-ring/nipple end.
Don't know if that is actually feasible but you should be able to.

**** You might be able to use 5/8" tube but it would be a snug (or no go at all) fit if the nipple is sch 40 (and being threaded I would expect it to be).

 

[jekeane]

Appreciate all the ideas... I tipped the first time I used it and really dont see any problem with that espeacially if I use hop bags my first batch I used whole leaf hops bcse that is the only way I could get the variety I wanted. I used a hop bag and when I racked that beer on fruit yesterday there was minimal trub in the primary.

I am really trying to figure out how to get all my volume numbers to figure out my boil off rate without leaving 1.5g in the bottom of the keggle. Part of that question I suppose is what is best practice in terms of what you leave in the BK for all grain. With extract I dumped everything but I didn't have a ball valve. Those beers after time in the keg are plenty clear and tasty.