Keggle waiting for me at home!

[cweston]

I just got an e-mail from FedEx saying it's been delivered.

Dang--I might have to find some excuse to go home early this afternoon and just stare at it longingly.

 

[Walker]

where did you get it, and how much did it cost?

I'm going to start gathering AG gear under the ruse that I am just trying to move my extract brewing out of SWMBO's kitchen. She understand the need for a propane burner, but hasn't put 2 and 2 together that a propane burner does NOT mean that I need a larger kettle.

If I can get a keggle before she realizes that I duped her, I'm all set.

-walker

 

[cweston]

where did you get it, and how much did it cost?

I got it as a "buy it now" on e-bay, from a guy in California whose name escapes me (I could look it up).

It's a reconditioned and acid-washed sanke keg, cut with a 12-inch openning, drilled, and fitted with a brass no-weld bulkhead and ball valve. So (I'm assuming) I'm going to have to rig up the siphon tube, and of course I may evntually want to replace the no-weld brass with welded stainless, but I'm not worrying about that at all right now.

I paid $69.99 + about 25 shipping, so just under a bill, total.

I could have gotten one with welded stainless ports from Sabco for 100 + 25 shipping. I figure I'd have spent another $35 or 40 on the stainless valve and fittings, so I saved about $60 or more by going with brass no-weld, I figure.

 

[Walker]

I got it as a "buy it now" on e-bay, from a guy in California whose name escapes me (I could look it up).

thanks. I have been periodically searching for "keggles" on e-bay, but have not yet come across one. how was it listed? "sanke keg"?

 

[Baron von BeeGee]

And you still haven't acquired a mere 10lbs or barley? You've got fortitude, man!

 

[cweston]

I think I found it searching on "kettle"

I'll look up the seller later but I need to go right now.

 

[Dude]

I just got an e-mail from FedEx saying it's been delivered.

Dang--I might have to find some excuse to go home early this afternoon and just stare at it longingly.

You'll be SO happy with it. Full boils are the bomb.



Walker, before you start acquiring, start a thread for advice on what NOT to do. It might save you some hassle. All I'm saying is DO-IT-RIGHT the FIRST time and save yourself some money in the long run.

 

[Walker]

Walker, before you start acquiring, start a thread for advice on what NOT to do. It might save you some hassle. All I'm saying is DO-IT-RIGHT the FIRST time and save yourself some money in the long run.

man, now you have me worried.....

I was just gonna get a keggle, Bayou Classic burner, and a couple of Igloo/Coleman/Themos coolers for a mash tun (DIY manifold or false bottom) and pre-heated sparge water vessel (with a DIY water trickler do-hickey.)

-walker

 

[Brewiz]

thanks. I have been periodically searching for "keggles" on e-bay, but have not yet come across one. how was it listed? "sanke keg"?

Look under "keg" too.

 

[cweston]

man, now you have me worried.....

I was just gonna get a keggle, Bayou Classic burner, and a couple of Igloo/Coleman/Themos coolers for a mash tun (DIY manifold or false bottom) and pre-heated sparge water vessel (with a DIY water trickler do-hickey.)

-walker

That's the idea for me, too. The keggle was the only thing that costs real money: I already had the propane burner, I made a CPVC manifold for a 34 QT cooler I already had and I have another cooler I can use as a HLT (probably not even necessary with batch sparging until the second batch--I'll just draw hot water directly from the keggle.)

I haven't rigged any kind of sparge arm--I'm going to try batch sparging first.

The keggle I know will last forever--the other stuff I have such a chump change investment in that it'll be no big deal if I decide I need to replace any or all of it with fancier gear in the future.

 

[Baron von BeeGee]

If you still have the pot that came with the fryer they are ideal for heating up mash water for batch sparging.

 

[El Pistolero]

(with a DIY water trickler do-hickey.)

Here's my line-in-the-sand. $200+ for a keggle and all the fittings, $80+ for a ten gallon mash tun and all the fittings, but I am not spending one more penny on some sissy boy whirly-gig sparge arm.

 

[Walker]

Here's my line-in-the-sand. $200+ for a keggle and all the fittings, $80+ for a ten gallon mash tun and all the fittings, but I am not spending one more penny on some sissy boy whirly-gig sparge arm.

I'm hoping to come in a way under $280+ for the gear, but I haven't done any research about how much I'll have to spend on fittings. The only things I know the prices of are coolers and burners (and keggles from sabco, but I don't know how those are actually equipped, if at all.)

I'm in no real rush. I won't be doing any AG batches until after I move in July for sure, so that means that coolers and fittings can wait. I *could* get the bigger pot and propane burner now and do full-volume boil extract batches, but I am perfectly happy continuing to cook in the kitchen for now and do partial boils in my 5gal SS pot.

-walker

 

[cweston]

The only things I know the prices of are coolers and burners (and keggles from sabco, but I don't know how those are actually equipped, if at all.)

Sabco charges $60 for the cleaned and cut keggle only, $100 for the keggle drilled with welded stainless couplings for bell valve and thermometer. Shipping to Kansas was an estimated $20. You can add on whatever you want from there: ball valves, false bottoms, thermometers, sight glasses... $200 would probably be about right for one with a stainless ball valve, ready to go.

I was strongly considering buying the $60 job and drilling it myself, jerrymandering my own bulkhead from brass fittings, brass ball valve, etc. What I bought just seemed like a slightly better deal. You can get all the brass fittings anywhere--stainless is a little harder to find non-mail-order

 

[Walker]

Sabco charges $60 for the cleaned and cut keggle only, $100 for the keggle drilled with welded stainless couplings for bell valve and thermometer. Shipping to Kansas was an estimated $20. You can add on whatever you want from there: ball valves, false bottoms, thermometers, sight glasses... $200 would probably be about right for one with a stainless ball valve, ready to go.

I was strongly considering buying the $60 job and drilling it myself, jerrymandering my own bulkhead from brass fittings, brass ball valve, etc. What I bought just seemed like a slightly better deal. You can get all the brass fittings anywhere--stainless is a little harder to find non-mail-order

Since I am a cheap bastard, I'm thinking I can just get the cut and cleaned keg and go with that. No need for any bells or whistles... I just need a big ass pot to boil things in.

Add in $50 for a burner, and I'm at about $130 (including the approximate shipping of a $60 sabco to me in NC). Then, I just need the coolers, a manifold, a sissy-gig, and drainage fittings for the coolers, right?

-walker

 

[cweston]

Since I am a cheap bastard, I'm thinking I can just get the cut and cleaned keg and go with that. No need for any bells or whistles... I just need a big ass pot to boil things in.

I think the problem is that the thing weighs probably 25 lbs empty (FedEx listed the shipping weight as 31 lbs). I think getting water or wort out of it any way except through a ball valve is going to be a big PITA.

But you could definitely get it and just use it as a big-ass pot, and worry about the valve later.

 

[Walker]

I think the problem is that the thing weighs probably 25 lbs empty (FedEx listed the shipping weight as 31 lbs). I think getting water or wort out of it any way except through a ball valve is going to be a big PITA.

There are these ingenious things called "siphons" that I've heard about. Apparently, you don't have to lift anything at all.

-walker