Kettle help

[steelersrbrun]

I bought this kettle from Midwest:

http://www.midwestsupplies.com/heavy-duty-stainless-steel-brew-pot-40-quart.html

The quality is awesome but I need help with my transfer. I bought it pre-drilled and I hooked up the 1/2 weld-less ball valve. When I drain the kettle into my fermentor I am losing about a gallon of wort left in the kettle and I'm still picking up a bunch of trub and hops.

I use an immersion chiller to cool to about 65. I use whirflock. I whirlpool and I let it rest for an hour and I still pick up all kinds of crap in my transfer.

I don't know what else to do. It's getting really frustrating. Is there something I should connect to the NPT on the inside of the kettle? Any help would really be appreciated.

 

[brewguyver]

I've had the same problem for years and just ponied up the cash to fix it. I had a dip tube in my pot but no compression fitting, and I'd lose siphon when the beer got below the outlet port. If you don't have a dip tube, there's no good way to get the rest of your beer out (racking cane could work if it's cool enough).

End result looks like this, but don't buy this one since you already have a bulkhead.
http://www.stainlessbrewing.com/12-Comp-x-MPT-Bulkhead-Fitting-with-Pick-up-Tube_p_91.html

Three options for the dip tube:
1 - go to hardware store and get a 1/2" male threaded fitting to a 1/2 female opening for copper pipe. Get a short length of copper pipe and bend it 90 degrees with a pipe bender and then cut so the bend is just above the bottom of your pot (see stainless example above). Dry fit, and then soldier the dip tube into the copper threaded fitting.
2 - do the same thing, except buy a brass threaded compression fitting (no soldering)
3 - buy a stainless version as a kit. Note that the stainless dip tubes won't work with the brass compression fittings. Copper is typically 1-2" id whereas stainless is 1/2" od.

Since you already have the bulkhead, here's a link to the stainless fittings. Pick the tube bend that works best for you.

Compression fittings
http://www.stainlessbrewing.com/Compression-x-MPT-SS_p_92.html

Dip tubes
http://www.stainlessbrewing.com/Tubing_c_12.html

The 5 at the bottom ("tube bends") are what you want. I use the long 90 degree.

 

[steelersrbrun]

Perfect. Thank you! My only question is on the draw. If I get the long 90 it looks like its drawing directly from the center of the trub pile?

 

[Bobby_M]

Just thread a street elbow in. No need for compression fittings.