Need Help With Keggle Please

[JrZyBud]

Hey guys, Im new here ... kinda, this is my first post but I've been reading the boards for a few months now. I finally picked up a keg that Im ready to turn into a keggle but I have a few questions first. I looked all over the board and I couldn't find the answers so here goes ... Oh I'm pretty new to all of this, I just moved up to all grain. I'm using the cooler with manifold for my mash tun, eventually I want to build a single tier system. I have a friend who owns a weld shop so I plan on having everything welded too.

1. Do I need a sight glass on my keggle? What are the benefits and disadvantages to having one?

2. Do I need a thermometer on my keggle and again what are the benefits and disadvantages to having one? Do I need to put something around it on the inside of the keg, like a shield or something? Is it worth the money for one that has adjustable viewing angles?

3. If you look at Sabcos website they have a piece that is bent at 90 degrees attached to the ball valve ... what is that and what is it for?

Any help would be appreciated. Thanks guys!

Buddy

 

[humann_brewing]

First off, welcome to the website, I joined about the same time you did it looks like.

anyways, I will give answering your questions a shot:

1. Sight glass is to see how much liquid you have left. If you are trying for a 5.5 Gallon batch, trying to time your boil to have 5.5 Gallons left when your boil time is up and have 5.5 Gallons marked on your sight glass. It is a whole lot easier than guessing or having it marked on your paddle like I do.

2. Thermometer is good if you are mashing in your keggle or heating sparge water in one. I don't really see a purpose in your boil keggle as a boil is a boil, some more rolling than others but still.... Not sure about the other stuff and angles, but don't think it should be necessary

3. I am guessing it so you can send the liquid that comes out in 90 degrees instead of straight out. I think some people just send it straight down or up if they are recirculating the wort.

P.S. that Sabco is EXPENSIVE $460 for a boil keggle??? I hope you are not shopping for that at their site.

 

[JrZyBud]

P.S. that Sabco is EXPENSIVE $460 for a boil keggle??? I hope you are not shopping for that at their site.

No, Im definitely going to make my own. I was just using theirs as an example of what mine should be like. I see that a lot of people on the boards have three kegs and all of them have sight glasses, thermometers and what not. Im just trying to get a feel for what I need. Thanks for the welcome and the help!

Buddy

 

[double_e5]

I agree, if you are using it for a boil kettle no need for a thermometer. Like was posted above, a boil is a boil. A sightglass is nice, but I get by without one. Fighting through all the steam sucks sometimes, but I just marked a high temp spoon to use as a dipstick. You can definetly put all the bells and whistles on a keggle but you can get by with none of them. The first couple times I used mine I didn't even have a valve. I just muscled that som b!tch around.

 

[Bobby_M]

If you have someone willing to do free welds, put a crap load of bulkheads in and just plug the ones you don't need right away. A sight glass with stainless fittings will only cost you about 19 bucks... PM me.

You might want a thermometer, now or later. Put the coupling in for it and then watch Ebay for a great price on one. If you use it to heat strike or sparge water, you want the thermo. If you chill in place with an IC, you might want a thermo.

I built all three of my vessels in the same way and any of them can act as a BK, HLT or MLT interchangeably.

By the way, where in jrzy are you?

 

[JrZyBud]

Thats not a bad idea ... it can't really hurt to add the extra bulkheads, eh? I think I will do that. I'm going to talk to my welder on Monday. So my next question is about a syphon? It seems to just be some copper tubing and a screen which I'm guessing is to keep out the hops and what not right?

Im from South Jersey ... Williamstown, its about halfway between Philly and Atlantic City.

Buddy

 

[jerryodom]

I'd keep in mind that you might not need to go overboard immediately. I followed the youtube videos to cut off the top of my kegs and installed a weldless ball valve on the bottom of them to start. I built on that. The equipment worked but got better over time adding things like the sights and installed thermometers.

Remember you don't NEED any of these things. They're all just additions to make your life as a brewer easier. Building up is a good option other than spending a ton of money up front and figuring out you want something else later on.

 

[Bobby_M]

I was just saying that it's a lot easier to have a welder put 3 coupling bulkheads in at the same time. If you want to plug them in the short term, cool. However, you don't want to annoy a welder friend with a tiny job every three weeks.

 

[bendavanza]

Welcome.
The sight glass made a world of difference for me, as the steam seems to collect in the kettles as the tops are curved in. I could never see that deep to 5 gallons. The thermometer is useful if you are doing 10 gallon batches, so you know when you're approaching the boil and need to keep an eye out for hot break boil over. I've never had a 5 gallon batch boil over in a 15.5 gallon keg. They are also useful if you use an immersion chiller to let you know your progress. I have a piece of copper tubing to protect the stem on my thermometer probe. I'd go with Bobby's advice, may as well get 3 couplings in now, as you will probably grow with your brewing and it can grow with you. But I did several batches with just my keg lid cut off.
One other thing to consider, if you are having it welded, is to fill the drain holes in the side of the bottom skirt, where it meets the bottom of the keg. That will prevent heat from running up the sides of the kettle. Not the small holes in the very bottom of the skirt where it's rolled because you need little holes there.