Sight Glass off Bottom Drain

[KPSquared]

Hey Guys,

Its late and I'm working a midnight shift so I have some time to think. . . I have an idea rolling around in my head and wanted to see what you guys thought.

I am in the process of building a bottom drain eBIAB system using an upside down keg.

The current plan in to use a 2" Tri-clover to 1/2" MPT fitting from Brew Hardware. Here's where my mind is now whirring. . .

The standard procedure is to attach a 90 and a long nipple then the valve etc.

Im starting to think I'll put a TEE on instead and use the other side to run a sight glass from. Just use a couple 90's to get me turned in the right direction, come across under my brew stand, just like the valve nipple, then when I clear the keg (or come right through the skirt) I'll use another 90 and have a very low place to thread a sight glass into.

I know this violates the KISS principle but I'm wondering if there is any reason this is a bad idea?

My keg is going to be a permanent fixture on a non-mobile brew bench in my garage so I don't have to worry about being portable at all. Everything will be Clean-in-place. I see the possibility of a remote sight glass sticking up the wall, out of the way, at the back of my bench or just a glass up the side of the keg that I can have calibrated right to the last half gallon left in the kettle.

I know none of this is necessary, I just like to try to do things differently when I can. So, any reason this wouldn't work?

 

[JuanMoore]

The sight glass will be useless when there's flow through the drain, but should work otherwise. I find that that's the time I need the sight glass the most, but depending on your process it might not matter.

 

[KPSquared]

I was thinking about that. I don't really need to measure anything if I'm using the drain. . .at least I don't think I do.

If the valve is open I'm either going to be recirculating or chilling wort. Why would I need to know volumes in those instances?

 

[frasij]

One potential problem you may run into is if the outlet with the sight glass goes directly to a pump. When the pump is turned on liquid may be drawn from the sight tube prior to the kettle and air will get sucked in. I simply plug the top of my sight gauge when this happens.

 

[KPSquared]

I bailed on the idea. To many variables. Just have a standard sight glass from BrewHardware. Trying to remember to KISS!

 

[ccleaver2]

I put a tee off the drain temp prob goes in ball valve off the otherside which goes to a pump and the sight glass off the other. As soon as I turn on the pump the liquid in the sight glass drops right away as its inline with the outflow so don't do it I made that mistake.