Welded Keg Vessel Questions

[maximus]

I am in the process of planning the build for my HLT, MLT, and BK. All three will be in 15 gallon kegs. I will be hiring a welder, so I need my fitting layouts to be right the first time. I have a few questions for the members who have gone through this before. The system will be a direct fire recirculating mash with a 15' jaybird false bottom on the MLT. No fly sparging, but I will recirculate when heat is added to mash. I will be utilizing a single pump. Camlock disconnects will be used on all hose fittings and kettle inlets and outlets. I will be cooling using a large immersion chiller and whirlpooling?


For the MLT and BK I am planing on 3 couplings; liquid in, liquid out, and thermometer (sight glass in BK and possible future sight glass for MLT)

1. For the HLT I am planning on 2 couplings; liquor out and thermometer (possible future sight glass). Is there ever a need to recirculate the liquor in the HLT? Should I go ahead and add a liquor in coupling now?


2. How do you place your couplings and why? Are they flush with the inside of the keg; flush with outside of keg; half in / half out?

3. For the HLT and MLT I do not currently plan on having a sight glass, but I will most likely install an analog thermometer in a 1/2' coupling on each vessel. For these two couplings, I would like to have the option to add a sight glass at a later date. Should these couplings be welded flush with the inside of the keg, due to the size of the hardware for the sight glass kits? I don't want the sight glass tube too far away from kettle. I will be adding a sight glass on the BK from the start.

4. For the MLT at what height above the false bottom, should the thermometer be placed?

5. Would building an inline thermometer post pump be as simple as installing a thermometer in a 1/2' T?

6. For the BK, I am interested in any feedback on what people have had success with for creating a good whirlpool with recirculating using their pump. I am leaning towards using one of these for the pick up tube and a ninety degree street elbow with hose barb for the kettle return. Does the height of the return matter? Would moving it up in the kettle be better than having it at the same level as the pick up tube?

Any advice or feedback is appreciated. I would prefer to do this right the first time.

 

[Walker]

exactly what kind of recirculating system are you building? HERMS or RIMS?

I am not understanding why you need three ports on your BK and HLT.

 

[maximus]

exactly what kind of recirculating system are you building? HERMS or RIMS?

I am not understanding why you need three ports on your BK and HLT.

Direct fire RIMS. I might only need two ports on on the HLT, one for a liquor out and one for a thermometer (possibly future sight glass). Part of my question was, is there ever a need to recirc the liquor in the HLT. I need three on the BK because I will be recirculating the wort during chilling (one inlet, one outlet) and the third port will be for a sight glass / thermometer.

 

[isurf]

You can always go weldless on all ports. What I did was locate and mark on all three kegs where I wanted my ports to be. Got alot of that info from a tun of sculpture pics here on HBT. From this I realized not all ports needed to have any welding at all (weldless fittings). I wanted others to have a welded 1/2" coupler. My sight tube, thermometers all weldless. My MT recirc port welded, my MT ball valve weldless. My BK recirc welded as well as the ball valve. My HLT ball valve welded. I drilled all my port holes in all kegs took them to the welder cost was 60.00$.

 

[redrider736]

2. How do you place your couplings and why? Are they flush with the inside of the keg; flush with outside of keg; half in / half out?

I am in need of this info as well

 

[milldoggy]

I am in need of this info as well

I had mine set on the inside a tad. This gave the welder a shoulder o weld them on.

Here is what I did
Bk: 2 full coupler, one low as possible, one high as possible, wort out and in. I have a return tube of soft 5/8 copper I bent to match in inside angle so I create a whirlpool. My output diptube is a 1/2 hard copper pipe attached to a stainless braid to filter out tub.
1 half coupler for thermo/site glass
1 half for rtd
1 half 1" for electric element
2 full couplers, one bottom, one half way. Initial though was a built in IC. They are plugged right now

MT, cooler, but one out, one in should work

Hlt:
2 full for water out and water in. Low and hgh as possible. I use two pumps, I like to use one to circ my water to make sure temp is even
2 full couplers for herms coil, low as possbile and halfway
1 half 1" for element

 

[redrider736]

I had mine set on the inside a tad. This gave the welder a shoulder o weld them on.

Here is what I did
Bk: 2 full coupler, one low as possible, one high as possible, wort out and in. I have a return tube of soft 5/8 copper I bent to match in inside angle so I create a whirlpool. My output diptube is a 1/2 hard copper pipe attached to a stainless braid to filter out tub.
1 half coupler for thermo/site glass
1 half for rtd
1 half 1" for electric element
2 full couplers, one bottom, one half way. Initial though was a built in IC. They are plugged right now

MT, cooler, but one out, one in should work

Hlt:
2 full for water out and water in. Low and hgh as possible. I use two pumps, I like to use one to circ my water to make sure temp is even
2 full couplers for herms coil, low as possbile and halfway
1 half 1" for element

maximus sorry for highjack'n your thread !!! We seem to be needing the same info for our Keggle build.

I am going to sound like the biggest NEWBIE here, but what are "Full" & "Half" Couplings ?
I got a 1/4" coupling with my sightglass kit from BobbyM. (need to order 2 more by the way

 

[maximus]

You can always go weldless on all ports. What I did was locate and mark on all three kegs where I wanted my ports to be. Got alot of that info from a tun of sculpture pics here on HBT. From this I realized not all ports needed to have any welding at all (weldless fittings). I wanted others to have a welded 1/2" coupler. My sight tube, thermometers all weldless. My MT recirc port welded, my MT ball valve weldless. My BK recirc welded as well as the ball valve. My HLT ball valve welded. I drilled all my port holes in all kegs took them to the welder cost was 60.00$.

I have considered going weldless, but I have been less than impressed with the weldless fittings I have been using on my boil kettle. This is going to be for a coop brewery and will be used frequently by several people. I want to go as bullet proof as possible. Don't want anyone to have to trouble shoot leaky fittings. I have gone cheap in the past and regretted it. It appears that I should be able to line up someone to weld the fittings for <$100 total (if I cut all of the holes in advance). Splitting that across the coop is negible and in my opinion worth the "upgrade".

 

[maximus]

maximus sorry for highjack'n your thread !!! We seem to be needing the same info for our Keggle build.

I am going to sound like the biggest NEWBIE here, but what are "Full" & "Half" Couplings ?
I got a 1/4" coupling with my sightglass kit from BobbyM. (need to order 2 more by the way

No worries, I wouldn't call it a highjack since we are looking for the same info.

My guess for the "Full" & "Half" couplings is the Fulls can accommodate a Male fitting from each side and the "Half" can only accommodate one Male fitting. That sounds dirty.

 

[milldoggy]

No worries, I wouldn't call it a highjack since we are looking for the same info.

My guess for the "Full" & "Half" couplings is the Fulls can accommodate a Male fitting from each side and the "Half" can only accommodate one Male fitting. That sounds dirty.

Correct, half are half as long and only have threads on one side. Make sure to have them welded on the correct way

 

[redrider736]

ThX guys. Just want to ask the right questions, and do things right the first time.
Cheers

 

[maximus]

Correct, half are half as long and only have threads on one side. Make sure to have them welded on the correct way

Thanks for the heads up, I would not have known to check that. 50% chance you saved me a huge headache.

 

[milldoggy]

I gave the welder something with threads so they could tell easily. I also used a sharpy and made notes on where to cut the holes and threads out or in.

 

[maximus]

I had mine set on the inside a tad. This gave the welder a shoulder o weld them on.

Here is what I did
Bk: 2 full coupler, one low as possible, one high as possible, wort out and in. I have a return tube of soft 5/8 copper I bent to match in inside angle so I create a whirlpool. My output diptube is a 1/2 hard copper pipe attached to a stainless braid to filter out tub.
1 half coupler for thermo/site glass
1 half for rtd
1 half 1" for electric element
2 full couplers, one bottom, one half way. Initial though was a built in IC. They are plugged right now

MT, cooler, but one out, one in should work

Hlt:
2 full for water out and water in. Low and hgh as possible. I use two pumps, I like to use one to circ my water to make sure temp is even
2 full couplers for herms coil, low as possbile and halfway
1 half 1" for element

This is the type of information I am looking for. Thank you.