weldless keggle lid

[BreWirfel]

Haven't seen this here yet, so i thought id share. I recently built a keggle using weldless fittings, and was looking for a cheap way to make the lid out of the cutout. Welding washers in place is a popular option...and great if you can weld. I thought about trying to solder them, but that doesn't seem to be very secure....so i went old school and used stainless hardware and just screw and nutted them on.

Stainless fender washers, machine screws, and some nylon locking nuts. i drilled the hole on the very edge of the "lid" and attached the washers with the screws/nuts. worked perfectly, no welding, and i have a lid for under 5 bucks in hardware.

hope this helps someone with a weldless keggle build. so far i have been able to keep everything stainless, and no welding (and no leaks)

thanks to everyone on HBT for the tips/tricks/contacts. my full stainless keggle has cost me around 80 bucks

 

[Bobby_M]

Crafty man.

 

[buzzkill]

very slick..I will now do this with mine(was waiting to find a welder for the washers) having one lid with multiple pots is a hassle. I was also going to notch my lid so I can have my IC in it while lid is on.

 

[Sawdustguy]

Works for me......

 

[Ryan_PA]

Looks good man.

 

[Poobah58]

Brilliant!

 

[jonp9576]

i am most impressed with the cut you made to get the lid out of the keggle. what did you use?

 

[BreWirfel]

i am most impressed with the cut you made to get the lid out of the keggle. what did you use?

thanks

Believe it or not it was an angle grinder with the plywood "jig" i read about on here (i think there is a youtube video as well. it worked FLAWLESSLY. took less than 10 mins to cut it out and i hit the edge with my die grinder to clean up the burr. there is less than 1/8 gap and almost perfect.

similar to this one

 

[IrregularPulse]

What are you going to plug teh middle hole with while coming up to temp?

 

[BreWirfel]

What are you going to plug teh middle hole with while coming up to temp?

i have been thinking about that. I think i am going to take the original valve assy, remove the valve, and install a 1/2 inch bolt that is long enough to grab as a handle, with fender washer that is big enough to seal the mouth with a dab of RTV where the split ring used to be to keep it from spinning out

or ill throw a cork or something in it.

 

[DeepSea]

I used this method after having the clamps come loose mid cut with the wooden jig.

[ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tUArSVSc_WI]YouTube - Keg to Keggle (Kettle) brew pot via disk grinder (tutorial)[/ame]

 

[BreWirfel]

nice jig setup

 

[BarnabyHooge]

Nice! I was going to use JB Weld. Any idea why that wouldn't work? I am going to fill the middle with a heat stick on one of them so I can heat the strike and sparge water with a lid on. On another lid, I was thinking I could just go with a couple of washers with treaded rod. You could top the rod with just about anything that you can screw on... small tap handle?

 

[Arkador]

I simply used the lid from my 4gal boil kettle as a template and cut the hole to fit that lid. When i was smoothing it down with a grinder I had to open up one or 2 spots where i didn't make it perfectly round.

 

[BreWirfel]

Nice! I was going to use JB Weld. Any idea why that wouldn't work? I am going to fill the middle with a heat stick on one of them so I can heat the strike and sparge water with a lid on. On another lid, I was thinking I could just go with a couple of washers with treaded rod. You could top the rod with just about anything that you can screw on... small tap handle?

the threaded rod will work too, but hard to get in stainless...not that it is that critical for the lid. I have found no official documentation that JBWeld is FDA approved...i know you can use it on pipes, but dont want to take the chance around the water/beer. again...the lid does not really contact the wort (other than condensation drip) so it is probably fine. the tap handle is an awesome idea.. you wont burn yourself grabing the rod.

 

[dmbnpj]

I was messing around tonight making lids as well. Came up with the idea of using the stainless tubing that comes out of the keg and turning it around to use as a handle. Haven't tried it yet, so it might still get hot.

 

[BreWirfel]

I used that method on my trial boil run after making the keggle. I pulled it out while getting to the boil point, and put it in to remove the lid. if it lines back up though you may drop your lid into the wort. (and possible splash and burn yourself) Im going to stick with my good old OveGlove and not worry about it.

 

[dmbnpj]

I'm confused on what you did. My lid cant fall into the keggle because I used washers around the perimeter. And the reversed stainless tube is bolted in, so that wont drop down either.

 

[BreWirfel]

i didnt bolt the tube in. i kept it removable so it wouldnt get hot, however with the length i dont think it will get too hot to touch.

if you put your lid at an angle it can fall in. that is part of why i put 6 washers on mine, however the way you put yours in might help (more washer sticking past the edge)

your setup will work well.

 

[dmbnpj]

Gotcha, I'd like to come up with a better handle idea rather than the entire length of tubing sticking that far up. While keeping in mind only using crap around the house. If I were to spend money on it, I might as well just find an aluminum pot lid off ebay or something.

 

[Sizz]

FYI, you can get a universal lid at walmart for $10. It's stainless and has a glass middle. Target has a similar one but I think it's aluminum + glass. Not as cool as a home made one but I tossed my top before I realized I could use it as a lid. Looks like this one on amazon.

 

[dmbnpj]

Word, yeah I was looking around to buy also but since I still had the cutouts figured I'd try to save $30 or so. The lids really don't do much other then prevent pine needles and tree crap from falling in when I brew in my backyard.

 

[nbspindel]

with a lid from your sanke though, and even only an 1/8" gap, anything that falls on the lid still slides into the boil. even if it sits on top, you probably can't grab it without accidentally pushing it in. if walmart/target lids fit, it might be best to use them for better coverage.