Keg/Kettle Conversion
Question on cutting the top off a keg to make a boil kettle....
Seems to be two different methods in general, and just looking for some input on what anybody has experience with, and has found to work best.
Method 1 - Cut a hole in the top of the keg, leaving a rim around the inside. Guess most people use this as a mash tun, installing a valve and false bottom.
Method 2 - Cutting around the upper outside edge, going around the handles and leaving them in place. Seems more suited for just a boil kettle, easier to pour out of the top, stir, etc.
Agree? Disagree? Any thought or comments appreciated!
Depends on what you have available for tools. I took a sawzall and cut the top off, like your method 1. That leaves a ring about an inch wide all the way around it, because the sawzall can't reach the blade flush. Then I took the sawzall and made incisions into this ring perpendicular towars the edge to kind of make flower petals. Took vise grips and clampped down on each segment (petal) and worked it up and down til it snapped off. Went around the whole perimeter snapping them off. This left a nice sharp ring exposed, which I took a hand grinder and ground it down smooth. This gave me the full height of the keg, with perfect smooth walls. A little overkill, but if you replace all of the "i"s with "my father" then it was really no sweat at all, he was a sheet metal worker his whole career, so it was nothing for him.
This is an image from the top if it helps:
BTW, stainless dulls down sawzall blades pretty quick, we went through about 6 or 7 of em.
Sorry, this might be a better pic, this is with my old pellet hopper, but you can see the integrity of the keg walls
Thanks Thirsty, looks great in that pic.
Do you use this kettle just for mashing, not boiling?
I'm thinking I will stick with my 48 qt (12 gal) cooler conversion mash tun for now, but want a bigger boil kettle (and would like SS instead of alum turkey fryer pot).
Would it be a good idea to install a valve if only using for the boil? Trying to work out how I am going to chill the wort, pour it out of the kettle, etc.
Thanks again for input!
osky777 wrote:
Do you use this kettle just for mashing, not boiling?
Would it be a good idea to install a valve if only using for the boil? Trying to work out how I am going to chill the wort, pour it out of the kettle, etc.
I use the keggle as quite the multi-tasker.
I first use it as a HLT and heat my strike water. That gets pumped into the mash tun and grains added. During the mash it gets refilled with premeasured sparge water that I give a headstart on heating on the stove. While the mash rests, that gets heated to 190 deg. The HERMS coil then gets dropped into the keggle, and the mash gets recirced throught the HERMS coil to maintain temp towrds end of rest, and to reach mashout. After recirc, I drain the keggle into each blue cooler, which I use as the fly HLT for sparge. While the cooler drains into the tun, the tun runs off into the keggle for boil. After the boil, the keggle is pumped through the plate chiller and into the carboy.
So in my setup a ball valve is absolutely necessary. If you think about it, no matter what you use it for, it will be pretty heavy, a valve to empty is just about required. And the bottom stays hot for awhile once the flame is shut off.
holy crap! Nice set-up.
That is a great setup. Thanks again for the pics.
I like your idea of keeping the whole keg volume, handles and all, but not leaving behind that rim around the inside. I've seen that a lot and it seems problematic for cleaning, stirring, and especially pouring. And with a little more effort up front (as you mentioned) you'll never have to deal with it again.
I'll prob try going without a valve for a few batches, using it primarily for just the boil, but i can see the benefits of having a valve. I'm guessing I'll wind up installing one eventually. I just want to get a few trial batches done before taking the time to go to a weld shop since I don't have the welding knowledge to do it myself, and I can do everything else to get it ready for a boil.
Appreciate the info!
I think most people just cut out the top like thirsty showed and leave it at that. It can server as a kettle and mash tun just fine that way.
As for maybe cutting in like you describe in method to for pouring and stuff...I don't think its a great idea. Mainly because the kegs are a heavier than your standard 15 gallon pot. And when they are even half full, you won't want to be doing much pouring with them. That's why most people install a valve or use a siphon to rack out of the keg.
That's why most people install a valve or use a siphon to rack out of the keg.
I've never siphoned a hot wort. Are there any special methods or procedures to take into consideration when doing this? Whats standard practice, equipment, etc?
osky777 wrote:
That's why most people install a valve or use a siphon to rack out of the keg.
I've never siphoned a hot wort. Are there any special methods or procedures to take into consideration when doing this? Whats standard practice, equipment, etc?
Well, I probably wouldn't recommend siphoning hot wort either. I chill the wort in my kettle with an immersian chiller. If you are using a plate chiller (like thirsty) then a valvue with a pickup tube in the kettle is the way to go.
If you are going to go to full wort boils with a converted keg you need to have a chiller of some sort set up.
Once it is converted, you may check into one if these http://www.midwestsupplies.com/products … rodID=4495 it will allow you to put a valve in, and all you kave to do is drill a hole. The stainless is pretty thick, so a good drill, some lubricant and a good bit are necessary, but much easier to borrow than welding services. I have over 40 batches gone through mine and no leaks.
I also have a converted sankey keg. I drilled a hole and inserted a valve, 30 batches later....no leaks-no problems. I just began building another sankey keg for a mash tun. I'm finally going all grain....LOOK OUT!
I think I'm sold on the Weld-B-Gone. It sounds like the way to go, if you're like me, and you don't have access to a good welder, or the equipment and know how to do it yourself.
Also, whenever possible I would rather do something myself than pay somebody else to do it. I'm sure most people would agree with that, otherwise they would be buying beer that someone else made!
Thanks again for the help...
I went with the weldless bulkhead above and couldn't be happier. Also, you can buy just the bulkhead for $16 bucks and then find your own valve. I also used the bilchmann weldless brewmometer and it rocks as well. My entire sanke conversion including cutting off the top, installing the bulkhead, and the thermometer took about 45min. to do start to finish. A big help was the stepped drill bits I bought at harbor freight. I got a two bit set on sale for $11 bucks. Super fast, but use WD-40 or something to aid in cutting and to keep things cool.
I have done 2 batches in it now and the only problem I have had is that when Lautering I can't seem to get it to run clear. It will start to run clear but halfway through sparging I will see grain start coming through again. I am using an ABT false bottom and the holes look to be the same size I had in my bucket type lauter tun, and I got super clear wort from the buckets. Is it possible that since I am only doing 5 gal. batches that the grain isn't heavy enough to keep the false bottom flush to the bottom? The awsome thing about using converted Sanke kegs is that they hold heat like a mother! on a 60 min. mash I will only have to give it heat for a min. maybe once or twice.
bnelson wrote:
I I am using an ABT false bottom and the holes look to be the same size I had in my bucket type lauter tun, and I got super clear wort from the buckets. Is it possible that since I am only doing 5 gal. batches that the grain isn't heavy enough to keep the false bottom flush to the bottom? .
I think that would be exactly the problem. I would try to rig some type of clamp/clip to keep the FB tightly down. My MT has a spindle in the middle, with a threaded rod sticking up, the FB fits over this and tightens down with a wing nut, keeps grain out nicely.
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