# AHB Articles: turning a keg into a keggle



## pb unleaded (7/12/09)

This is the discussion topic for article: turning a keg into a keggle
edit:
sorry, didn't mean to start this thread and can't delete it.


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## robbo5253 (2/3/12)

Just a question on cutting a keg, which way do most do it?
Cut from the side and leave the handles as per the wiki, or cut from the top with a small lip around the outside?

I am leaning towards cutting from the side as I will be doing BIAB until I get the hang of it and this will mean no catching the bag on lifting.

What are others thoughts?

Cheers

Robbo


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## razz (2/3/12)

One good thing about leaving a lip Robbo is being able to put a lid from a pot or frying pan on top.


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## hsb (2/3/12)

I cut a circle in the top of the keg to end up with something like this (not mine)






If I could do it over, I might consider turning the keg upside down and cutting this circle in what was the bottom of the keg, so you have a ready made bottom-draining fitting (the old coupling from what was the top of the keg.) 

I'm not a fan of cutting the whole top off the keg minus handles, it looks like it weakens the keg itself, you'd get a bit of flex in there from removing the rim around the top? Not a huge deal but since you're only going to do it the once.. It's also handy having somewhere to rest stuff on top of the keg - I find myself dumping the mash paddle/stirrer/odds and ends around the top there on a brewday.

I'd say the 'majority' definitely cut as per the picture above, doesn't make it best though and FWIW I don't BIAB.


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## bignath (2/3/12)

As per hsb supplied photo.

Definitely go the fitted lid from a saucepan. Helps bring up to boil. just make sure to remove the lid when it gets there, or earlier.

If going gas fired you cant bottom drain, but if electric, you could possibly use the coupling point to install an element if you can find one that fits.

Also agree the handles add (or retain) some funtionality on brewday, not just for lifting either. I also store my paddles and transfer tubes around the top rim on brewday.

Depressurize keg before going it with a grinder too....


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## BOG (2/3/12)

Cut it as per the picture above with the hole size ready to take saucepan lid sourced from Woolworths (lid only available)

Cut lid with Grinder and wooden cutting jig.

See ebay video on how to make jig. perfect cut every time.


BOG


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## Malted (2/3/12)

hsb said:


> I cut a circle in the top of the keg to end up with something like this (not mine)
> 
> If I could do it over, I might consider turning the keg upside down and cutting this circle in what was the bottom of the keg, so you have a ready made bottom-draining fitting (the old coupling from what was the top of the keg.)
> 
> ...



I dissagree. The walls of them are thick enough that they do not flex if you cut the whole top off. Why do you need a lid on a *keggle*? I have tried both styles myself: just cut a circle or cut the whole top off. I think taking the whole top off makes them heaps easier to clean. I cut down the ring from the top and welded handles to the side of the keggle, this worked very well. Another has no handles but because it is on a frame, it has no issues. 

I agree with cutting the arse out of it and using the spear coupling to fabricate a bottom draining outlet, if it were a mash tun. Bottom draining *keggle* might be ok if you had an electric element in it but if gas fired, well that could complicate things.


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## Wolfy (2/3/12)

BOG said:


> Cut it as per the picture above with the hole size ready to take saucepan lid sourced from Woolworths (lid only available)
> 
> Cut lid with Grinder and wooden cutting jig.
> 
> See ebay video on how to make jig. perfect cut every time.


With a decent angle grinder I think it's just as easy to do it by hand without the jig.
Will have to visit the local Safeway to see if they have lids to fit.


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## peaky (2/3/12)

I cut the top out as per hsb's photo then just welded some tabs around the edge piece that was cut out. The cut-out bit then becomes the lid, the tabs stop it falling back in the hole. It has a 1mm gap around the edge of the lid but it's only used to help get the boil going a bit quicker then it's removed.


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## scooter_59 (2/3/12)

I have watched the how to on cutting the tops out of the kegs . To me it seems to be a lot of dicking around to create a jig when all I did was use the guard on the grinder as a guide simple really .


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## JaseH (2/3/12)

I did mine free hand with no jig - its not needed. Mark out a circle to suit a 32cm glass lid, use a thin cutting disc on a 100mm angle grinder. Make a shallow groove using light pressure on the first run following the line, make sure to go slightly inside the line rather than outside(easy to enlarge the hole later, but you cant shrink it!), the disc will track in the groove from then on, do a few more passes around until you break through and your set. If the hole is too small for your lid, use a grinding disc to enlarge it a bit at a time until your lid fits.

I've done 4 kegs this way and they came up perfect! I also clean up the edges with a flap disc as the final step, but you could use a file in a pinch.


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## Hammo7 (2/3/12)

robbo5253 said:


> Just a question on cutting a keg, which way do most do it?
> Cut from the side and leave the handles as per the wiki, or cut from the top with a small lip around the outside?
> 
> I am leaning towards cutting from the side as I will be doing BIAB until I get the hang of it and this will mean no catching the bag on lifting.
> ...


Hey Robbo.
I would cut from the side and leave the handles if you are doing BIAB. The Bag does catch if you don't have the hole big enough. I had tried using a keggle with just the top cut out and wort goes every where as the bag squeezes through the hole. Ended up giving the keggle the flick and acquired one of Ross' 70L pots.
Cheers,
Hammo.


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## robbo5253 (5/3/12)

Cheers to all for the replies, I think I will go the hole in the top as I think I will eventually end up with a 3v brewery.
If it doesnt work * can always cut from the sides.

Cheers

Robbo


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## breakbeer (22/4/12)

I'm having trouble figuring out how to de-pressurise a keg so I can start at it with an angle grinder & drill

This is a picture of the valve..




all of the videos I've watched have different types & methods but none that look like the above image. Has anyone that's done it before got any advice?


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## iralosavic (22/4/12)

Just push the valve in deep enough to open it. A screwdriver would work fine


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## bignath (22/4/12)

iralosavic said:


> Just push the valve in deep enough to open it. A screwdriver would work fine



Yep.

Just keep your face away from it as you depress the valve (it will take a fair bit of effort) otherwise it's golden shower time.... :lol:


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## breakbeer (22/4/12)

Just had another go at it, thought I mustn't have been pressing hard enough.

Propped it up against a wall, on it's side & put all my weight behind the screwdriver. Didn't budge at all


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## bradsbrew (22/4/12)

breakbeer said:


> I'm having trouble figuring out how to de-pressurise a keg so I can start at it with an angle grinder & drill
> 
> This is a picture of the valve..
> 
> ...



Drill a hole in the section you are cutting out.


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## homebrewkid (22/4/12)

just push down on the rubber the gas will escape when it has no gas left you need to undo the whole top by gripping it with something i used a 3 jaw oil filter remover and it was easy to undo with that 
it wont come out when you undo it you need to grab the centre metal bit [inside the rubber seal] lift it and turn it to disengage the spur then it all comes apart 
google how to open ''A'' type keg if you run into problems 
or you could just depressurise it and drill a small hole in the lid to be sure since you are going to cut it off anyway


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## Maheel (22/4/12)

use a socket that fits the rubber area and can slide down the steel bit and a Tbar socket bar 

put socket bar on throw a towel over the top and depress the rubber with the tbar 

once no pressure 

you do have to drop the middle stem bit in, use a big pair of plyers / multigrips to grab the stem and lift twist till it "drops" 

then i used a thin punch to get it turning by taping it around via the little hole then just turn it by hand "righty tighty lefty loosen"  

once you get it all out cut the little lock tab off the spear if it has one...


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## pk.sax (22/4/12)

Jab down on the rubber seal with a bigass screwdriver and wedge the screwdriver in, let the pressure escape.

Commence cutting, when you finish cutting, lift out top and spear etc all in one.
I cut a similar one open couple of weeks ago and the damn outer ring was jammed tight. No amount of effort will get it out.

Also, if you try hard enough, you will be able to lift out the rubber seal. Then you can cut the little steel collar thingy underneath that holds the spring down (don't worry, taking the rubber spring out released the spring already) and can lift the spear out.


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## breakbeer (22/4/12)

Maheel said:


> use a socket that fits the rubber area and can slide down the steel bit and a Tbar socket bar
> 
> put socket bar on throw a towel over the top and depress the rubber with the tbar



:lol: I feel like a bit of an idiot. Didn't realise I had to press on the rubber, I was pressing on the centre :blink: 

I have now de-pressurised the keg! Thanks everyone who replied

Don't think I'll bother trying to take it apart as I'm gonna cut the top off anyway


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## homebrewkid (22/4/12)

breakbeer said:


> :lol: I feel like a bit of an idiot. Didn't realise I had to press on the rubber, I was pressing on the centre :blink:
> 
> I have now de-pressurised the keg! Thanks everyone who replied
> 
> Don't think I'll bother trying to take it apart as I'm gonna cut the top off anyway



be aware that pressure can and most likely will build up in there as more C02 comes out of the beer that is still in there
release the pressure again and drill a hole in it otherwise you will get hurt if you take a grinder to a keg you thought you had released the pressure from or at the very least you will cop a faceful of stale beer spray


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## Maheel (22/4/12)

breakbeer said:


> :lol: I had to press on the rubber, I was pressing on the centre :blink:



yeah but dont worry your not the 1st


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## breakbeer (4/5/12)

finally got around to chopping the lid section out of the top of the keg. It was much easier than I thought it would be!

I was thinking of using a section of the stainless dip tube for my thermowell, just chuck a plug in one end (or clamp it shut with a vice) & the temp probe in the other end, through the lid. Has anyone done this or think of a reason why it wouldn't work?


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## homebrewkid (4/5/12)

im thinking it would work if it was plugged properly not just crimped shut

due to the size [around 7/8" or so] it might be a good idea to plug the top of it with cork or something so the temp inside the thermowell would not be influenced by the ambient temp in the fridge [im assuming this is what you are planning on doing with it]
with it plugged both ends and the sensor inside, the temp in the tube will pretty much remain the same as the wort it is immersed in [makes sense to me at least]

hope this helps.

cheers: HBK


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## breakbeer (4/5/12)

homebrewkid said:


> .... it might be a good idea to plug the top of it with cork or something so the temp inside the thermowell would not be influenced by the ambient temp in the fridge [im assuming this is what you are planning on doing with it].......
> 
> cheers: HBK



I'm building a single vessel very similar to Big Nath's and was thinking of running the thermowell through the lid of the keggle. I still haven't decided what kind of temp probe to buy yet, or if I should just go with the standard one that comes with the stc-1000. Either way, I wanted to run a thermowell 2/3 of the way down


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## iralosavic (4/5/12)

A thermowell of that size would result in thermometer inaccuracy unless you flooded it with a highly conductive liquid. A dry thermowell really needs to hug the probe as closely as possible.


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