# cutting the lip off a 54L pot to reduce height to use as 1V grain bask



## buckerooni (1/1/17)

Hi All,

Considering chopping off around 50mm off the top of a pot - it's the inner pot for my 100ltr system. This is so there is adequate room above the elements (2 x 4500w) - around 25 to 30mm above the elements. The bottom of the inner basket will be at about 90mm from the bottom:





I plan to keep the handles on there but I'm a little worried that cutting off the lip may compromise the structural integrity of the pot - which will be used as a grain basket and will hold up to 15kg of grain with batches up to 80ltr (but mostly 40-60ltr) and be pulley'd out of the pot as well.

The pot is 430x430mm - and I would have up to 15kg of grain in it plus the recirc'd water.





Any thoughts on cutting off the lip? Will it be problematic for ongoing use as a grain basket?


----------



## MHB (1/1/17)

Why? What benefit do you get from shortening the inner pot.


----------



## buckerooni (1/1/17)

good question. once the elements are installed and with some clearance between the elements and the grain basket the inner pot sticks out this much:


----------



## buckerooni (1/1/17)

cutting the pot would give me option 1 - have the recirc coming back in through the outer pot and allowing the lid to also sit on outer pot.

option 2 is not cutting inner pot, and have recirc coming through inner port only allowing lid to cover inner pot.


----------



## Matplat (1/1/17)

I think your concerns are valid, if that pot is one of the cheap ebay ones (same as mine) with 0.5mm walls, it will be floppy as shit. Then you're going to lift 30ish kg... if you're planning on lifting by the handles... s'gunna bend. 

Do you have the capability to weld just the lip back on after cutting? Or can you get a flange cut in thicker (more easily welded) material to replace the lip?

Alternatively if you lift from 3-4 places instead of just two, the problem won't be so bad.....


----------



## TidalPete (1/1/17)

You could hopefully solve your problem by obtaining a suitable length of 12mm x minimum thickness aluminium angle (easier to work with) 
Cut a series of equally-spaced vee's along one side of the angle, bend, & bolt in place with small ss MT screws before you cut off the top of your pot. A bit tedious I know, but the angle will reinforce that weakened top pretty well I would imagine.

The only example I can show you is this pic of a mate's mill where the ally angle was vee'd to hold the motor more firmly in place.
Your pot being of a much bigger diameter means that you can space out the vee's much further.
Hope this helps?


----------



## Maheel (1/1/17)

after you cut it off you have a ring / hoop
1 idea
split the ring so you can then slide it down over the pot you just cut it off
maybe some SS pop rivits to hold it back on ?
that would maybe give you just about the same rigidity

2.
unlikely but maybe you could expand it enough using heat (ring) and cold (pot)
to just slip it on.

i am trying to think of a way of creating a big tube expander in my head for the ring
but the work involved would not be worth it IMO?


----------



## Mr B (1/1/17)

Option 3 - Could mod the lid to fit the pot with the higher inner basket )with a slot for the hose)

I agree that cutting the top off the pot would be structurally weak lifting that amount of grain. As above depends on the thickness. I have a keg with the top cut off (with 'straight' sides) and it is no worries, but I think its around 1-1.2mm thick and lesser diameter. Could also consider cutting top off and using a cross of ally etc to reinforce against lifting points, but I wouldnt really go for this. Althoug a cross on the lifting chain etc that hooks into lifting points... hmm...

Anyway, perhaps thinking about the lid is an option.


----------



## Mr B (1/1/17)

Maheels suggestionabove also has merit, but you would want to seal very wel between skins to keep nasty growths out of there


----------



## Lyrebird_Cycles (1/1/17)

Since they are both stockpots, so presumably both came with lids, one left field solution would be to cut out the larger lid to allow it to slip over the smaller pot and act as a lid for the annular space.


----------



## wide eyed and legless (1/1/17)

The pot is spun, cutting the top with the lip will cause it to loose its shape, due to the stored energy which will be released when you make the cut, I would go with maheel's suggestion 1, but do not fix it back on the so you can easily remove it for cleaning, or use a toggle clamp to fix it.


----------



## Lyrebird_Cycles (1/1/17)

It isn't spun.

Most pots are deep drawn, this looks to be one of the Ebay cheapies from GYH Hotsales in which case it is made from welded sheet.


----------



## TidalPete (1/1/17)

Maheel said:


> Maheel, on 01 Jan 2017 - 6:05 PM, said:
> 
> after you cut it off you have a ring / hoop
> 1 idea
> ...


Be aware that the (snapped) shanks on all pop rivets are pretty much mild steel (they need to be to snap off quickly) & that they will rust with time.
Sealing both ends with a high temp food-grade silicon could perhaps solve the problem but IMHO ss MT screws are the best option in this situation.
Just my 0.02.


----------



## bradsbrew (1/1/17)

Why not make a collar for the outside pot so the inside pot fits under the lid?


----------



## TidalPete (1/1/17)

bradsbrew said:


> bradsbrew, on 01 Jan 2017 - 8:44 PM, said:
> 
> Why not make a collar for the outside pot so the inside pot fits under the lid?


That is pretty much what I suggested in Post 6 but in reverse.
Probably easier as long as the bigger pot's expanded diameter still fits under the lid?
Putting the collar on the inside of the bigger pot would probably do the trick if you get my drift?


----------



## Maheel (2/1/17)

bradsbrew said:


> Why not make a collar for the outside pot so the inside pot fits under the lid?





TidalPete said:


> Putting the collar on the inside of the bigger pot would probably do the trick if you get my drift?


Hey thats WAY WAY to easy and you have to a least cut the other pot into pieces before thinking of this idea.....


----------



## hotmelt (2/1/17)

If you want try this,don't cut up your lid.Just buy a cheap tray.





If you want to cut your pot,mark the cut all round then similar to TP,get a length of ally flat bar and bend it round your pot and bolt or rivet as you go round.Then use that as a guide for the cut and as a stiffener.


----------



## TidalPete (2/1/17)

TidalPete said:


> TidalPete, on 01 Jan 2017 - 4:42 PM, said:
> 
> You could hopefully solve your problem by obtaining a suitable length of 12mm x minimum thickness aluminium angle (easier to work with)
> Cut a series of equally-spaced vee's hacksaw cuts along one side of the angle, bend, & bolt in place with small ss MT screws before you cut off the top of your pot. A bit tedious I know, but the angle will reinforce that weakened top pretty well I would imagine.
> ...


Hacksaw cuts not vee's.

Beer o'clock came early yesterday.


----------



## buckerooni (2/1/17)

thanks fellas, some very interesting ideas here. I'm now thinking about just going down a pot size from 56L to 40L, it should still be good for up to 18kg of grain. All other SS pots I came across have thick bases which make the grinding a real chore, this should do the job:

http://www.ebay.com.au/itm/NEW-38L-STAINLES-STEEL-STOCK-POT-SAUCE-/182395324962?hash=item2a779bca22:g:ihgAAOSwQItT1jCH

I will have to grind out the bottom grooves again, but I'll end up with a better result - a bit more up front toil but less worrying about keeping the thing clean if I have an additional collar/lip to deal with ongoing. Will keep the 56L for BIG brews and deal with the heat loss.


----------



## wide eyed and legless (2/1/17)

A wise move, I have cut into the rolled bead on those spun pots before and you wouldn't believe how much they move when you relieve the stress in them.


----------



## buckerooni (5/1/17)

much better! this is the 38L pot with clearance for the elements:


----------



## Coldspace (7/1/17)

buckerooni said:


> much better! this is the 38L pot with clearance for the elements:


Good read mate, I'm thinking of following in your footsteps this year to up production,

What do you think you get into the 38 ltr? 15 kgs or more?

Cheers mate


----------



## buckerooni (9/1/17)

I hope to get 15kgs in there - should be fineI reckon, won't be a few weeks until I get a bigger batch done. will report back.


----------



## Matplat (10/1/17)

15 kgs might be a little optimistic, i can get 5.7 kgs max in my 19l version... so you'll probably get 11-12 kgs in 38l


----------



## buckerooni (10/1/17)

interesting, will definitely hold on to my 56L pot then!


----------



## n87 (10/1/17)

I can get 22kg in my 56L.... but thats not something i would want to do again in a hurry, that was to the brim.
By my maths, that would be 15kg in a 38L malt pipe... just sayin'


----------

