Fittings For Keg Kettle

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Crunched

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I'm converting a 50L keg into a my BIAB brew kettle/mash tun and just wanted to know what others have done in terms of fittings for taps and thermometers etc.

I was thinking of going with a stainless steel ball lock tap and mashmaster's thermometer (the threaded one). How have others fitted their taps? I would like to weld some kind of threaded socket for the thermometer and something similar for the tap. Are their common fittings for this purpose? I'm able to weld stainless steel and as such would like to build the kettle in a way that would get rid of as many little nooks and crannies as possible to make sanitising easier.

Also, as this will eventually become part of an AG setup, has anyone got any tips on design? And should I build it in such a way that I can later use it as a mash tun? And just build a simple kettle out of my other keg later?.
 
Before this thread gets moved (as it should) to the Gear & Equipment section, I'll give ya my advice, having just travelled the path you're planning to.

1/Only mount a ball valve in your kettle. Especially since you're planning on using it for BIAB to start with. Hard-mounting the thermometer to your BIAB kettle will only get in the way of the bag, especially when you're trying to remove the bag full of wet grain. You'll break your thermometer.
2/ Decide on what size fittings you want to standardise on in your brewery. 1/2" or 3/4"?
I chose 3/4", simply because that's the same size as standard garden hose fittings, which are cheap and easy to use.
3/ In my personal opinion, forget welded sockets. They will only restrict your future expansion or conversion.
4/ Use a simple male/male brass fitting, which can be pushed through the 22mm (3/4") hole you drill in your keg. You can then mount your ball valve on the outside of the keg and your pickup tube on the inside.
5/ Buy a couple of packets of the red fibre washers that are used in your household hot-water lines. They come in packets of 6 and are available in 1/2" and 3/4" sizes. You can use two or three of these washers to pack-out the male/make brass fitting to get a solid seal on both sides.

Using seperate fittings rather than a welded socket gives you the ability to change the design later on. Plus they're a really easy break-down for cleaning.
Also remember that you're boiling the fittings for 60/90 minutes each time you brew. Even if you do get some nastiness in there, it'll be killed off before it hits your cube/fermentor.

I generally break my fittings down once every 6mths to replace the wort-side fibre washers and high-temp plumbers tape. I always forward and back-flow the whole tap & fitting assembly after each brew with just some clean water. I've never had any nastiness issues in my ball valves.

I now use the BIAB kettle as my HLT, since I got a bigger kettlle. The simple fittings allowed me to change the straight male/male to a 90 degree male/male fitting. This gave me the ability to also change the dip-tube to something more practical for the HLT.


I'm sure others will have other ideas, but that's my 2c :)

Brew strong
Tim
 
Before this thread gets moved (as it should) to the Gear & Equipment section, I'll give ya my advice, having just travelled the path you're planning to.

1/Only mount a ball valve in your kettle. Especially since you're planning on using it for BIAB to start with. Hard-mounting the thermometer to your BIAB kettle will only get in the way of the bag, especially when you're trying to remove the bag full of wet grain. You'll break your thermometer.
2/ Decide on what size fittings you want to standardise on in your brewery. 1/2" or 3/4"?
I chose 3/4", simply because that's the same size as standard garden hose fittings, which are cheap and easy to use.
3/ In my personal opinion, forget welded sockets. They will only restrict your future expansion or conversion.
4/ Use a simple male/male brass fitting, which can be pushed through the 22mm (3/4") hole you drill in your keg. You can then mount your ball valve on the outside of the keg and your pickup tube on the inside.
5/ Buy a couple of packets of the red fibre washers that are used in your household hot-water lines. They come in packets of 6 and are available in 1/2" and 3/4" sizes. You can use two or three of these washers to pack-out the male/make brass fitting to get a solid seal on both sides.

Using seperate fittings rather than a welded socket gives you the ability to change the design later on. Plus they're a really easy break-down for cleaning.
Also remember that you're boiling the fittings for 60/90 minutes each time you brew. Even if you do get some nastiness in there, it'll be killed off before it hits your cube/fermentor.

I generally break my fittings down once every 6mths to replace the wort-side fibre washers and high-temp plumbers tape. I always forward and back-flow the whole tap & fitting assembly after each brew with just some clean water. I've never had any nastiness issues in my ball valves.

I now use the BIAB kettle as my HLT, since I got a bigger kettlle. The simple fittings allowed me to change the straight male/male to a 90 degree male/male fitting. This gave me the ability to also change the dip-tube to something more practical for the HLT.


I'm sure others will have other ideas, but that's my 2c :)

Brew strong
Tim

+1

Have just done the same, Ive got a 80ltr pot for my kettle and I will prob use my 50ltr pot for hlt, used all fittings that I can break down and change around if need be..

Cheers
 
I cut my own washers out of a silicon baking tray. Food grade, heat proof and seal brilliantly.
 
I cut my own washers out of a silicon baking tray. Food grade, heat proof and seal brilliantly.
And that's another excellent idea to keep in mind. When I was building mine, I couldn't find a cheap-enough silicon sheet to chop up.

On the other hand, the red fibrous washers are more useful for packing-out the fittings for a nice snug fit.

The best solution is probably a combination of the pair.
 
And that's another excellent idea to keep in mind. When I was building mine, I couldn't find a cheap-enough silicon sheet to chop up.

On the other hand, the red fibrous washers are more useful for packing-out the fittings for a nice snug fit.

The best solution is probably a combination of the pair.

I used two washers made of cut up silicone bakeware. Strange, I don't think of it as the best, but hell, it works!
 
I'm converting a 50L keg into a my BIAB brew kettle/mash tun and just wanted to know what others have done in terms of fittings for taps and thermometers etc.

I was thinking of going with a stainless steel ball lock tap and mashmaster's thermometer (the threaded one). How have others fitted their taps? I would like to weld some kind of threaded socket for the thermometer and something similar for the tap. Are their common fittings for this purpose? I'm able to weld stainless steel and as such would like to build the kettle in a way that would get rid of as many little nooks and crannies as possible to make sanitising easier.

Also, as this will eventually become part of an AG setup, has anyone got any tips on design? And should I build it in such a way that I can later use it as a mash tun? And just build a simple kettle out of my other keg later?.

This post has been edited by Crunched: Today, 12:58 PM

Go the welded socket I love mine it makes cleaning a joy. It also allows you easy access to take apart your pick up tube as well.
 
Cheers for your input guys - and sorry I posted in the wrong forum.

I ended up getting some weld-in couplings about 20 minutes after posting this thread, and the ball lock valve etc to go with it. As for the thermometer getting in the way of the bag and vice versa, I'm planning on putting a false bottom in the keg to lift the bag up a bit (just a wire rack like a cake cooling tray). The thermometer will sit just under this and out of the way of the bag.

After a bit of reading and looking at pics of other people's designs, I reckon you'd be safe either way - cleaning both seems easy.
 
Cheers for your input guys - and sorry I posted in the wrong forum.

I ended up getting some weld-in couplings about 20 minutes after posting this thread, and the ball lock valve etc to go with it. As for the thermometer getting in the way of the bag and vice versa, I'm planning on putting a false bottom in the keg to lift the bag up a bit (just a wire rack like a cake cooling tray). The thermometer will sit just under this and out of the way of the bag.

After a bit of reading and looking at pics of other people's designs, I reckon you'd be safe either way - cleaning both seems easy.

Can I ask where you got the weld-in couplings from?
 
Got them from a place called Allstrut in Canberra. $7 ea, 1/2".
 
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