Maybe My Workmates Are Fools...

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kevo

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Check this out...

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In a skip at work...needs a clean, but works perfectly! Haven't completely filled it yet, but looks to be about 30L.

But wait, there's more...

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There were two Birko urns! The second has lost its water level/sight glass...and lid, but who's complaining?

Has recent electrician inspection tags on each also - unbelievable.

Any tips on what to use to plug up the missing water level/sight glass appreciated - more questions will be forthcoming as I digest the other threads about brewing with these.

Kev
 
Any tips on what to use to plug up the missing water level/sight glass appreciated

Buy a weldless ball valve fitting and replace the tap altogether. My 2c.

Great score BTW. Very lucky. I got a 40L urn for $10 from my workplace. When I went to collect it, I had to pry it out of the hands of the tradie that was trying to take it home...
 
Buy a weldless ball valve fitting and replace the tap altogether. My 2c.

Great score BTW. Very lucky. I got a 40L urn for $10 from my workplace. When I went to collect it, I had to pry it out of the hands of the tradie that was trying to take it home...

Not so concerned about the tap at this point - more the little hole above it in the second photo - as the vertical level indicator has broken off, I can't fill that urn more than a few cm...

But, valve looks good for down the track.

Kev
 
remove the tap completely and install a new tap as kaiser says then that hole is no more and you have a great urn
 
hey kevo, good score mate!

I'd be trying to remove what's left of the sightglass, and installing a new one. Change the tap, don't change the tap, up to you on that one.

I'd contact birko, see if they will sell you a new sight glass kit. If not, then you'll probably need to make your own. No big deal. Just need to get some acrylic tube, and a right angle brass or ss compression fitting and your done. Will need a bigger hole in the pot though if you do that, so hold off until you've exhausted the option of a proper fitting birko one before you permanently enlargen the existing hole.

Ask on here about acrylic tube. There have been heaps of people here over the years that have given some away (i've been one of them but have none left). The problem is that most plastics places that deal with acrylic tube, will force you to buy several meters of the shit, when all you really need is 30cms of it....So someone that has bought a "length" will usually have leftovers to get rid of.

Doesn't hurt to ask the question.


By the way, the urn sitting on the milk crate reminds me of a good little single vessel recirculating rig i've seen somewhere before ;)
 
Not so concerned about the tap at this point - more the little hole above it in the second photo - as the vertical level indicator has broken off, I can't fill that urn more than a few cm...

But, valve looks good for down the track.

Kev

The sight tube snapped on my crown urn, pretty sure it was an M6 bolt I used to simply plug the hole. I didn't use the sight tube so was a good solution.

Edit: And a lot cheaper than a (although better) ball valve.
 
I am pretty sure craft reader sell sight glass replacements for these.
On my phone so I can't do a search for you.
Cheers
Robbo
 
Good score. Depending on intended use for the vessel I would plug it and use the one with the good sight glass as the HLT. Unless you plan on selling it, then it may be worth fixing it up.

QldKev
 
Yeah the sight glass has it own hole that putting a ball valve won't fix but when you remove the old tap its a perfect fit! the volume of the urns is on the base
 
To block it off go get some ss bolts and orings.
 
Not so concerned about the tap at this point - more the little hole above it in the second photo - as the vertical level indicator has broken off, I can't fill that urn more than a few cm...

Aha, didn't realise that the tap and sightglass were separate. Scratch my idea. Shame as I just threw out an urn sightglass from my urn (different style where the tap and sightglass were a single piece). Held onto it for 5 years, decided it had to go...
 
Definitely fools

(Wouldn't happen at my penny pinching work for sure)
 
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