Taps On Kettles

[Maxt]

As I am about to put a tap on my kettle, I was wondering what the verdict is on the position of the tap. If it is too low, surely you are drawing from the bottom of the kettle , and if it's too high you need to tip the kettle at the end.
So what height from the bottom do you suggest?

 

[DJR]

As I am about to put a tap on my kettle, I was wondering what the verdict is on the position of the tap. If it is too low, surely you are drawing from the bottom of the kettle , and if it's too high you need to tip the kettle at the end.
So what height from the bottom do you suggest?

As low as you think is necessary (that is, low enough that it's not near the rounded portion at the bottom and you have enough space to get a backnut on the inside of the thread if using a weldless setup), most people get around it being too high by using a compression fitting with a bit of copper hose bent to pick up from the bottom. Have a search on kettle pickups.

I have mine about 1.5-2 inches from the bottom with no pickup and i tilt h34r:

See this: http://www.aussiehomebrewer.com/forum/inde...ttle,and,pickup

 

[bugwan]

I can recommend the use of a copper pickup tube. It took me a matter of minutes to throw mine together (after sourcing bits from Bunnings) and it siphons almost every last drop from the kettle...

Just make sure the tap end in connected to a hose that sits below the liquid in the receiving vessel. Otherwise, there's no siphon!

Cheers

 

[JasonY]

I reckon as low as possible and use a pickup tube/whirlpool to reduce crap coming out. I have some mesh over the end of the pickup tube and it works great.

As DJR says, make sure you can get the backnut on if you are going weldless

 

[Maxt]

What do you think about this.



A plumber at my wife's work bought this at trade price for me. He reckons that I just need to use silastic on the big round 'plate' which will seal it onto the outside of the kettle. He also reckons I don't need any kind of washer on the inside, just the nut.

Here is a pic with it apart.



Is this right? I know the teflon tape is rated to 200 degrees, but is a no washer system going to be leaky nightmare?
Advice please!

 

[DJR]

What do you think about this.

View attachment 9429

A plumber at my wife's work bought this at trade price for me. He reckons that I just need to use silastic on the big round 'plate' which will seal it onto the outside of the kettle. He also reckons I don't need any kind of washer on the inside, just the nut.

Here is a pic with it apart.
View attachment 9430


Is this right? I know the teflon tape is rated to 200 degrees, but is a no washer system going to be leaky nightmare?
Advice please!

I wouldn't use silastic, better to have it capable of coming off for cleaning. I use a backnut and a hot water (red fibre) washer on the inside, with lots of plumbers tape, no leaks at all. And i can take it off for cleaning if i need to.

 

[Pumpy]

pick up tube

 

[Dr Gonzo]

Yep, ditch the 'big round plate' and get some fibre washers.
Make sure your hole is just big enough for the pipe to fit through.

 

[Kai]

And definitely do not permanently attach your tap. Once you have done a few brews and disassembled your tap you will understand why.

 

[homebrewworld.com]

Once you have done a few brews and disassembled your tap you will understand why


Why? :huh:

 

[Kai]

Crap in your crevices.

 

[homebrewworld.com]

But its the boiler yeah ?
My tap is stuck on the boiler.
No crap in my crevice, and it gets bloody hot and kills everything. No Darren,almost.

 

[jayse]

pick up tube

WTF you have the pick up tube in the wrong place it should be to the side to get clear wort with the trub all whirlpooled into the middle.

 

[razz]

I'm with Pumpy, mines in the middle of the kettle also.

 

[homebrewworld.com]

Im with jayse,
Not good boys, bend it.

 

[warrenlw63]

Yep, copper pickup tube bent to the edge like Jayse. :beerbang:

Even managed to drain through this mess. (Took 90 minutes to clear 50 litres).

Warren -

 

[Batz]

pick up tube

WTF you have the pick up tube in the wrong place it should be to the side to get clear wort with the trub all whirlpooled into the middle.

Of course the pick up must be at the side,why the hell whirlpool if all the crap goes to the middle where your pick-up is.
Another point is don't have any air leaks or you will not siphon out all your wort,I have the same pot as Jayse and it only leaves about litre behind.

Cheers
Batz

 

[justsomeguy]

Why must the pickup be at the side ?

I have a large filter on my pickup and it does go to the middle of the kettle. My filter is made from a pair of 12 inch stainless steel splatter screens for frypans I picked up for $4 each. The pickup sits inside this and filters very well. I recirc through a pump which also creates my whirlpool and all the crap just sits on top of the screen.

I find that the wort runs clear after a couple of minutes of recirculation as the hop material starts to form a filter bed on top of my filter. No blockage problems with either whole leaf, pellet or plugs.

I suppose it depends upon whether you use a filter as to where the best placement for a pickup tube should be.

I think we might be sufferring from a bit of thread hijacking here anyway.

gary.

 

[Pumpy]

pick up tube

WTF you have the pick up tube in the wrong place it should be to the side to get clear wort with the trub all whirlpooled into the middle.

I can put it where I want to put it

I pull out all the crap use the 'No chill method' let it setttle in the plastic container and siphon of the really clear wort .

Works a treat

Go Razz!!!

Pumpy

 

[Kai]

My tap was fitted as low as it could possibly go, almost too low. As has been mentioned you can have the tap a little higher and rely on the syphon from the pickup. I usually leave 1-2 litres behind in the kettle. Here's a pic from when everything was still bright and shiny:

But its the boiler yeah ?
My tap is stuck on the boiler.
No crap in my crevice, and it gets bloody hot and kills everything. No Darren,almost.

The tap isn't directly under the heat source though, it may get warm but it does not get anywhere near as hot as the rest of the kettle. When you have a solid buildup of gunk in there, then it can deposit a fairly high bacterial load into the wort as you run off.