Keggle Plans

[MrBaloo]

Hi all,

I admit it. My keggles are simple. Half inch ball valve and that's about it.

Before I go knocking holes and adding things, can someone discribe to me their thought process in why they put their keggle additions where they did? Where and why did you put the thermometer?, heating coil? sightglass? Thermowell? Heat exchange coil? Whirlpool thingy? Why there?

Anyway, I didn't just want to go poking holes in my kegs only to find out that they would be better someplace else.

My long term plans are to have a eHERMS BIAB 2 vessel system.

Thanks

Baloo

 

[Homercidal]

I'm not terribly fond of my keggles. I'd much rather have a kettle. That said, they are now mine and I don't want to spend $$ to replace them!

The HLT is still unfinished. The BK is being rebuilt. I soldered a nut on the outside to thread the element into and it leaked a tiny bit and i took it off (unintentionally) and am in process of putting it back on now.

I placed my spigot on the end opposite of the element because I wanted the spigot on the front of the brew stand, and the box for the wiring on the back of the brew stand. When trying to replace the soldered nut with a system that was weldless and uses O-Rings and whatnot, I found that the element would bump into the dip tube assembly because it was shifted forward more than when the nut was soldered on. Also, the nut would not really reach the element thread that way, so I'm back to a welded solution. (Which would be fine except all of the good welders are on vacation this week...)

So in hindsight, I think if I did it over again, I'd position the spigot 90 degrees from the element so there is no interference.

The other item I have in there is a float switch to prevent element burn-out on a dry run if the wort or hot liquor runs down below the element. That is 90 degrees from the element, but sits above it. My HLT has a bottom drain, so there is no interference.

If I had a thermometer in there, I'd probably mount it just a few inches offset from the spigot. It's placement is really doesn't need to be terribly precise. Just make sure the thermowell is sitting in the wort, and not too close to the element.

My chiller is currently a CFC on a pump, so I don't have a heat exchanger to fit in there. There is one problem with a keggle, and it's that you can't get stuff mounted as close to the bottom as you can with a kettle. This makes an immersion chiller fit just bit less good.

 

[RocketBrewer]

You should plan out your system, and the process you plan to use in order to properly and efficiently lay out your keggles. Pumps, chillers, false bottoms, sparge methods, single or multi-tiered stand, will you need a ladder or step stool to see in keggles, how many pumps, etc. Plan your entire process and go through it step by step and consider where you will need to run hoses, high temp silicone hose and connectors are expensive, try to keep them to a minimum length. Look at as many build threads as you can find, you will get a ton of great ideas. Plan, Plan, Plan.

General keggle thoughts....
1)Place Heating elements as low as possible. (It will probably require 3.5-4 gals to cover)
2) 2" tri-clover connections for your elements may be more expensive, but make cleaning and disassembling much easier. Still Dragon sells some really nice tri-clover element enclosures at a reasonable price.
3)Don't place temp sensors too close to elements.
4) float sensors will keep you from dry-firing and ruining elements
5) I like to have some gap between heat exchanger coils, but keep as low as possible to keep minimum required water less.
6) If you want to be able to do 5 gal batches, keep all fittings as low as possible.
7) whirlpool arm should should below the lowest level of post-boil volume you may want.
8) If planning a re-circulation/sparge port through the side of a keggle mash tun, place it as high as possible to allow for large grain bills.

Good luck with your build.

 

[atoughram]

I have nothing to add that hasnt been already said - but I have some pictures.

Here's my BK - you can see the sight glass fitting to the right of the drain. I personally like where the whirlpool fitting is.

Here is the MLT - the two welded fittings on the right are no longer used. There is a Norcal Brewing false bottom under the mash with a drain spigot. Brewhardware provided the recirc tube.

Here is the HLT. The temp probe on the left is a dial thermometer while the PID sensor is in the sight glass fitting. This picture was taken before I installed a whirlpool elbow for recirculating while heating.

I dont have any float switches, since I'm using a RIMS tube, I dont keep water in the HLT. I just have to be diligent on shutting the elements off when I'm emptying the contents. The element on the BK is on a triclover for easy cleaning while the element on the BK is a weldless setup.