Adding a whirlpool to my kettle

[Toto's]

Hello guys,
I am adding a whirlpool to my boiling kettle.

I got this 2 kits with 2 valves.
I will make the first hole at 1/3 of the kettle height starting from the bottom and direct the output at about 45 degrees up creating the circulation clockwise. I did some reading and came to conclusion that that was the best way to do it.... did i do my research well?

The output ( from the kettle to the pomp ) i will probably make a hole as low as my valve allow me and i am wondering that the flow would be better with the 90 degrees right?
If it's better with the 90 degrees is it best if i put the Stainless Steel Fitting - 1/2" Male NPT X 1/2" OD Barb and cut a piece of pipe to minimize my dead zone of the kettle to about 1 inch or maybe 1/2 inch from the bottom since the whirlpool will converge most of the hop and solids in the middle of the kettle.
I have an immersion chiller.
Hopefully i gave you enough details

 

[eric19312]

It's a little counterintuitive but seems most aim the pickup tube and the return tube in same direction. You want the pickup tube to be picking up from the "corner" of the kettle, at the bottom, but as far from the center of the kettle as you can get it. I think it is pointing same direction as the return pickup to avoid having massive amounts of trub swept into the pickup tube.

 

[day_trippr]

Those bulkheads look sketchy. I would be extra special careful not to oversize the holes for them.

Ideally you want to end up having to "walk" the bulkheads into their holes for minimum clearance sake - which translates into less likelihood of driving an O-ring right into the gaps...

Cheers!

 

[Toto's]

Yes i already use the same type of
bulkheads and i was very careful when doing the hole.

Ok Eric19312 so 90 degrees pointing same direction and both in up direction would be the best.
Thank you

 

[day_trippr]

fwiw, my pick-up diptube (to the drain port) runs straight down (90° from the bulkhead), to the kettle edge, while the recirculation (input) port also has a 90° dip tube but it is rotated ~45° from straight down, causing a clockwise rotation (don't want to fight the Coriolis Effect ). I want the flow to scour the perimeter of the kettle so the pickup gets relatively debris-free wort...

Cheers!

 

[Toto's]

Well i just finished drilling and installing the 2 bulkheads....
i ordered the whirlpool kit .... this one:
https://www.ontariobeerkegs.com/Sta...rm_1_2_Flow_p/weldless-whirlpool-arm-half.htm
I most say i am not impressed by this bulkheads i find there is not a lot of support on the kettle and the washers if you thigh them up too much they start to stretch out!!!!

But anyway they do the job... water is in and no leaks.
Thank you for your help

 

[day_trippr]

I'm not surprised - as I indicated, those are pretty minimalist bulkheads.
These are what I use, they are the bulletproof bomb of weldless bulkheads.
I have eight of them on my brew rig and they are more reliable than the Sun

I don't know if @Bobby_M ships to Canada but I imagine everything is negotiable

Cheers!

 

[Bobby_M]

I do ship to Canada but you won't like the shipping cost. The OBK bulkheads do suck, but you can improve them by removing the outside oring. There's no need for that and it makes for a wobbly assembly.

 

[Toto's]

I was actually questioning that 2nd oring because it does get the whole thing more instable.
Iwill take it out.
Thank you