I had issues with the false bottom on my keggle collapsing and ending up with half my grain bill in my boil pot. So I bit the bullet and ordered a false bottom with stand and handle for my 62qt Bayou Classic SS pot.
This used to be my boil pot back before I upgraded to a 20g boil pot so one of the bulkheads was already installed.
The basic mod consists of the following:
1. Adding Weldless port/ballvalve for the HERMS return.
2. Creating a dip tube for the false bottom that won't collapse from the weight, or "vapor lock" on the pot bottom.
3. Fitting all the ports for camlock QDs.
1. Adding the weldess port is straight forward. Drill a 7/8" hole in the kettle, debur and wrench down. I used a "Kettlevalve" as it's a good all in one unit for my needs and provides both 3/8" female as well as 1/2" male connections for options.
2. To create the dip tube I used 1/2" ID copper pipe, one T, one 1/2" male NPT, and four 90s. I cut the T in half length wise so it will act as a stand/riser for the diptube and prevent it from getting a suction lock on the bottom of the kettle. The top of the T extends just out of the hole in the jaybird. I used 4x 90s to create a "press lock" junction that allows me to insert and remove the bottom, and the tube very easily, but is rigid enough to survive 30# of grain on top of it... and my mash rake.
3. I fit male camlock QDs on both sides of the HERMS return as well as the out put of the drain valve for ease of attaching and removing hoses. As you can see from the las picture, my HERMS return is simply a 3' piece of silicon tubing with a female QD attached to the return valve. The tube simply lays on top of the grainbed.
The total cost of the conversion was $30 not including the Jaybird.
This used to be my boil pot back before I upgraded to a 20g boil pot so one of the bulkheads was already installed.
The basic mod consists of the following:
1. Adding Weldless port/ballvalve for the HERMS return.
2. Creating a dip tube for the false bottom that won't collapse from the weight, or "vapor lock" on the pot bottom.
3. Fitting all the ports for camlock QDs.
1. Adding the weldess port is straight forward. Drill a 7/8" hole in the kettle, debur and wrench down. I used a "Kettlevalve" as it's a good all in one unit for my needs and provides both 3/8" female as well as 1/2" male connections for options.
2. To create the dip tube I used 1/2" ID copper pipe, one T, one 1/2" male NPT, and four 90s. I cut the T in half length wise so it will act as a stand/riser for the diptube and prevent it from getting a suction lock on the bottom of the kettle. The top of the T extends just out of the hole in the jaybird. I used 4x 90s to create a "press lock" junction that allows me to insert and remove the bottom, and the tube very easily, but is rigid enough to survive 30# of grain on top of it... and my mash rake.
3. I fit male camlock QDs on both sides of the HERMS return as well as the out put of the drain valve for ease of attaching and removing hoses. As you can see from the las picture, my HERMS return is simply a 3' piece of silicon tubing with a female QD attached to the return valve. The tube simply lays on top of the grainbed.
The total cost of the conversion was $30 not including the Jaybird.
