Will this work as a keggle ?

[lzrdkng14]

Found this keg at a distributor and they can't use it so they want to sell it...will it work for a keggle conversion?

http://flic.kr/p/bnCsar

http://flic.kr/p/bnCs8X

There is already a hole near the bottom for a valve and I could probably use the hole with the plug in it for something else later too...should I buy it? He wants $30 for it.

 

[outside92129]

Direct heating with propane? The bottom with the large concave area is going to cause some heat transfer issues, air will get "trapped" in there and a fair amount of flame/exhaust from the burners will go around that trapped air. You may need to do something about the rubber bung on the side (weld it up), and the bottom drain is really close to the fire so you'll have to isolate that.

I believe the volume inside the "walls" of the concave area is open, that would make this a bad MLT as well. The keg might just be best suited for kegging beer, or scrap.

 

[keesh]

pic is broken, mate.

edit: you didn't directly link it properly. next time just put the link into your post so we can click and be re-directed to flickr.

 

[lzrdkng14]

Direct heating with propane? The bottom with the large concave area is going to cause some heat transfer issues, air will get "trapped" in there and a fair amount of flame/exhaust from the burners will go around that trapped air. You may need to do something about the rubber bung on the side (weld it up), and the bottom drain is really close to the fire so you'll have to isolate that.

I believe the volume inside the "walls" of the concave area is open, that would make this a bad MLT as well. The keg might just be best suited for kegging beer, or scrap.

I was going to use this for electric brewing and install a heater element

 

[lzrdkng14]

So here is what I was thinking:

Use "bung hole" to mount a thermometer. It is in the middle of the keg, but maybe I can bend it down toward the bottom out the keg.

put a hole below the thermometer for the ball valve

Use the existing hole at the bottom for the heating element

Any thoughts on this?

 

[outside92129]

huh, that might actually work. I think you would be the first to do it. $30 will also get you a regular keg if you want to go the normal route.

Though i'm pretty sure you don't want to bend a mechanical thermometer.

 

[tim2akat2]

I'm not real sure I think that thing might best be some one's dune buggy gas tank.

 

[lzrdkng14]

huh, that might actually work. I think you would be the first to do it. $30 will also get you a regular keg if you want to go the normal route.

Though i'm pretty sure you don't want to bend a mechanical thermometer.

How would I get a regular keg for $30? I was thinking of offering him 20 for it...

 

[Duckfoot]

How would I get a regular keg for $30? I was thinking of offering him 20 for it...

I see you are in PA? Go to your local beer distributor and ask them if they have any kegs that the distributors or breweries won't take back... I got two kegs for deposit price that way when I was up there...

 

[lzrdkng14]

That's what I did to find this one...I thought I hit jackpot 5 mins from my house. So, I guess I just need to call more of them and see what I can find.

Thanks!

 

[bink00]

Off topic...but what kind of keg is that. I was up at Mad fox brewing company in Falls Church, VA the other day and they used those and I have never seen them before. They were sitting next to their beer machines so I wondered if they have something to do with that.


edit...just saw a thread and it looks like a hoff stevens keg??

 

[starsailor]

What you're refering to is an old Golden Gate keg that may only be still in use by a handfull of micro or nano breweries functioning on the cheap with ancient hand-me-down equipment.

That said from the pics it looks to be stainless and should function just find as a boil pot, either propane or electric. I have a similar old Hoff-Stevens keg converted to a boil pot. See here for how it looks http://www.flickr.com/photos/56069029@N06/sets/72157625414612096/. Don't worry about the bung. Just copy what I did (or something like it). You may want to pay more attention to the side fitting at the bottom as it will be closer to the heat. Just make sure nothing in it can melt easily.

It may even make a better mash tun because of the fitting down low if you can figure out how to plumb into it. The shape on the inside mirrors exactly what's on the outside and is single wall except for a small reinforcing plate around the bung hole. So it's easy to picture what the inside looks like. The raised area around the bottom dimple could make a great support for a false bottom too.

Don't be talked out of using something like this by some people that have only seen it done one way. The beauty about this DIY homebrewing is that if you can dream it up and think it thru, you can build it. 95% of the time it all works out fine with a couple of tweeks.

 

[lzrdkng14]

Yeah, Hoff Stevens I think...

 

[l3asturd]

I'm sure this would make a very usable boil kettle. If you have not already purchased I'd say hold out for a normal keg. Craigslist that you're looking for one, it usually doesn't take long for someone to want to get rid of one thats been in their garage for years. Although it may be fun for some people to find ways to use this, I think you'd probably be happier in the end being able to buy parts from DIY threads or brewing supply websites without considering if it would work with your setup. Just my opinion though.

If you like drinking beer more than tinkering, hold out for a sanke keg.

 

[kmk1012]

It's a Hoff-Stevens for sure-sometimes commonly refered to as a Carling keg. Depending what side of the USA you are from. My Dad offered me 3 of them for free, I graciously turned them down and started my search for a Sanke type keg.