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The Perfect Keg Boiler

This discussion was created from comments split from: New member in NZ keen to learn.

StillDragon Australia & New Zealand - Your StillDragon® Distributor for Australia & New Zealand

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  • HI Guys,

    So I am slowly on my way. I contacted a Keg company today and they are going to send a 50l keg down with their next lot that comes my way. I'm not sure when it'll be here but in the mean time I'll figure out how I want to set it up. I'm thinking about 2 ports for 2400w elements, a four inch ferrule, a drain tap and a sight window. I think I'd like a 4 inch ferrule as the bigger hole would make it easier to clean out and fill. Also, I wouldn't have to use an upside down reducer to fit a 4 inch column.
    Does this sound right? Anyone got any pics/plans of how they set theirs up? Are there any pitfalls to look out for?

    Cheers, Damo.

  • Damo, that sounds like a good plan. If you have a 4" ferrule handy see if you can get your arm through it. If not, maybe consider using a 6" ferrule to make keg cleaning easier. Couple that with a 6x4 end cap reducer to fit your column. My arm gets stuck in a 4" ferrule.

  • edited June 2013

    Damo,

    Here is my boiler, albeit a little dirty. I was inspired by Llyods "Perfect keg" and came up with this. Inverted the keg and cut the old bottom ring off. the stock neck is now the drain and I welded a 4" ferrule on the old bottom/ new top. I went kind of crazy with adding ports, (2 element ports, 2 sight glass ports and 1 fill port) but I'm really happy with the setup. 3 couplers welded on to the ring and some pinball machine feet give it a solid foundation that's easy to level out.

    Hope this give you some ideas.

    Cheers

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  • Six inch sounds a good idea. I forgot to mention somewhere for the Temp gauge to go too. After all this adornment it'll look like a Space Keg! That's obviously the look I'll be going for. Might have to think up a nickname...

  • edited June 2013

    FWIW, If i were to do it all over again I would put a 6" ferrule on mine. Also, I use the spare element port for my thermometer when im heating up water for my washes and stripping runs.

    Edit: here is a pic of my thermo. Its mounted on my column here but it relocates easy enough.

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  • LunaBrille, your keg looks alot like my "HellBoy".

  • @LunaBrille said: Damo,

    Here is my boiler, albeit a little dirty. I was inspired by Llyods "Perfect keg" and came up with this. Inverted the keg and cut the old bottom ring off. the stock neck is now the drain and I welded a 4" ferrule on the old bottom/ new top. I went kind of crazy with adding ports, (2 element ports, 2 sight glass ports and 1 fill port) but I'm really happy with the setup. 3 couplers welded on to the ring and some pinball machine feet give it a solid foundation that's easy to level out. <

    WOW! I wonder why I couldn't think of that! Inverted keg! Terrific idea!! What was your reasoning for the 2 sight ports? I bet that drain works like a charm. I love it! I may have to rethink my boiler options now.8-}

  • LunaBrille, great shot and great ideas. Thanks for the input. Now I'm really getting fired up!

    Damo

  • My keg boiler, AKA HellBoy.

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    Meant to be the "Perfect Keg" but over time and use I've figured it could be improved.

    6" top port, bringing the top 2" ferrules closer to the edge (my large funnel hits the 4" column), sight glass port about 2" above the element port to insure the elements are always covered and eliminate the casters on the bottom as they haven't ever been needed - not even once since I've been actively using it. Also positioning the fill port to be not directly over the electrical element port would have been a nice touch.

    For the last 2 years it has been flawlessly helping to churn out goodness and even if the 'perfect keg' is not really, really perfect it has been great, for me.
    3 each 2" element ports, leveling outriggers, inverted and skirt removed with 4" natural column connection.

    In its' day it was a class act.

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  • The outriggers look great, substantial too! Perfect for a moon landing! So, when you say fill port, are you talking about on of the two 2" ferrules a the top? Did you cut the skirt off yourself, was it difficult?

    Cheers, Damo. P.S I like this split off thread. It's going to be just what I need for my planning.

  • @Lloyd said: LunaBrille, your keg looks alot like my "HellBoy".

    Yessir, you and hellboy were my source of inspiration

  • @Gil_flask said: WOW! I wonder why I couldn't think of that! Inverted keg! Terrific idea!! What was your reasoning for the 2 sight ports? I bet that drain works like a charm. I love it! I may have to rethink my boiler options now.8-}

    Originally it was only the one sight port in between the two elements to make sure I never exposed the element. The two ports on top were intended for a fill port and a return drain if I decided to add a thumper like smaugs. But know I use the top sight port more than the lower one. I can see if the boiler is about to puke before it gets in the column.

    Over all it took more money and a lot longer than I wanted, but I hate having to do things twice so I tend to over engineer. Basically i run with the theroy, "it's better to have it and not need it, than need it and not have it."

  • @Damo said: The outriggers look great, substantial too! Perfect for a moon landing! So, when you say fill port, are you talking about on of the two 2" ferrules a the top? Did you cut the skirt off yourself, was it difficult?

    Cheers, Damo. P.S I like this split off thread. It's going to be just what I need for my planning.

    The top ring is easy to cut off with a cutting wheel... It took me 2 or 3 passes going slow and steady. A skilled plasma cutter could probably make short work out of it but I would have burned a few holes in the process.

  • edited June 2013

    Did pretty much the same on mine, I did go with the 6" ferrule on top though.

    image image image

    ;)

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  • edited June 2013

    Looks good too, love the giant pot head! I was just thinking though that with the rounded off top (base), they'd be a little harder to move and carry around?

    Damo.

  • Naw when it is empty and mostly unassembled you have the handles at the bottom and a number of things to hold at the top. When it is full it looks good right where it sits. :))

  • Agreed. I just grab inside the top 4" ferrule, stays balanced and lighter than you think.

  • Pick up a couple rolls of reflectix or other material and insulate the boiler. I had been putting this off and found out the hard way that when my AC turns on the column would collapse.

  • image

    nwvapors did exactly what I wish I had done, a 6" top port with a 6x4 end cap reducer.
    For a keg its like having a boiler mayway to give the inside that occasional good scrubbing.

    Removing the skirt is not just cosmetic, it allows the fill port ferrule to be positioned closer to the edge and away from the column. Notice the fill port is leaning with the slope of the keg edge - that's a good thing because it allows even more room to use a large funnel.

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  • In au can we get the 6" stuff from punkin ? Thats the 6" ferrule as well as the end cap. Dont spose we could get a premade cap with a 4" or 2" attached ? Fadge

  • Fadge, Punkin can get you a ferrule with a complete column attached to it... no need to fab anything...

  • The 6" is nice, I am missing the site glass for fluid level though. I'll add that later. LOO those 6" column sections are incredible

  • @fadge said: In au can we get the 6" stuff from punkin ? Thats the 6" ferrule as well as the end cap. Dont spose we could get a premade cap with a 4" or 2" attached ? Fadge

    I haven't been stocking the 6" stuff mate as there has been no-one asking for it. I can order it in though. I have an order leaving China next week if you want to give me an email

    StillDragon Australia & New Zealand - Your StillDragon® Distributor for Australia & New Zealand

  • edited June 2013

    Bottom Drain boilers are the way to go.

    Current flock of boilers getting ready to fly

    4' top, Bottom Drain, Port for filling without taking off Column, Port for temp, 2: electric element port.

    Next series will go to 6" top with adapters available for smaller columns, and may flip them over. I make boilers on my day off. Just boilers and fermenters of all kinds and sizes.

    Sample weld Copper tig welded to stainless, No filler metal just fused together

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  • Whereabouts in the world are you mate?

    StillDragon Australia & New Zealand - Your StillDragon® Distributor for Australia & New Zealand

  • Sadly in the Land of No Home distilling but I do have my fuel permit so my Tractor is very happy. I am in the process of moving fill time to Washington State. I was given a bunch of Kegs so I went crazy making boilers.

  • Do you have legal ownership of them?

    StillDragon Australia & New Zealand - Your StillDragon® Distributor for Australia & New Zealand

  • Yes, came from a local brewery that closed its door, Next batch is coming from a used Keg Broker I found. So they will all be the same and in nice condition. Email me if I can be of any help to you here in the US.

  • edited June 2013

    Close up of Bottom Drain and 4" port weld and my top fill without removing column solution. I also make some Smaller Boilers. I just make boilers and controls. I plan to buy one of your columns just can't decided what configuration.

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