Beer Porn...

[Snotty]

To Polarware or not. I actually saw the Polarware Brew Kettle that I have wanted since the get go. But damnit if it isn't expensive.

60 Quarts, flase bottom for mashing and bungs for both the drain valve and thermometer. Wife says get it since I have been working hard with the two jobs and we are making progress on the current house and getting things straight for buying a new one later this year. But crap, it's $400 bucks and I would still need to get a thermometer. Ugh...

[ColoradoXJ13]

build a keggle for 1/4 the price...

[xjmatt]

build a keggle for 1/4 the price...

X2.

If you're interested i have a contact who has a source of legally obtained kegs and can weld stainless. He'll sanitary weld whatever you want and his prices are very fair.

[Jeepindog]

After all the wrenching and building to set up your Jeep, you're gonna pay more than $300 TOO MUCH for a metal bucket? Dude, listen to the words of those who said it first: get a keg, cut a hole in the top, and either weld fittings on, or use the Zymico weldless fittings. Still WAY cheaper than a Polarware kettle, and bigger, too. 62 qts. Those extra two qts could mean the difference between drinking a beer, and being one or two beers short. Ha, ha.

[Snotty]

Shut Up! :flipoff2:

Actually, it is the cook on me that wants the polarware pot. I cooked professionally for 8 years and having the best tools I can get in the kitchen has a big draw for me.

So, where can I get Sankey kegs, in good condition so I can start the process? I would at least like to a get a boil/mash kettle working for Saturday.

[ColoradoXJ13]

um, 'find' them, or throw a party with your friends who like to drink cheap yellow beer...mine was sitting out by the dumpsters in my complex...

Cut a 12" diameter hole in the top with an angle grinder, drilled a hole in the side, built a manifold and pickup tube/hop stopper with materials from the hardware store...done and done, I probably spent $60 total. If you want more detailed instructions, check out homebrewtalk.com and search for "keggle".

I am not sure if you will be able to get this done for saturday though..

[ColoradoXJ13]

look at this site for the fittings you will need
http://www.greatbargain.net/order/shop.html
you should be able to find them at Home Depot or such...one change I would make is get the 'full bore' valve as opposed to a 1/2" one, and scale up the other parts appropriately. I make the pickup from copper tubing with a 90* bend, it sits about 1/4" above the bottom of the keggle, I took a dishwasher hose filter (stainless mesh) and put it around the end bunched up as a filter, you can also use stainless scrubber mesh.

[Snotty]

Well, no, I won't have a kettle by Saturday. But my plans to brew may have been nixed anyway. My remodel/cleanup project turned into a monster and I need to get a handle on it. So I may be putting my house, garage and basement back into some order instead.

But! All is not lost. Thanks to xjmatt, I now have a Keg Kettle being fab'd and two more coming after that.

All three will have welded in fittings for thermometer and ball valves. Shipped to my door for $105ish each. One will be ready to be used a mash-tun, I just need to decide what I want. Considering the Hut has one with only one fitting for $125, I think this is a pretty cool deal. Now I just have to start designing up a brew station!

Thanks again Matt!

[Jeepindog]

Well, no, I won't have a kettle by Saturday. But my plans to brew may have been nixed anyway. My remodel/cleanup project turned into a monster and I need to get a handle on it. So I may be putting my house, garage and basement back into some order instead.

But! All is not lost. Thanks to xjmatt, I now have a Keg Kettle being fab'd and two more coming after that.

All three will have welded in fittings for thermometer and ball valves. Shipped to my door for $105ish each. One will be ready to be used a mash-tun, I just need to decide what I want. Considering the Hut has one with only one fitting for $125, I think this is a pretty cool deal. Now I just have to start designing up a brew station!

Thanks again Matt!

If you're brewing, you can borrow my keggle this weekend. I'm not brewing.

[xjmatt]

Well, no, I won't have a kettle by Saturday. But my plans to brew may have been nixed anyway. My remodel/cleanup project turned into a monster and I need to get a handle on it. So I may be putting my house, garage and basement back into some order instead.

But! All is not lost. Thanks to xjmatt, I now have a Keg Kettle being fab'd and two more coming after that.

All three will have welded in fittings for thermometer and ball valves. Shipped to my door for $105ish each. One will be ready to be used a mash-tun, I just need to decide what I want. Considering the Hut has one with only one fitting for $125, I think this is a pretty cool deal. Now I just have to start designing up a brew station!

Thanks again Matt!

Hey always happy to lend a hand to a fellow wheeler/homebrewer!

I need to get to work on my brew stand design as well. More fun with the welder :D

[Snotty]

Hey always happy to lend a hand to a fellow wheeler/homebrewer!

I need to get to work on my brew stand design as well. More fun with the welder :D

Yeah, I am going to order three of them from him. So I need to get to work designing some brew art as well. Guess maybe I am going to learn how to weld after all.

2x2 box tubing be strong enough?

[xjmatt]

Yeah, I am going to order three of them from him. So I need to get to work designing some brew art as well. Guess maybe I am going to learn how to weld after all.

2x2 box tubing be strong enough?

oh yea... 2x2 would probably be MORE than enough! I've seen rigs out of chopped up and welded bed frame rails. You can usually find a bunch for free on CL or on bulk garbage day.

I'll probably go with something a little less bulky and just do some cross bracing. Figure try and keep it as light as possible and easy to store. I'm still deciding on just how to set mine up if I want to go for a purely gravity fed system or throw a march pump in there and try and keep it closer to the ground and more compact... decisions decisions...

[Jeepindog]

If it ain't got a pump, it ain't got no thump.