Keggle Upgrades
  • jlwjlw
    Posts: 16,454
    I assume I will end up liking my new keggle. So i am going to add some upgrades to it at some point in the future.

    Here is what I am thinking but thought I would see what you guys think and see if there are any other suggestions.

    1. Thermometer
    2. Sight Glass
    3. False bottom. Trying to come up with ways to filter trub.

    What else?
  • ThymThym
    Posts: 121,590
    jlw said:

    I assume I will end up liking my new keggle. So i am going to add some upgrades to it at some point in the future.

    Here is what I am thinking but thought I would see what you guys think and see if there are any other suggestions.

    1. Thermometer
    2. Sight Glass
    3. False bottom. Trying to come up with ways to filter trub.

    What else?



    On a keggle i believe 1 and 2 are unnecessary. I just use the existing marks inside the keggle to gage volume, and temperature in boil kettle really doesn't matter, does it? false bottom would be good if you are doing big hoppy beers with whole leaf hops. but a big filter screen on the pickup works well too. if i really was looking to filter my wort, i'd get/build a hop back.
    The only thing between me and a train wreck is blind luck..... - Kenny
  • C_BC_B
    Posts: 88,440
    I disagree with lake about the thermometer. Having a thermometer there is handy. I like to know how close I am to boil and also chilling progress. The sightglass is whatever. I like having it so I know exactly was I got out of each running. Merely a personal preference.
    "On it. I hate software." ~Cpt Snarklepants
  • FuzzyFuzzy
    Posts: 49,656
    C_dubbs said:

    I disagree with lake about the thermometer. Having a thermometer there is handy. I like to know how close I am to boil



    this. i use the thermometer as a boilover prevention device.
    The pinnacle of lame and awesome in one singular moment. -Lake
  • ThymThym
    Posts: 121,590

    C_dubbs said:

    I disagree with lake about the thermometer. Having a thermometer there is handy. I like to know how close I am to boil



    this. i use the thermometer as a boilover prevention device.


    meh. i used to have a thermometer on my kettle, it didn't give me any useful information.

    oh, and i have an in-line thermometer after the chiller, so while i recirc chill i know exactly what my output temp is, which is not the same as the kettle wort temp.

    if you watch my live webcast of my next brew day you'll see what i mean.
    The only thing between me and a train wreck is blind luck..... - Kenny
  • C_BC_B
    Posts: 88,440
    Lakewood said:

    C_dubbs said:

    I disagree with lake about the thermometer. Having a thermometer there is handy. I like to know how close I am to boil



    this. i use the thermometer as a boilover prevention device.


    meh. i used to have a thermometer on my kettle, it didn't give me any useful information.

    oh, and i have an in-line thermometer after the chiller, so while i recirc chill i know exactly what my output temp is, which is not the same as the kettle wort temp.

    if you watch my live webcast of my next brew day you'll see what i mean.


    You're really posting yourself into a box on this one, mister. Now you've committed to a live webcast.
    "On it. I hate software." ~Cpt Snarklepants
  • ThymThym
    Posts: 121,590
    C_dubbs said:

    Lakewood said:

    C_dubbs said:

    I disagree with lake about the thermometer. Having a thermometer there is handy. I like to know how close I am to boil



    this. i use the thermometer as a boilover prevention device.


    meh. i used to have a thermometer on my kettle, it didn't give me any useful information.

    oh, and i have an in-line thermometer after the chiller, so while i recirc chill i know exactly what my output temp is, which is not the same as the kettle wort temp.

    if you watch my live webcast of my next brew day you'll see what i mean.


    You're really posting yourself into a box on this one, mister. Now you've committed to a live webcast.



    It'll be the event of a lifetime.
    The only thing between me and a train wreck is blind luck..... - Kenny
  • BenvarineBenvarine
    Posts: 1,606
    I had the same questions and was considering sight glass and thermometer. Don't you need to know how much you ran off when filling your boil kettle?
  • C_BC_B
    Posts: 88,440
    Benvarine said:

    I had the same questions and was considering sight glass and thermometer. Don't you need to know how much you ran off when filling your boil kettle?


    Yes and no. You can estimate based on the rings inside the keggle and make good beer just the same. If you want to really take notes to explore every aspect of your process yes.
    "On it. I hate software." ~Cpt Snarklepants
  • ThymThym
    Posts: 121,590
    I always use the same process with mine, and the same batch size, so I have marks inside the kettle that I use. The full boil volume gets passed through my grain bed, hot sparge water at first, then cold water after the gravity has dropped. The cold water prevents tanin extraction.
    The only thing between me and a train wreck is blind luck..... - Kenny
  • scoobscoob
    Posts: 16,617
    Lakewood said:

    C_dubbs said:

    I disagree with lake about the thermometer. Having a thermometer there is handy. I like to know how close I am to boil



    this. i use the thermometer as a boilover prevention device.


    meh. i used to have a thermometer on my kettle, it didn't give me any useful information.

    oh, and i have an in-line thermometer after the chiller, so while i recirc chill i know exactly what my output temp is, which is not the same as the kettle wort temp.

    if you watch my live webcast of my next brew day you'll see what i mean.


    Will we still use that technology by then? Or will we be using hologram projection similar to Star Wars? :D
    Jesus didn't wear pants
  • ThymThym
    Posts: 121,590
    It'll be February.
    The only thing between me and a train wreck is blind luck..... - Kenny