Spigot Design for kettle/SS Braid size

[roger456]

I've tried many different fittings in the mash tun: hose braid, bazooka t, hose braid in a loop to a copper tee. I've gone back to a short braid attached to a brass nipple. It's simple, easy to clean, and works great for batch sparging.

For a kettle pickup... Again, i've tried a lot of different setups. If you are using whole hops, the bazooka is the best. The braid clogged when I tried using it with whole hops and pellet hops. Now I use either all pellets or all whole hops. If I use whole hops, I put a bazooka-T in the kettle. If it's pellets I don't use any screen at all-- I have a copper elbow on the outlet of the kettle. Whirlpooling and letting the break material settle keeps most of the goop out of the fermenter.

Bugeaters link is great, BTW.

[Chris_J]

Have to ask Chris - did you add hops to your mash tun or did you use a ss braid screen in your kettle? For the kettle I've heard great things about just getting a whirlpool going and then just either siphoning out the wort from the edge of the kettle or opening up some king of spigot. I'm tempted to try some king of diverter plate (since I don't have a pump so can't really whirlpool) by just taking a copper tube, cutting it down the middle about 3 inches and then across, and then placing the cut side against the bulkhead to help block out as much of the hop matter as possible. Obviously I'll throw this into the kettle 20 min from the end of the boil with the immersion chiller in there so everything is sanitized. Of course this all sounds good in theory, coming from partial-boil extract brewing and taking the kettle and dumping it through a funnel into the carboy, trying to keep as much crap out as possible. For what its worth the White's say that hop matter is great for yeast health, and so far I've made some pretty good extract beer using this method. Again curious how you were using the braid here - I've heard only good things about using it in a mash tun. I'll keep the forum posted on my cheap-ass diverter plate idea.

Still looking for ideas on a home-made, no-weld, kettle bulkhead. Anyone?

The braid in my mashtun works great. I also used the braid in my kettle, that's where it clogged. I tried the whirlpool but the suction disturbed the cone in the middle of the kettle and it ended up clogging. I might try the bent copper pipe...

[Pedro]

Still looking for ideas on a home-made, no-weld, kettle bulkhead. Anyone?

This should get you started. http://www.antiochsudsuckers.com/tom/DI ... ttings.htm

Wayne
Bugeater Brewing Company

Now this is what I am talking about! Thanks Bugeater for the link and Tom O for the great website. Tons of really useful into here in addition to the whole weldless fittings page.