How much should I pay for a Keggle?

QUESTION #1:
What’s a reasonable price for a used Keggle? Standard 15.5 gal, Top cut out already. No other accessories such as thermometer, etc. What would be a decent deal on something like this?

It seems that this is much more cost-effective route to go than with a $300+ boil kettle.

QUESTION #2:
If I elect to add a thermometer and valve later, is it pretty straightforward to add a no-weld version of each with some type of pressure-based bolt-on fittings?

Thanks!

Also, Will a keggle fit on and work with most burner setups or do some have flange type things that would prevent the keggle from resting fully on the burner frame?

For reference, I just sold a valved and thermometered keggle for $115 and the buyer was delighted (a friend, so I cut her a deal).

Adding weldless fittings is easy using a stepbit.

Some burners, particularly the round ones with a thin rim, are a little small for a keggle, so be sure to measure before you buy.

I brewed with a keggle before switching to a kettle. My experience is that a good kettle, while more expensive, is a better piece of equipment for brewing and more enjoyable to brew with. A keggle isn’t designed to boil liquids in, a kettle is. If you can spring for a kettle, I would advise it. However, a keggle will work.

If you go the keggle route, make sure you get one that has a good bottom rim on it. Sometimes they get banged up and the keggle won’t sit securely on some burners.

Super info guys. Thanks a lot.

I’m with BrewBeer on this. I have a keggle and a 10-gallon Polarware. The keggle cost me about $6 for the ball valve and the keg was free (from a cop - long story).

I am very pleased with the large free keggle, but it really is a PITA to use. I much prefer a standard kettle. YMMV.

What makes the Keggle a Pain in the A$$?

Cleaning it, seating it on your burner?

I’d change my tune if I had a functional dip tube and a WIC. The struggle has been with racking clear wort after the boil, although I think I’ve solved that by just running off the whole wort through a sanitized paint strainer bag

I bet it would work to just lift the hop spider out of the kettle and run the wort through that. Might act like a hopback with all those flameout hops in big IPA’s. I also only rarely brew a 10 gallon batch, so I’ve only used it 2-3 times.

I rescind my previous statement. Keggles rock - but make your own! :cheers:

[quote=“HaleBrewer”]What makes the Keggle a Pain in the A$$?

Cleaning it, seating it on your burner?[/quote]

Yes, and Yes. They are also heavy, and tall and narrow which seem to favor boilovers.

But the biggest thing for me was that the geometry of the bottom, being curved and having the rim well away from the part holding the liquid, makes for inefficient heat transfer between the flame and the wort.