Kettle drain-great addition

powercat52 · January 30, 2012, 10:27pm

I added a drain valve to my kettle Saturday and brewed on Sunday. It is one of the best investments I have made to my brewing equipment!

I’ve been a homebrewer for 15 years off and on. I always dipped it the wort out of the kettle and poured it into the fermenter through a series of strainers. What a PIA. I tried siphoning it out but that was even worse. There was always a lot of carryover from the pot of grain, hops, and break. I had very little carryover using the drain.

I used a MIP x comp elbow out of the valve and a short piece of 3/8" od copper bent to the curve of the kettle. I drained the kettle and all there was left was a pile of hops & etc. in the pot. I did whirpool the wort and let it set for about 30 minutes before transfer.

I always resisted spending the money - needless to say i don’t have a pump either. I would recommend installing a valve on your kettle, don’t wait like I did.

glug_master · January 30, 2012, 10:58pm

Valves are good, I invested in them when I first went to full volume boils.

brans041 · January 31, 2012, 12:34pm

They are nice no doubt, but what about siphoning didn’t you like? If you have an autosiphon, the time isn’t any longer and you can still whirlpool your wort.

powercat52 · January 31, 2012, 6:55pm

I tried siphons early on before the auto-siphon. I could never get the siphon to keep going - I had plenty of height difference but an air pocket would slowly build until the siphon was broken. Then start over. I threw the racking cane out the door (really).

I just have a dislike for siphons now - I usually use a 5 gal keg for secondary but my most recent batch I used my 5 gal carboy and had to siphon from it. Still a PIA. I guess I need to spend the money and try an auto siphon, maybe I will like it.

mullerbrau · January 31, 2012, 7:04pm

The kettle valve was mandatory for me. Can you imagine taking the wort out of this with a ladel?

tom_sawyer · January 31, 2012, 8:08pm

Powercat I just did the exact same thing as you a few days ago. Been brewing with valveless kettles for over ten years, either just pouring through a strainer or more recently siphoning to leave more trub behind. I haven’t tried mine out yet but I want to try and whirlpool by stirring and avoid most of the trub this way. I pinched the end of my 3/8" OD copper pickup tube so it won’t allow much junk through, it doesn’t run out very fast though. I had put a 1/2" barb and hose on the ball valve outlet but I’m going to switch to 3/8" because the 1/2" is overkill with the small pickup tube. I may throw a copper scrubbie in over the pickup tube as well. I used a step bit to drill my hole, that was a snap. I drilled a small hole to start it.

powercat52 · February 2, 2012, 6:49pm

MullerBrau-
You have a great looking setup. My next project is a stand.

I’ll probably make it out of wood (but angles would work too) and bolt it together so I can take it apart between sessions. I don’t think the “boss” would go for it sitting out when not used. I’ve also thought of using steel shelving angles that are pre-punched or uni-strut like contractors use for all kinds of things too.