Do the megapots sold by Northern Brewer have a dip tube inside?
Im guessing not since the false bottom is an option.
My 15 gallon did not come with one. It was fairly easy to add a copper one to the ball valve though.
What fittings will I need to do this?
I will try to remember to take a photo (not at home now) of how I did it.
ping me if I forget. brain is fuzzy. :roll:
You can do it like this:
http://www.brewhardware.com/valves/116-12diptubes
or mine is copper, just a 1/2 NPT to 5/8" where I’ve got a piece of copper bent at 90 degrees. Will warn it is pretty tough to bend normal copper tubing without some sort on mandrel. You could maybe get lucky and find a small piece of flexible copper tubing (like what you’d make an intercooler out of) and find the right 1/2 npt coupler to fit it.
You can get a copper tubing bending tool at Lowes/Home Repo for I think it was 17$. I got away without it as I have a friend who is a 20 year plummer (and brilliant - he shoulda got a physics degree) who can flawlessly bend tubing by hand. Don’t try it yourself. I swear he uses fairy dust. You caaaan build you own bending jig but it won’t work as well as the actual tool. I have used them as my dad was an AC guy and had the bending tool. They make it very easy to get it right and not ruin alot of copper.
Barry
[quote=“Brew On”]I will try to remember to take a photo (not at home now) of how I did it.
ping me if I forget. brain is fuzzy. :roll: [/quote]
[attachment=2]boil pot dip tube-xpld.JPG[/attachment]
[attachment=1]Boil position.JPG[/attachment]
[attachment=0]Start of drain position.JPG[/attachment]
I opted for mechanical connections to avoid solder in the boil pot. No parts needed to be bent, purchase a threaded adapter and an elbow (like this Mc-Carr 5520K713).
The bulkheads were ordered from NB with my Megapot. Not sure if you have the same so I didn’t include info on the threaded adapter.
The head of the ss screw is clipped off on mine. I’d consider a pop-rivet as long as it was all aluminum.
The straight section of copper tube is a tight friction fit into the elbow. Just deform the end and jam in. Test it a couple time in hot water to be sure some thermal expansion doesn’t loosen it.
Various ways to skin this cat.
Good Luck!
VK
The tube is longer on mine than the one in the pic posted by Brew On (runs all the way up against the side). I also soldered mine using lead free solder. Not sure why you would need to tip it up to start the drain like the one pictured. :? Certainly not needed for mine.
The rotatable feature works well for me since I don’t get excited about whirlpooling, sediment is mostly evenly distributed on the bottom with there being a thicker area in the middle.
When I begin to drain I start with it high and then rotate down as level drops. But, since putting that tube together I always use a straining bag. I have been wanting to look into a installing a larger ball valve and dump it quick between my two 5 gallon primaries (10 gal batches) and let the straining bags take care of the sediment. Yes, I am lazy and damn proud of it.
Back to the OP’s question, mine is just one of many ways to do it. And actually isn’t my idea completely, the basic concept came from a post on this site IIRC.
Good Luck!
VK
Hey thanks everybody! Super helpful replies. Im excited to do this. I dont want to dump the kettle when I get the bigger one.
I make mine like the pic except for not using a screw.
Take a short piece of straight copper and solder it to the threaded end then take and solder the long piece to the elbow. Next use a hacksaw and cut a kerf in the other end of the elbow not to deep just enough so it will slide over the pipe.
Then slide a hose clamp over the kerf end slide it on the short piece tighten it up and you good to go.
Make sure that end that’s cut completely is over the short pipe or you will get an air leak and it won’t completely drain your kettle.
Now you can remove it at any time or change the way it’s pointed.
