Where to drill holes

[k1100t]

I started collecting bits and bobs to rebuild the brewery earlier in the year and have had everything, apart from tubing, for months. I can't seem to bring myself to drill holes in all those lovely shiny stainless pots. I think what's stopping me is not knowing exactly where to drill the holes. My anxious predictions are saying that I'll drill in the wrong place and ruin my pots, damn brain.

Anyway, I would like to have a bash at getting one of the pots up and running. I have a MattMill Läuterhexe to connect to a 3/4" 2 piece tap, and a 3KW element from MrLard to fit to the boiler, plus another 3/4" 2 piece tap to fit high up for returning.

Firstly a question about the orientation of the pot. I've seen lots of photos where the bottom tap is centred between the handles, or directly under a handle. Does it really matter...?

How high up do you put the element...? I need to leave enough space for the Läuterhexe to fit underneath, but do I need to leave a certain amount of space between the bottom of the pot and the element?

Finally, the Läuterhexe sits on the bottom of the pot, so I'm assuming I try and fit the tap as low down as physically possible?

Thanks,

[Rogermort]

Low as you can get both without them touching to reduce dead space.


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

[Secla]

if you can get q-max cutters they make the job alot easier and neater aswell

[Fil]

Imho Take your time planning out different options, consider the minimum brewlength your likely to want to brew and as long as the element is well submerged at that volume feel totally free to mount it above your filter.

If still in doubt lay out the bits in the pot base to illustrate positions and take a few snaps for comment

But if you do screw up and put a hole in the wrong place. its not the end of the world SS nuts bolts and washers or even SS or brass plumbing fittings such as lock nuts and blanking plates can be used to close off holes.Tho an emergency dump valve port is also another useful disguise for a screw up

As for handle position, Its upto you, if useing bergland pots just dont try to use the handles with full pots they are not designed to support that sort of mass. Pot handles can serve as useful places to hang thermometer probes or act as rests for recirc return tubing, consider them as part of your brewday process and use them to your best advantage

[k1100t]

if you can get q-max cutters they make the job alot easier and neater aswell

I have a 2mm pilot drill bit, a stepped drill bit and q-max cutters. Hardware isn't the problem. the problem is between the keyboard and chair...

Cheers,

[k1100t]

Well... The pots and fixings have been sitting in the shed long enough. I suppose it's about time I actually extracted my finger from my arse and drilled some holes. To the shed!

Shame I can't quite remember how I was going to set everything up...

[Nitro Jim]

Well... The pots and fixing have been sitting in the shed long enough. I suppose it's about time I actually extracted my finger from my arse and drilled some holes. To the shed!

Shame I can't quite remember how I was going to set everything up...

Blimey, 2 and a half years later...

Good luck!

I bet your finger, your arse or both are sore!

[k1100t]

Yeah, still haven't had the shed electrics fixed four years after blowing them either...

[k1100t]

Two broken 2mm cobalt bits later, ta da, a Hot Liquor Tank! Needs a good clean now, and all the fixtures fitted properly, but you get the idea.



My notes, what I managed to find anyway, make mention of a pukka pick-up, which I assume I was going to stick on the inside of the tap. Can't find any evidence of a product matching that name, so I used a spare nut to hold the tap in place for the photos...



While I was at it, I also added gubbins to the water filter housing and the plate chiller. Yes, it's a small one, but I was gifted it and it's all I've got or can afford for the moment...



Best order some more 2mm pilot hole drill bits, so I can finish off the other two pots.

[k1100t]

Found some time yesterday to finish drilling hole in the other pots. Turns out that the step drill bit worked better at higher RPM, so the final pot was drilled in about a minute, rather than about half an hour.

[orlando]

Try using the elbow in the HLT to see if that could be used as a pick up tube. If it gets close to the botom of the pot it works really well. It's all I use, works brilliantly.

[k1100t]

Try using the elbow in the HLT to see if that could be used as a pick up tube.

I think my original idea was to use a 45° angle and a ground down full bore hose tail. Will see if I have a spare 90° angle kicking about to try it though.

[nibber]

Nice job,good luck with the brewing!