Savage 8 Hours brew day today, with and AG Kolsch and Dry Stout interspersed with taking lids off these 2.
Depressurise the kegs with a screwdriver, pointing away from you otherwise nice 12 month old beer shower.
Process is pretty simple really, wrap marker around string in loop and with other half of loop around neck of keg
Then mark and grind.
You can see I made the first loop too close to the edge of the keg even for my small grinder to get in at it
I marked the line first with the grinder making sure I didnt go too deep with the grinder and then went for it.
Ground off all edges so no slivers of metal or sharp edges.
1 metal grinder wheel used per keg.
First one took me 30 mins, second one I got the hang of it and it only took 20.
(http://i1270.photobucket.com/albums/jj605/joctcl/image_zpsebccd7cd.jpg)
Better job of the second one which will be for my boiler
(http://i1270.photobucket.com/albums/jj605/joctcl/image_zps3db363bf.jpg)
and waste not want not used the spears for my food friendly hop spider ;)
(http://i1270.photobucket.com/albums/jj605/joctcl/image_zpsc508f662.jpg)
Hi Cider head
Would you please post instructions on how n made the spider?
Shanna
QuoteHi Cider head
Would you please post instructions on how n made the spider?
Shanna
PVC hopper
2 surplus spears from kegs
nylon mesh food bags
stainless steel jubilee clip
thats it not rocket science :)
How much do the grinder wheels and the grinder cost? Are they available in hire shops or is it cheaper to buy one?
When you say grinder I presume you mean the tool for cutting the Stainless Steel. It's a 100mm cutting disc and you need an electric mini angle grinder to use it on. You also need a polishing wheel for the same tool for polishing the steel after as the cut left is so sharp that you could shave with it.
Hi there
While I can admire Ciderheads handiwork especially while doing this free hand I would like to caution any one attempting this to take a few precautions. Eye goggles, ear defenders, heavy clothing (helps catch the burrs from the cut ting) and heavy duty work gloves. If you have a breathing mask I would use this to. I found the grinding disks throw off a very fine black spot like dust and it's foul stuff. I did two of these freehand and one with a jig that I borrowed from Damo. If can get a stainless steel cutting disk use it as the regular metal disks don't last and tend to disintegrate towards the end of their life. The comparison to the one with the jig went way smoother and I did not feel traumitised after it. Doing it free hand was a roller coaster ride as the angle grinder kept digging in and I found it hard to maintain a circular path.
I know I might sound a bit dramatic but would hate somebody to get hurt for lack of a few basic precautions. On a related note capital Brewers will be doing a plastic kettle build in Tog on the 14th so if you fancy doing a kettle build without the angle grinder come along and check it out.
Shanna
Ditto to all above and if you are looking for Stainless Steel cutting disc's,the cheapest and best are in McQuillans capel st. They are 1.0mm which is perfect for slicing through S/S and only €1.95 each. I had to run and get some the other day at B&Q, cost €3.95 each and were 1.2mm thick.
The 1.0mm is great for making slits for mash tun drainage. :)
QuoteHi there
While I can admire Ciderheads handiwork especially while doing this free hand I would like to caution any one attempting this to take a few precautions. Eye goggles, ear defenders, heavy clothing (helps catch the burrs from the futting) and heavy duty work gloves. If you have a breathing mask I would use this to. I found the grinding disks throw off a very fine Black spot like dust and it's foul stuff. I did two of these freehand and one with a jig that I borrowed from Damo. If can get a stainless steel cutting disk use it as the regular metal disks don't last and tend to disintegrate towards the end of their life. The comparison as the one with the jig went way smoother and I did not feel traumitised after it. Doing it free hand was a roller coaster ride as the angle grinder kept digging in and I found it hard to maintain a circular path.
I know I might sound a bit dramatic but would hate somebody to get hurt for lack of a few basic precautions. On a related note capital Brewers will be doing a plastic kettle build in Tog on the 14th so if you fancy doing a kettle build without the angle grinder come along and check it out.
Shanna
+1 on thje safety side
The freehand aspect was easy enough as long as you break the surface to start following your marked line, then only just penetrate the surface and let the grinder do the work, it naturally wants to follow the circle of the keg.
Hi Dempsey
Good to know about the disks might also explain why I had trouble cutting the top off as I suspect they were to thick. By the way I hope the place on Capel's street is giving us a few quid for all the free advertising :-)
Shanna
QuoteDitto to all above and if you are looking for Stainless Steel cutting disc's,the cheapest and best are in McQuillans capel st. They are 1.0mm which is perfect for slicing through S/S and only €1.95 each. I had to run and get some the other day at B&Q, cost €3.95 each and were 1.2mm thick.
The 1.0mm is great for making slits for mash tun drainage. :)
Are these any use? http://www.ebay.ie/itm/Hitachi-G10SR3-Mini-Grinder-100mm-230-Volt-/280860467582?pt=UK_Home_Garden_PowerTools_SM&hash=item416496a17e#ht_592wt_1163
Could be a nice little earner for someone with access to kegs and neighbors how are a bit deaf. Cutting and selling kegs for boilers and mash tuns.
QuoteAre these any use? http://www.ebay.ie/itm/Hitachi-G10SR3-Mini-Grinder-100mm-230-Volt-/280860467582?pt=UK_Home_Garden_PowerTools_SM&hash=item416496a17e#ht_592wt_1163
Thats similar to what I used
B&Q have a bosch one of those for 40e now. Same as mine which Ive used to convert the kegs below. (keg on the right now has a dial thermometer too)
(http://i.imgur.com/GkQZizOl.jpg)
I cut all mine without a jig with no problems. You need a steady hand & a good eye. A jig would be better though as you could use the perfectly cut piece from the keg as your lid (just add some silicone tubing to the edge)
I bought SS lids in a catering shop for mine as the cut out pieces didnt fit well after the keg cutting was done.
Shanna and Hop Bomb mention a jig. Has anyone a pic of one of these?
[media]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LthGdMk_avk[/media]
Thanks Hop Bomb :)
30 mins what a wuss ;) wheres the skill in that :P
it looks like a great idea but I have an issue with the bare arms, shorts and no gloves.
Anybody cut the @rse out of their keg like this?
http://www.homebrewtalk.com/f11/how-lighten-your-sanke-keggle-214694/
ok well I had a go today and it worked our really well.
They pinged back as i made the last cut.
(http://i1270.photobucket.com/albums/jj605/joctcl/photo4_zpsa76b02ef.jpg)
a couple of elements from argos, 45 litres took just over an hour with lid off, but kegs need insulating.
(http://i1270.photobucket.com/albums/jj605/joctcl/photo3-1_zpsd12f4bd7.jpg)
Plastic fermentor lids work well and handles stay cool even though barrel is cooking.
(http://i1270.photobucket.com/albums/jj605/joctcl/photo2-2_zpsad9989eb.jpg)
and a second one for my boiler, just need to get them polished up now and haden elements and drain installed in my boiler
(http://i1270.photobucket.com/albums/jj605/joctcl/photo1-2_zps3b479e98.jpg)
Noticed that by trimming down the kegs like that you get rid of some incriminating data!
If you are going to lag them then no need to polish them??
Circumcised kegs?
They look cool 8-)
You're fairly handy with the angle grinder :) Credit to ya.
Quote
If you are going to lag them then no need to polish them??
[media]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SaSP7ZnnMlw[/media]
actually thats just for the winter season jackets off when the sun shines so twice a year then ;)
I did a job on mine yesterday. Thought now would be a good time as the brewing demo is in a bar & I wouldnt want my kegs getting mixed up with theirs ;)
Cleaning & pouring is much easier & they look cool now too. No more hops stuck in the skirting.
(http://i.imgur.com/RountTGl.jpg)
Nice job! Ill have to get the angle grinder out during the week
Sent from my GT-N7000 using Tapatalk 2
Don't suppose anyone kept the off cut from their keg conversion and looking to get rid of it? I have a project in mind and need one.
Ive the tops & the skirts Rossa. Im in Dublin from this Fri for the weekend, Il bring them up for you.
Quote from: Hop Bomb on May 07, 2013, 11:04:54 AM
Ive the tops & the skirts Rossa. Im in Dublin from this Fri for the weekend, Il bring them up for you.
Cool. I'll swap you for the yeast ! Are the tops in good nick ?
Sounds good. Tops are grand but they werent cut well enough to use as lids. I cut them free hand.
if its easier I have a couple aswell. you know where I am if you want them
What is up with all your snaps being deleted Ciderhead? I want to see the shiny kegs :'(
Here u go Imark and I found out that the argos kettle elements are better than haden ones when boiling RIS for SCD barrel.
Also that the keg looses a bucket load of heat so looking at insulating now.
Sent from my mediocre phone and an average phone app
Looking into this myself with the kegs I got yesterday. Saw this for making lids from the cut off tops:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IPQ3H6RPvRI
Which kettle elements are you using there? I had a lok on the argos website (.ie and .co.uk) and their cheap kettles seem to be the cordless ones, which I'm guessing aren't the ones you're using. Maybe I'm looking at the wrong ones though...
Nope, those are the ones.
You will find the back of the element is kind of standard.
A normal kettle lead or computer lead (not recommended but used by many) will fit nicely. you can also use the supplied lead in the kettle base if you carefully widen out the crimped do-da's
Yep they were all earthed before I did my first boil, I deleted that picture as I wanted to show cut kegs not the electrics involved.
I wouldn't talk about keg electrics in a cutting kegs area as that would be clearly be off topic ;)
http://nationalhomebrewclub.com/forum/index.php/topic,2432.msg28879.html#msg28879
What size hole saw did you use for your kettle elements?
Quote from: Metattron on May 22, 2013, 08:24:35 PM
What size hole saw did you use for your kettle elements?
38mm nevwr changes
e and w are right next to each other as well :P
I feel a pattern coming on here