Keg with plastic covered top?

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telefonica
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Keg with plastic covered top?

Post by telefonica »

I got this keg super cheap off craigslist. Unfortunately, the top is covered with plastic (so was the bottom, but I removed it). What are all of your thoughts on this? Should I remove the plastic from the top, too? How hot do these SS kegs get during a run? My only concern with removing it is that I won't have any handles to grip the dang thing.

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still_stirrin
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Re: Keg with plastic covered top?

Post by still_stirrin »

How you intend to heat it? Propane? Removing the rubber from the bottom would be necessary then. But, if you’re planning to heat electrically, you probably wouldn’t need to remove it.

As for the top...leave it on. The boiler won’t get hot enough to melt the rubber. In fact, it helps to insulate the top, which will help your run.
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thecroweater
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Re: Keg with plastic covered top?

Post by thecroweater »

Sure would be a mess if it let go while you were lifting it. Might be better gone and some handles welded to it, would also give plenty of room to weld on a fill port should ya want to.
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zapata
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Re: Keg with plastic covered top?

Post by zapata »

What kind of still? The insulation is fine for a reflux rig. But someone mentioned recently they had problems with their potstill until they removed insulation from the top of the boiler. While I hadnt noticed the same thing, it did jive with variations I'd seen on different rigs over time. My best pot runs did not have insulation on top of the boiler.

So maybe you don't want that rubber on the top for pot stillin?
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heynonny
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Re: Keg with plastic covered top?

Post by heynonny »

Removed it from the bottom?

Remove it from the top too, , , ,

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shadylane
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Re: Keg with plastic covered top?

Post by shadylane »

telefonica wrote:the top is covered with plastic (so was the bottom, but I removed it
How did you get the bottom off?
telefonica wrote:...Should I remove the plastic from the top, too?
If the bottom came off easy, I'd remove the top also.

telefonica wrote:...How hot do these SS kegs get during a run?
Depending on altitude, boiler pressure and alcohol content, the top will get upto 100c :lol:
telefonica
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Re: Keg with plastic covered top?

Post by telefonica »

Thanks for all of your feedback! After some careful consideration, I thought it best to remove. I didn't know how it would effect things and I wanted to remove any uncertainties. Here she is in all her glory! I need to take a dremel to the little washer that was holding the plastic onto the neck, otherwise I think she'll make for a good boiler!

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Lastly, the bottom was attached with three little bolts through the steel. What's the best way to repair these holes? Would a little braze work?

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zapata
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Re: Keg with plastic covered top?

Post by zapata »

I would put a stainless bolt/nut in there and solder to seal. Solder/silver solder/braze terms mean different things to different people. If the bulk of the hole is plugged with a bolt, any solder or braze suited to ss would suffice. I would use harris staybrite or stay rite 8 and stay clean flux because it's reasonably cheap and easy to work with.

I cant tell where the holes are, but can you use fittings where they are? (drain, sight glass, thermometer?) Just enlarge the holes and solder in appropriate fittings to really pimp out the boiler.
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shadylane
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Re: Keg with plastic covered top?

Post by shadylane »

Careful you don't overheat the SS when brazing on it.
If you do, hairline cracks will form that's almost impossible to stop leaking :oops:
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