Bottom fill and drain seeking advice

[PsychDoc]

Don't let the beauty of my technical drawing throw you, I'm actually not an engineering draftsman.

Thoughts about a 'bottom fill' ? Why you ask? Well I'm going to put a drain in anyway, and I don't want to make Swiss cheese of my keg, 15gal, going electric,
So why not fill from the bottom? I know it would be slower, but if it were all 1" that should be plenty.

Question 2: I understand that "everything" in the vapor path needs to be copper or stainless, but what below the wash line. Elements seem to use silicone seals and the drain valve etc, could that be brass?

[firewater69]

Looks like your fill tube will waste some wash.

[PsychDoc]

Looks like your fill tube will waste some wash.

Could be... It will be mixing as it boils so I think it would be minimal. Even if it were completely isolated what would that be? A pint or so?

I also realize the valve and fill tube could be on the same side.

[culvercreek]

If it were me I would go even simpler. Fill through the column opening. I have no idea how that will react during a boil. If your heart is set on that set up I would add a valve on the riser of the fill tube to close while running.

[Condensifier]

Yup, a 45 degree branch between the keg opening and the column with a cap and tri-clamp would work.

[PsychDoc]

Yup, a 45 degree branch between the keg opening and the column with a cap and tri-clamp would work.

Well there is a thought. A 2" copper 'Y', easy flange, cap, tri clamp, a few bits of 2" tube,... On second thought... Could be costly.
As you might already know/experience, taking the column off for every fill can be a pita

Otherness please chime in.

And what of materials? Brass valve? Only stainless? All copper?

[Tokoroa_Shiner]

Why not just take the tri clamp and column off the sanke and fill with a funnel through the top?

[Bob Loblaw]

A "Y" a the top is probably cheaper than the stainless and valve set up to do your bottom feed. And the bottom feed option will be super slow to fill so you won't be able to pour your mash into the spout. Maybe spoon it in?

OTOH, if you are already having welding done on your keg to add a drain - then why are you opposed to a fill port? I got a 4" ferrule, cap and clamp for ~$30 - and can use that as a cleanout port too. Flip the keg over, use the sankey fitting as a drain, and add 2 x 4" ferrules on top. Then you never have to take off the column if you don't want to and the opening is big enough you can pour straight from a carboy.

[acfixer69]

I fill mine from the bottom. I have a 3/4" copper drain line and a ball valve with a female adapter to hose. Then use a short made up hose to my pump. Works great. A boiler drain, ball type comes with a hose connection already there.

AC

[Bob Loblaw]

AC - I bet a pump helps fix the speed problem!

[PsychDoc]

The speed of fill may be an issue, the pressure is the same based on level, right, but volume might come into play. Any hydraulic engineers out there, or a run of the mill physicist?

So the why questions?
I want to save a buck and simply solder the connections.
I will put in a drain, again, solder in a welding spud, 1" or 3/4", so it was/is an idea
I don't want to remove the column for each fill, PITA.
My heart isn't set on much
What else?

AC, got pics of the setup?

[Soggy Bottom Boy]

I'm thinking, as the whole tube heats up from thermal transfer from the boiler charge, you may get wash/mash that is also boiling inside the tube. You might get some geyser action out of the top of your tube if that happens. If that happens, you could maybe add a valve, or still convert it to just a drain port easily enough.

I would just add a fill port/tri-clamp ferrule on the top of the boiler.

[Truckinbutch]

I got a 15.5 keg boiler and a 15.5 thumper in pot still mode . 3/4" drains in both . 2" triclamp column out of boiler with a 1" fill pipe . Column reduced to 1" up and over to thumper and back to 2" with a 1" fill pipe and a !" vapor tube leading to the condenser .

> When I set this up I simply fill , run , drain , and fill again . One run or a dozen ; once it is all in place all I have to do is replace liquids and monitor runs .

[PsychDoc]

I think good sense might get the best of me yet,
I think if I can successfully solder the spud to the bottom, I should just solder a coper threaded adapter to the top. Right?
Easy?

[Truckinbutch]

Thee are some good pictures posted somewhere here on the plumbing I am talking about that makes it easier to visualize . My point is build your rig as user friendly as you can . Consider multiple runs and emptying and refilling a hot boiler for the next run .

[White_Lightning_Rod]

Just some food for thought on this one. I have been using my drain to fill my boiler also. Kinda like AC does, kinda. I have just a regular 3/4 stainless ball valve mounted as low as I could get it on the side of my keg. http://homedistiller.org/forum/viewtopi ... 85&t=48153

So you ask, how do I fill the boiler. I have a 3/4 Male NPT to 1/2 female copper fitting that screws into the ball valve and clear vinyl hose clamped onto a short piece of 1/2" that is soldered into that fitting on the other end of that hose is my racking cane. Put my still head on the boiler, I fashioned a nicely sealing adapter of sorts on the end of my Shop-Vac hose and connect it to the end of my liebig. Turn on the shop vac to create a vacum in the boiler stick the racking cane in my wash/mash and open the ball valve and it sucks the liquid into the boiler perfectly. No worries about getting my ferments higher than my boiler to siphon anymore. I dont know how well this could work with a reflux set up but with a pot still it works for me.

[White_Lightning_Rod]

Ill also add it is no faster or slower than when I was using the same hose and racking cane to siphon from the fermenter to the boiler. Just a little more noise.

[googe]

If you don't want to.many holes in the keg, why not put a fill port into the column base, simple hole with a copper tube at a angle, or a 45 degree bend fitting with a coupler on the tube with the other end of the coupler on you fill tube from the fermenter. To seal when stilling, you could use the coupler.

[still_stirrin]

. . create a vacum in the boiler . . it sucks the liquid into the boiler perfectly.

Innovative! A great way to automate the transfer! I like the idea. Thanks WLR.