Keg Modification NO WELDING - Bottom Drain and Swiveling Casters

[Salt Must Flow]

Some of this may not be new, but I just wanted to give some examples of keg modifications that do not require welding. I like to have swiveling casters and a bottom drain on all of my boilers and other kegs that I use for different uses. I ordered stainless steel coupling nuts 5/8-11 1-1/8" long and 4" swiveling stem casters (5/8-11 threads). I will be using these kegs that I'm modifying here simply to collect Low Wines and use the bottom drain to dump the Low Wines back into the boiler for a final Spirit Run. I do not expect these solder joints to ever break under this type of use and if it did, it wouldn't be catastrophic. Personally I'd feel MUCH better if these Coupling Nuts were TIG welded to the keg if I were using it as a boiler with a tall column. To me it just makes sense for safety reasons because I've never relied on a soldered connection for something this important.

I marked the 4 locations on the keg where I wanted to install the casters. Thoroughly abrade each area and de-grease them.

Thoroughly abrade the surface on each of the nut couplings and de-grease them.

I used a relatively large nut I found that was 1/2" tall to use as a spacer.

Flux well. I used Harris Stay-Clean Soldering Flux and Silver Solder. I heated the nut and the surrounding area using a propane torch, fluxed, continued heating and soldered the nut into place. In most cases the nut solders very well and no more work needed unless there's a blob of solder on the bottom that needs ground away. In this instance the solder joint didn't look great so I flipped the keg on it's side and heated the solder up again.

I flipped the keg over, heated the nut, the solder flowed and the joint looked MUCH better. Like I said, in most cases I didn't need to do this and this was the ugliest one of of them all.

[Salt Must Flow]

All four coupling nuts are soldered to the bottom of the keg.

Just screw in the swiveling casters.

[Salt Must Flow]

As for the bottom drain, I used 1" Weld Spuds for two of the kegs and a 3/4" Weld Spud for another one.

Weld Spuds have a protrusion on the back side that I ground flat.

I drilled a hole using a step drill bit. I used a Die Grinder to grind the hole a bit larger. I thoroughly abraded the back side of the Weld Spud and the surface of the keg.

I soldered it on using Silver Solder and Harris Stay-Clean Soldering Flux.

Here it is after a little bit of cleaning.

I screwed in a brass elbow and decided to solder it into place too so I'll never have to worry about that joint leaking.

Fittings installed. Just a little copper pipe, a threaded adapter, a stainless ball valve, another copper adapter and copper street elbow.

[Chauncey]

Looking good. I have a side drain on mine cuz fire. Lol. I sometimes use propane or wood

[Salt Must Flow]

Looking good. I have a side drain on mine cuz fire. Lol. I sometimes use propane or wood

I have a side drain on a Keggle I can heat with gas or electric. I have to tip it to drain almost completely, but that's the trade-off for a side drain.

[NormandieStill]

Those weld spuds look cool. I'm gonna have to see if I can get my hands on some. My bottom drain is a 1" bulkhead adapter. I had a stainless elbow coming from that and the damn thing would unscrew a little each time I opened or closed the valve causing the Teflon tape on the threads to fail! I was thinking about soldering but soldering to the bulkhead is non trivial.

If I was using one of those weld spuds on the top of a still for connecting a column I wouldn't be worried at all. The flange gives a good mechanical connection and lots of surface area for the solder. I bet you could lift the keg when full by the spud!

[Yummyrum]

Nice job SMF and very fit for purpose

LOL , your so called ugly joint still looks Beautiful to me

[MooseMan]

Yeah cracking job, and as far as I'm concerned a joint that doesn't leak or fail, is a good one. I suppose if you know it's there though, and you have to look at it all the time, then it doesn't hurt to tidy it up a bit.

Based on your description of "Dump the low wines back into the boiler" I was half expecting some quirky SMF solution of lifting the kegs so that the drain is over the still to refill it, but I'm guessing that you simply pump the low wines from the base drain into the still once your storage kegs are full?

Norm, regarding your drain threads loosening, you could always fix some kind of strap/brace to the drain pipework to stop it moving when you open and close the valve? I was planning to solder or bolt a copper strap across my drain setup to stop any movement, (Copper flange soldered into the base of the keg instead of the weld spud solution that SMF has used here) if I ever get it back from the welder!

[Salt Must Flow]

Nice job SMF and very fit for purpose

LOL , your so called ugly joint still looks Beautiful to me

It was ugly, but I fixed it. This is before I fixed it. It's pretty ugly.

[Salt Must Flow]

Based on your description of "Dump the low wines back into the boiler" I was half expecting some quirky SMF solution of lifting the kegs so that the drain is over the still to refill it, but I'm guessing that you simply pump the low wines from the base drain into the still once your storage kegs are full?

I'll be elevating two of these modified kegs on this wood cart to collect the low wines during two stripping runs. Then I'll use the bottom drains to dump the low wines back into the boiler for the spirit run. That way I don't have to pump it of lift anything heavy.

[MooseMan]

Aha! That makes sense now you show the photo. A great low effort way to go about it if you have the space and the means.

I'm dreaming of a time and place where I can leave my still and associated bits set up all the time, it will then look very different I'm sure.

[Still-Learning]

Thanks a LOT! This was just the kind of stuff I was needing to see. Excellent work with tools at hand.
I am 4 sure putting a bottom drain in as you have shown! For some reason I never considered soldering the top fitting in the keg? Duh? I could only think wielding? It will be nice to stop using oatmeal on my leaks! hehehehe

Great info, even if it is posted elsewhere on the site, thanks for sharing your build!

[Salt Must Flow]

Thanks a LOT! This was just the kind of stuff I was needing to see. Excellent work with tools at hand.
I am 4 sure putting a bottom drain in as you have shown! For some reason I never considered soldering the top fitting in the keg? Duh? I could only think wielding? It will be nice to stop using oatmeal on my leaks! hehehehe

Great info, even if it is posted elsewhere on the site, thanks for sharing your build!

Top fitting? Do you mean to attach a column or a riser? I've never soldered a ferrule such a critical purpose. I'm not saying it cannot be done, I've just been too scared to rely on a solder joint to support my column. I've always had those TIG welded. When in doubt, I don't.

[Deplorable]

Thanks a LOT! This was just the kind of stuff I was needing to see. Excellent work with tools at hand.
I am 4 sure putting a bottom drain in as you have shown! For some reason I never considered soldering the top fitting in the keg? Duh? I could only think wielding? It will be nice to stop using oatmeal on my leaks! hehehehe

Great info, even if it is posted elsewhere on the site, thanks for sharing your build!

Top fitting? Do you mean to attach a column or a riser? I've never soldered a ferrule such a critical purpose. I'm not saying it cannot be done, I've just been too scared to rely on a solder joint to support my column. I've always had those TIG welded. When in doubt, I don't.

Do it with confidence. I had two, 2" lids for my milk can boiler, and converted one to a 3" by cutting off the 2" welded ferrule, expanding the hole and soldering on a 3" ferrule with Harris Silver solder. Its rock solid. I have enough confidence in it to grab the top of my 3"X 24" riser and tip a full 13 gallon boiler 45 degrees.

[Still-Learning]

"Do it with confidence."
That's always been my motto once I understand all intended and unintended consequences. Then watch out, cause we are moving forward. Anything up from oatmeal is going to be a big improvement!
I am certain and with your expierience speaking clearly on the subject, with excellent photos it's clear as day solder is my solution! I got no $$$ to give a certified welder, and I don't want to buy a welding rig just for my hobby, at least not just yet. Nor do I care to wait until a buddy can help me out.

So a BIG THANKS again! Very much appreciated.

[Still-Learning]

Top fitting? Do you mean to attach a column or a riser?

I'm running a column, but have confidence especially as this is a permanent set up, no tearing it down an moving it anymore; that a good silver solder done with the proper flux will be an excellent let's move forward kind of move to make.

Last time she was set up and running we used oatmeal paste on quiet a few leaks in 2 or 3 spots. Being in a well ventilated area there was no worries. The whiskey didn't seem to care and yielded some mighty tasty liquor. Oatmeal paste and all.