- get a beer keg make sure it is stainless steel
- get 2x stainless nipples I like 1/2 npt
- get a pid control from ebay, you want one with a type k theromcoulple and a solid state relay.
- get a water heater element kit from home depot, make sure it comes with a “bung” that is threaded.
- take your keg and remove the dip tube that was used to dispense beer, remove this you wont need it. google the instruction on how to remove it, it is pretty simple.
- drill two holes in your keg one near the top on the side and another below it close to the bottom. Drill these holes the same as the outside diameter of your 1/2 npt nipple.
- weld the two nipples into the holes.
- cut a hole in the side of the keg near the bottom big enough for the water heater element to slip in, and weld the bung to the hole. Then you may install the element by threading it into the bung.
- drill and tap a hole near the bottom of the keg to allow the type k thermocouple to be installed.
- wire your pid controll to the theromcouple and solid state relay, connect the solid state relay to the water heater element.
- attach your hot water pump to the lower nipple on the side of the keg, the top port is the water return.
- you may want to make an enclosure for the pid control to make it look purdy.
- you should be able to fill it with h20 and plumb it to your jacketed base, I like pex tube for this purpose.
- now tune the pid, boom done!
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