I just installed a ball valve onto my Bayou Classic 44 Quart brew kettle so I can drain my chilled wort directly to the fermenter. I typically use an auto-siphon for racking from kettle to fermenter but felt the ball valve would give me a faster transfer, one less thing to clean and sanitize and look better. It should also give me a more consistent water volume left behind.

Parts

• Bayou Classic 44 QT Pot
• Weldless Ball Valve Kit *
• Step Bit
• 1/2″ Silicone Tubing

* The ball valve kit I got is configured like so: Standard bulkhead, stainless 2 piece valve, 90 degree elbow inside, 1/2″ hose barb for valve.

Process

The first thing I did was watch BobbyFromNJ’s YouTube videos on installing weldless ports/valves onto a brew kettle:

After I had a good understanding of how to do it, and where to place it, it was pretty straightforward. There is no need to rehash the steps I took as they follow almost exactly what BobbyFromNJ does in his video and the instructions on the BargainFittings.com site where I bought the ball valve kit.

Here is a picture gallery of the install and final product: