Newbie building Keggle.. Help!

[djalexis]

I'm just building my first keggle from an old keg
i put the keg on the stove to test it out and fumes are coming from the bottom.
the fumes smell really strong and toxic. stunk up the kitchen for days.
i thought it might have been some residual of metal polish from my testing out some polishing on it.
so i cleaned the hell out f it with sodium percarbonate, then some bartenders friend metal cleaner
then regular palmolive dish soap. i also scrubbed it with a metal brush bit on my drill.
looked perfectly silver... but the fumes were back.
any help finding out what these are and how to deal with them would be greatly appreciated.
i might just install and electric element but i want to have the option f using the gas stove.
do kegs sometimes have adhesive in the bottom area under the curled lip of the underside?
any ideas? please help!?
thank you for any time taken to read and / or respond!
cheers!

 

[jmcnamara]

Can you post some pics?

 

[djalexis]

Can you post some pics?

I can try to post some pics tomorrow when i have it out again and on the stove.
BUT... when i tested the keg the second time (after cleaning it as i mentioned) i shut off the heat as soon as i smelled the fumes. ( i didn't want to be breathing it anymore and getting it in my kitchen)
so I didn't get to see if it smoked as consistently as it did the first time. (the first time i wanted to time how long it would take to boil a full keg so i left it on... also I was hoping the fumes would burn off and go away ... they didn't) .
so i guess i'm saying that i dont know if a pic will show anything as the fumes might not have smoke this time around. but i'll try and set it up again and take a pic if you think that will help.

 

[Mark D Pirate]

Not paint or clear coat burning off ?
Kegs are usually fully welded here , what size keg is it ?

 

[GFHomebrew]

It should all burn clean. My 2 c would be light a fire outside wait till there's a fair few coals formed and she's burning hot then wack your keg in the fire on an old BBQ grill on bricks fill with some water and let the fire clean up that keg. Eventually the fire will burn any acrid solvent on it. Fire cleans remember.

Don't light her inside could be some poisonous gasses from whatever is on it.

 

[djalexis]

no paint or clear coat (i had used a wire brush bit on a drill over the whole thing... but after i tested out some polish so it could have been that sinking into the bottom.. fumes were from underneath somewhere).
i decided to cut the lip of the bottom of the keg. it curls under in a loop so i cut it so i could get inside it but left it curving enough to create a stable bottom "foot -like" shape kinda like this shape: L .
the lip was filled with dirt (the kegs had been outside for 7 years.) i scrubbed it again with the wire brush bit and washed it with detergent. smell is gone...HOwever.....

new problem that i thought would go away after 3 times filling with hot water (and boiling twice).
the water taste very metallic and tainted. the inside of the keg is like any keg you cut open so it doesnt look damaged.

Did i clean it too much inside? did i release some metals on the surface?
i dont think i scrubbed too much.
any ideas why a keggle would change the taste of the water so much. its very very noticeable and not pleasant. any help on that one? thanks guys! (hopefully this discussion will help others starting and building their first brewing set up)

 

[GFHomebrew]

Probably because you scrubbed her back to bear metal it should be fine. Maybe just boil some water in it for 10 or so minutes to seal the metal. John palmers how to brew book online has a fair bit about metallurgy in it check that out.

I brew in a keg DJ and have no problems get a brew going as asap I say christen your vergin brew kettle.