[rbowers]

I just picked up my new kettle from the welder today- I converted a 15.5G sanke keg into my new brew kettle complete with a ball valve and site gauge.  I calibrated the site gauge today and realized my dead space is a lot more than my previous kettle.  It came out close to 2 gallons (basically the volume left in the kettle after letting it drain without tipping it on its side. 
How should I account for this in recipe formulation and water needed?  In my prior kettle I did tip the kettle towards the end of draining it thru the wort chiller and into the fermenter to maximize my volume.  Any suggestions?

[euge]

Tip the kettle?

Or make a pick-up like I did, though I still have to tip it to get the last quart or so out.

[Hokerer]

Or make a pick-up like I did, though I still have to tip it to get the last quart or so out.

Yep, a pickup tube is basically an elbow and pipe that you add to the inside of the drain in your kettle.  It's outlet is lower than the bottom of the drain hole so siphon action allows you to drain much of that deadspace.  Looks something like...

[ccfoo242]

You know they have pills for that sort of problem... 

[Jimmy K]

+1 on a pickup tube. You could account for the dead space in your recipes, but since this is a boil kettle you'd be loosing a HUGE amount of the fermentables sugars.