Help Mash tun not coming together (vid)

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Daver77

Daver77

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Can't seam to get the ball valve to stay put. When you open and close it it's fine but it's loose and spins around. There is also a little leakage as well. Not sure what I did wrong can you guys help me trouble shoot?

this is for batch sparging. I'm using 1/2 inch brass ball valve and stainless washers on the inside. I have an O ring on there as well.

watch the video so you see what I mean.


IMG_2036.jpg


In that pic there is a brass pipe about 2 1/2 inches long

connecting the bazooka screen is a brass coupling

A brass compression coupling for the front of the ball valve

I ended up using 3 zinc washers for the outside of the cooler and 2 stainless washers not shown in photo for the inside.

I also used a rubber washer for the outside as well.
 
Last edited by a moderator:
Mine spins as well. It bothered me at first but then I just got used to it. I think the issue is that the tighter you tighten it its just crushing the insulation in the cooler so it never gets tight enough to not spin. It will be interesting to see if anyone else has the spinning issue.
 
The problem is that the cooler has a double wall. There's probably some insulation sandwiched between the inner and outer wall. This limits how tight you can screw in the fittings without deforming the walls. I would find a way to fill the the gap between the walls so you have something to snug down against. This may be easier said than done and I have not done it myself, so I cannot go beyond that. I would not be concerned about the valve rotating so long as it seals OK. You may have to live with the tiny leak, but that's really no big deal, so long as it doesn't get out of control.
 
Mine was a little loose when I first thought it was as tight as it could go; but it wasn't and I just had to put some extra ass in it to go around one more time.

When your vid shows the side view of the valve it doesn't appear to be perfectly straight which may be causing some problems too. If all else fails and you're positive it is as tight as it will go...add another washer or two. Let us know how it turns out.
 
What about sealing the inner cooler opening with silicone. It doesn't come into contact with the mash or wort
 
Daver77 said:
What about sealing the inner cooler opening with silicone. It doesn't come into contact with the mash or wort
Click to expand...

This might be the best solution. Dig out some of the insulation between the walls and fill the void with silicone. Might take a while to cure, but it should work just fine.
 
Regarding the spinning, I had the same problem when I built mine. The fix was using a dremel to shave away the outside of the cooler to get rid of the two layers of plastic (liner and outer wall). A hole saw might be required for you but you have to be careful not to damage the inner liner. I also use a locknut on the outside to secure it and then the ball valve just goes hand tight. Another thought is that you have tightened both ends to the end of the threads. You might try a shorter nipple (or the locknut).

As far as the leak goes, make sure you are using teflon tape on both threads (I see it in the pic so I am guessing you did). Also, those o-rings look a little thin. Especially on the inside I would look for something a little thicker because it may be folding under pressure. If you can't find a thicker o-ring you can use two concentric o-rings. One would be a larger diameter. If you still have a leak, you can try some 100% silicone on the outside. Keep in mind that if insulation is exposed it may still leak inside the cooler between the walls which would give some nasty bacteria a place to grow.
 
I can't say I had the spinning problem. Maybe its the type/quality of the gasket you are using. Seems to me the gasket should begin to deform and "squish" flat causing increased friction so it doesn't spin and gets tight. I converted one of Coleman's xtreme coolers and had no problem. I used bargainfittings.com for my ball valve assembly but had to go to a plumbing store to get a longer ss nipple.
 
chipsah said:
Regarding the spinning, I had the same problem when I built mine. The fix was using a dremel to shave away the outside of the cooler to get rid of the two layers of plastic (liner and outer wall). A hole saw might be required for you but you have to be careful not to damage the inner liner. I also use a locknut on the outside to secure it and then the ball valve just goes hand tight. Another thought is that you have tightened both ends to the end of the threads. You might try a shorter nipple (or the locknut).

As far as the leak goes, make sure you are using teflon tape on both threads (I see it in the pic so I am guessing you did). Also, those o-rings look a little thin. Especially on the inside I would look for something a little thicker because it may be folding under pressure. If you can't find a thicker o-ring you can use two concentric o-rings. One would be a larger diameter. If you still have a leak, you can try some 100% silicone on the outside. Keep in mind that if insulation is exposed it may still leak inside the cooler between the walls which would give some nasty bacteria a place to grow.
Click to expand...

I think I can opt for another washer since the next size down for the shaft it 2 inches. That half inch might be too much to shave off.

I think your right about the o ring though I might need a bigger one.
 
Also you might try adding a second o ring between the coupler and washer if there is not one all ready. this should help with the spining and possibly the leak.
 
Mine spins too, I'm also using a coleman xtreme. Doesn't leak a drop. I used the original o-ring that was on the cooler and everything seals up fine.
 

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