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Beer Snob

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I am having a very hard time holding the seal around the fitting of the Mash/Turn. I put some potrolium jelly around the seal and it seems to be holding. Is there something better to use? The fitting comes off and on... perhaps I need to seal it more permenantly... epoxy?
 
If you are using a picnic box cooler and trying to use a brass tank connector or similar have a look through this thread.Ignore the first few links and look at the diagrams and pics further down the page.

Mash Tun Discussion
 
I've had the same problem in the past. I used a drilled rubber stopper with rigid plastic tubing inserted in the stopper. It was always getting pulled out and that is not good when you have a mash going!
I found this hardware (see link) and it has made the difference for me. It bolts to a Gott type cooler and has O ring seals that prevent leaking. I also purchased a 1/2inch valve and some hose barbs at the hardware store. It works so much better and it helps me relax and not worry. By the way, the product listed in the link does not come with the valve but you can purchase it with one too.

http://www.williamsbrewing.com/KEWLER_BULKHEAD_ONLY_P1440C181.cfm
 
I use a silicone sealer for bath/kitchen use. It needs to be replaced every couple of years or so, but It's easy to break the seal if required for cleaning/repair purposes.

-a.
 
I had a heck of a time as well but I used the following "stuff" from Ace. One edit though, I had to still use the original rubber washer from the cooler on the inside.

Cooler_Parts.JPG
 
This was living hell to try to do. I had 4 home depot guys trying to help me at various times in the afternoon..... the problem was in increasing or decreasing sizing.... this one they dont have... this one is not made... this one just comes in flanged ends....finally I got the first connector on the outside of the cooler to be 3/4 (a tad larger actually) which allowd me to use a garden hose connector that went from 3/4 to 3/8 barb all in one shot. The barb ends goes inside the cooler to attach to Phil's bottom and the 3/4 end points outside to go through the ball valve and barb to end up in the boiling pot. I could not find a steel washer but I'm going to look for one as I think it would make the assembly more stable (seems to move a bit). Then there is the leaking issue.... has not leaked in a few hours with the seals having a little potrolium jelly on them and seems to be holding. I've got a rubber washer on the outside (came with the cooler) and there is a rubber gasket within the water hose fitting attached to the inside of the cooler.

Wish the damm careram worked now so I could post it....
 
Looks like it... handle on the ball valve is red. 1/2 is red, 3/8 is blue. I started comming out of hell as soon as I swiched the ball valve to 1/2.
 
I'd kinda like to brew today...... will potrolium jelly eventually fail or do you think I'm cool for uisng it for today.... still holding.... wondering what will happen with the additon of very hot water....
 
Michael_Schaap said:
I'd kinda like to brew today...... will potrolium jelly eventually fail or do you think I'm cool for uisng it for today.... still holding.... wondering what will happen with the additon of very hot water....

And the answer is ... no... poured hot water in it and it started to leak. Off to the hardware store:)
 
El Pistolero said:
desertBrew...is that all 1/2" stuff?

By the way...your new avatar is freaking me out. :eek:

Yea, all 1/2". I couldn't get everything I wanted from Home D (or the idiots coudn't help me). Give that to Ace; at least they got people who know what they're doing... Bring your cooler in if building one of these buggers to avoid the 4 trip syndrome.

Freakin you out? I'm on a movie theme avatar mode. Gotta find that Oh Face somewhere. :cross:
 
What a headache. Well I took everything to my local hardware to solve the simple problem of it leaking. He convinced me that I should take what I had back at Home depot and use the next step larger fittings. So... feeling like a dummy I did take the assembly back and came back to him to get the "Improved" assembly. So instead of 1/2 it was 3/4 but the thing was so bloody big that I would never be able to get the false bottom on! So now I'm back to square one. In order fot the 1/2 inch fittings to work I needed to make the hole just a tad larger and of course this new person who has the answer told me that if the hole was just a tad smaller.... Not sure what to do with it now really. need to take a step back and put it aside for now. Think about it.

One problem is that the hole on the cooler is not centered in the indentation where it sits. This is making fitting it with anything a living hell.
 
El Pistolero said:
What movie is that from...Jethro Does Jersey? :confused:

Like Pumbaa said; Office Space. You are hereby required to rent the movie and laugh your arse off ESPECIALLY since you are in the software biz :D. And then you'll know what I'd do.
 
desertBrew said:
Like Pumbaa said; Office Space. You are hereby required to rent the movie and laugh your arse off ESPECIALLY since you are in the software biz :D. And then you'll know what I'd do.
Well, I guess I'd better watch it...especially with Pumbaa and desertBrew giving it two thumbs up. :)
 
El Pistolero said:
Don't see how that could possibly be a problem. :mad::drunk:

Especially when you were talking about hating writing software earlier. Now just crack a couple 22oz's and sit back. I have a feeling you'll love it.
 
Well here is what I thought of... since the hole is too big now I need to start a new one. I took a rubbermaid top (the kind that is safe for food) and cut out two oversized sections. I am glueing them together with Gorila Glue. Thier net site says that when dry it is non toxic and waterproof. Put two together for strength. Then I am glueing this oversized piece over the hole. I made it oversized so I can make sure the glue is not over the hole thus preventing the glue from having direct contact with the wort inside. I then can redrill the hole so that it would take a 3/8 inch size ball valve with hardware similar to what has been shown here.

Any thoughts... you think it would work?
 
My mash/lauter tun is an Igloo ten gallon cooler, with a Phil's Phalse bottom. We have a Lowes and a Menards in town. Lowes didn't help, but Menards had a threaded boiler drain valve, which looks just like an outdoor faucet I looked around until I found two flanges with the same thread and two gaskets.

To attach the Phalse Bottom, I used a barb and a PVC cap. The brass barb fits the outlet from the Phalse bottom. The other side of the barb is threaded. The PVC cap is Schedule 40, which means thick. I drilled a hole in the apex of the cap, a bit smaller that the threaded side of the barb, then twisted the barb into it. Assembly or disassembly takes a minute. After brewing, I disassemble the valve and rinse it out.

I usually get a few drips from it, but less than a teaspoon from a session.

For something cheap, fast and effective, get a drilled, food grade rubber stopper from a homebrew supply store. Put rigid tubing through the hole, and insert the stopper with the thick end inside. Use flexible plastic tubing to connect to the false bottom and to go to the pot. Use a pinch clamp to throttle the tubing.

Tom
 
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