Some questions on AG brewing equipt, with pictures.

Hey Guys,
I'm getting ready to do my first AG brew next weekend, this weekend is a partial mash. Anyway, over the last 2 days I have built an MLT and a immersion chiller. pics are below. I couldn't find the recommended parts so I had to improvise in some areas of my builds. On the Immersion Chiller I couldn't get a 50 ft spool, so I bought (3) 20 ft spools and built a 40 ft immersion chiller with a compression fitting union in the middle. Does anyone else have a union? I have to test it to make sure it doesn't leak, however, would the high temps of a wort boil cause problems that might make it leak at all? Or the change in temperature? I don't want to infect my wort. I also built an MLT from an army 5 gallon cooler, only because it was free, i'll end up getting a 10 gallon as well. I improvised here as well and used some plastic pieces, a rubber oring and plastic hose, while everything i read called for all copper and stainless steel fitting with stainless braid hose, will it make a difference?.. it didn't leak at all but i did put some plastic weld on it just to be sure. I have an extra 20 foot spool of copper pipe that I'm going to use for something, either for a two stage immersion chiller to put in ice water before my main one, or as a sparge. Any suggestion? I was told by my LHBS that a shower head would work fine for sparging...ideas on that? Any help or advice is greatly appreciated. I might be over reacting, i want my first AG to go well.

The chiller looks solid and I think the union will be fine. It probably won't leak (make sure you remembered plumbing tape.)

I don't know how I feel about the plastic pieces. Are they foodgrade? Or CPVC? You may get some funky flavors or they may not handle the high temps of mashing if they are regular plastic. Also, does the tubing inside your MLT have any straining mechanism? From the picture it just looks like an open hose.

And yes, you can use a showerhead, bucket with holes at the bottom... or you could just batch sparge.

Thanks for the input. The plastic fittings are CPVC. At the union I didn't use plumber's tape because it's a compression fitting, if i was supposed to I guess I'll have to take them off and reapply with a new union. I don't have a screen in there yet, I'm planning on getting a little piece of stainless steel mesh and wrapping the nipple in it then placing the hose overtop. So I guess I should use the extra copper as a secondary chiller?

I was able to get the 50 foot roll of copper so I did not have to use the compression fittings as you did. However, I did use the compression fitting to attach the garden hose fitting as you did with no leaks...Use the tape on the threads and not the compressions fittings.. Atleast that is my opinion...I am no plummer though.. Anyway it should work ok.. Just test for leaks before using.. I agree with the other posts in regards to your MLT....

Also I like the swivel garden hose adapter. I need one of those asap!!!


Good luck!!

xaturnascends said:

I'm planning on getting a little piece of stainless steel mesh and wrapping the nipple in it then placing the hose overtop.

Click to expand...

So you're saying you want the mash to flow through the tube and THEN filter at the nipple? If that's your plan, I would seriously consider writing up some new plans. The mesh will clog up so fast, not to mention grain will fill up your hose and probably halt the flow of wort. Dude, just get a stainless steel braided water line (like the one behind your toilet.) It'll cost you $4 at Lowe's. Search for it on the forums (also called SS braid or bazooka screen.)

It's actually not a swivel hose adaptor, the brass hose adaptors are swivel, it's just a .99 cent on/off for the hose. I will be doing everything in my (very well ventilated) basement and won't feel like running outside to turn off the water supply. Regarding the MLT. Inside I used a CPVC barbed male adaptor with but could only get it in 1/2 od, I just bought a 9 inch Phils False Bottom online, so i will have to switch it out with a copper or stainless 3/8 one anyway to connect the hose to the false bottom. As for the shower head for sparging, just picked up a phil's sparging arm also, so i'm going to use the extra copper tubing and create a secondary chiller to put in an ice bucket before it runs through my wort.