Mash tun repair

My 48 qt cooler mash tun has developed some small cracks around the bulkhead from overtightening the washers that hold it in place. Consequently it has developed a small leak. I plan to glue a rubber washer or plastic washer over the cracked region with JB Weld or some other compound, silicone etc.

Do you think JB Weld would be an appropriate compound for a mash tun environment? I am a little worried that it may leach toxic chemicals into my mash.

Use a bulkhead like the one shown. It will not crack a mashtun as it is rather large. It has 1/2 pipe internal threads and a big rubber washer to seal against the inner liner of the mashtun. If your crack is just started and not too big then this might fix it. Note: This is what MoreBeer uses on their cooler/mashtuns.

The cracks are small enough that they are covered by the rubber washer I am using but I still get a small leak. If I glue the washer to the mashtun it will hopefully stop the cracks from spreading and I won't need to tighten it as hard to form a seal. I intend to reinforce the outside as well.

I have identified a compound that will be safe inside the tun, but I have JB weld on hand and would prefer to use it if its safe for use.

Thanks for your input WBC!

Any chemical glues should never be used on food grade items as chemicals can be deadly to the human body. It's your choice but I would not do it.

Hey WBC,
Where'd you get that bulkhead fitting? Do you have a part number or anything? Thanks.