Anyone use the Cooler bulkhead from Austin Home Brew?

I have been trying to piece together my own bulkhead for my cooler conversion, however at this point it's cheaper to just buy one.

I found this

looks like it should be decent enough... Anyone else get one of these?

If you looking to just buy one check here. A little cheaper.
http://www.greatbargain.net/order/index.html

I have one on my kettle. Was tested this past weekend with two batches on Saturday. I had some flames coming up the side of my kettle and was a little worried about the rubber O-ring, but it's a champ. No leaks. Mine isn't fitting snug so the entire thing will rotate, but as I said, no leaks and worked out great.

We'll I just got off the phone with AHB. Their bulkhead fitting linked above is a little to shallow to make it through my cooler wall. Apparently they are intended for the coleman/igloo coolers. My rubbermaid has a 1" wall where my fittings need to go...

CRAPOLA... I'll have to call bargain fittings...

Bargain sells fittings designed for think walled coolers. I think Northernbrew does as well.

That's the one thing I would caution everybody on. Nipples only come in a few lengths and you can't cut them. Every cooler has a different wall thickness. If the nipple is a tad short, the next size will be way to long and you'll need a stack of washers to take up the extra length. I struggled with a few of my cooler variations to get them to seal with the parts available.

Linc

NoClue

I cheaped out on the bulkhead fitting for now, but this might work for you. I cut a bigger clearance hole through the outer wall and foam insulation of my Rubbermaid cooler and tightened a spigot onto the single inner wall. It is actually a better seal because you can tighten it down without compressing the foam insulation.

AnOldUR said:

NoClue

I cheaped out on the bulkhead fitting for now, but this might work for you. I cut a bigger clearance hole through the outer wall and foam insulation of my Rubbermaid cooler and tightened a spigot onto the single inner wall. It is actually a better seal because you can tighten it down without compressing the foam insulation.

Click to expand...

I did the same thing with my square cooler and had similar (good) results. I'd do it again if I hadn't bought a whole setup from a guy getting out of the habit.

AnOldUR said:

NoClue

I cheaped out on the bulkhead fitting for now, but this might work for you. I cut a bigger clearance hole through the outer wall and foam insulation of my Rubbermaid cooler and tightened a spigot onto the single inner wall. It is actually a better seal because you can tighten it down without compressing the foam insulation.

Click to expand...

That's how I got my thermometer probe to stop leaking. I made a larger hole in the outer shell, removed some foam and tightened against the inner wall. A little less professional looking, but leak free none the less.

Good ideas... I'm trying to get together exactly what I want instead of "rigging" it. I may use that spigot idea for the time being though. Eventually, everything will be run with pumps so the NPT fittings on a 1/2 ball valve are going to be used in the end...

Thanks guys!

NoClueBrewMaster said:

I have been trying to piece together my own bulkhead for my cooler conversion, however at this point it's cheaper to just buy one.

I found this

looks like it should be decent enough... Anyone else get one of these?

Click to expand...

It works great! I tried to gerryrig my own and could never get it to stop leaking. I got so PO'd I drove up to Austin Home Brew with my cooler and they put it in for me. Works like a champ!

I'm going to be in Austin in a few weeks... I'm hoping I'll have a chance to check out AHB while im there... I'm hoping its everything I've dreamed of...

AnOldUR said:

NoClue

I cheaped out on the bulkhead fitting for now, but this might work for you. I cut a bigger clearance hole through the outer wall and foam insulation of my Rubbermaid cooler and tightened a spigot onto the single inner wall. It is actually a better seal because you can tighten it down without compressing the foam insulation.

Click to expand...

I did the same thing. For me it wasn't so much the expense, but less work. I already had an extra plastic spigot/valve sitting around, why not use it? I keep thinking I should retrofit it with a nice S/S ball valve, but this has been working fine for nearly three years now, so why fix it if it ain't broken?!

NoClueBrewMaster said:

I'm going to be in Austin in a few weeks... I'm hoping I'll have a chance to check out AHB while im there... I'm hoping its everything I've dreamed of...

Click to expand...

I've been to a lot of HBS in my travels. Austin Home Brew is one of the biggest, CLEANEST, and best organized store that I've seen so far.

I'm lucky to have them in my back yard (so to speak).

Good to hear! I'll be there in a week