3 quick cooler conversion questions

[neomantra]

hi all, i just bought this 48 qt coleman cooler. i'm now looking at buying this cooler kit but had a 3 quick questions.

1) does anyone else have this cooler and already know what cooler type to pick on the fittings kit? i can just wait until the cooler arrives and measure it but it'd save me some waiting if someone knows already

2) can anyone verify the right options to combine this kit with this SS braid? i think i'd need the 1/2" NPT male SS braid if i go with the standard bulkhead kit options right?

3) for the valve & barb additions is there any reason not to go with brass? it's a few bucks cheaper but if there's a good reason to upgrade to SS i will.

 

[shamrockdoc]

https://www.homebrewtalk.com/wiki/index.php/Converting_a_cooler_to_a_mash_tun

Try this on for size. This helped me out when I converted my Coleman. You don't have to go with brass if you don't want. People just do it because of the cost I believe. Do what you want. PROST!

 

[neomantra]

thanks for the reply shamrock!

i'd actually prefer to go with brass because of the cost. i'm just asking if there is some good reason it's worth upgrading to stainless. if there is i'll fork out the extra few bucks, but i'm not going to throw extra money at it for no reason

also, i've read through that wiki page many a times but the pieces that are listed to buy there are a little different than what you get from bargain fitting's site so while it's a great general resource it doesn't quite answer my questions.

 

[metaltim]

I have that exact cooler and exact fittings from bargain fittings.

I went SS all the way, just looks better to me. what's a couple of bux.

Here's what i got:
New Weldless Keg / Cooler Bulkhead Kit
- Vessel type Standard Cooler 1.5" Nipple
- Inside the vessel fitting None
- Valve Stainless 2 piece ball valve
- Hose Barb SS 1/2" Male NPT X 1/2" Barb

on inside i have a pvc manifold, took about $8 and 10 minutes to make.

 

[metaltim]

i have a very slight leak. after an hour mash, there's just a little bit of liquid on the table that i put my coleman on. It's not enough to warrant me trying to redo it. as you tighten the bulkhead, it just squeezes the coleman walls together.. so i didn't want to potentially mess it up by over tightening it.

 

[neomantra]

so if you got the 1.5" standard and you're saying it is squeezing the coleman walls together is it possible you'd have been better off with the thick wall 2" nipple instead? if you take a tape measure and look at the cooler wall width is it closer to 2 than 1.5?

 

[metaltim]

length of the nipple won't make a difference. the cooler walls are just not very rigid, so when you tighten valve on it it just tends to squeeze. Bobby_m has a fix for this, by putting a piece of PVC in the cooler wall to make it rigid.

 

[neomantra]

oh, cool. i think this is the thread metaltim is referring to for anyone else who was interested: https://www.homebrewtalk.com/f11/no-leak-mlt-bulkhead-design-87197/

 

[BrotherFreeman]

Just an side as an option for you. You can pick up a small rubber bung and feed a piece of tubing through it with a plastic valve on the outside for a shutoff. You can hose-clamp the braid directly to the piece of tubing sticking out inside the cooler. I use this for a quick change-out on a second cooler when i need temporary storage for the runnings while sparging. You can put it together for less than $10.

When dealing with the seal using a brass or SS valve assembly, i re-used the white gasket that is used on the default drain valve that comes with the cooler. One downside i find with the metal valve is that when you try and operate it, they tend to bend the cooler wall and you have to hold it with one hand while turning the handle. If you want to save yourself a couple more dollars, skipp the barb fitting on the inside and just "screw" in the braid into the coupling. It will hold it in place but you have to be cognizant of your stirring methods while sparging, dont yank on it too hard with your paddle or you will yank it out of the coupling and you will be racing for your pasta strainer.