Cheap & Easy 10 Gallon Rubbermaid MLT Conversion

[J-Wood]

Good point.

 

[ontheuglydrumset]

Here's what that looks like on my Home Depot receipt. I'd imagine if you hand this to an employee, it would make shopping a LOT easier. The washers were not sold individually, so I purchased them in the form of the "nuts and washers" kit, which contained four washers for $3.92.

So the above was the recommended set of goods from the original post. However, I found that even after adding 3 washers to the outside, the setup was still very loose, so I ended up going back to Home Depot and getting a different-sized nipple instead of continuing to stack washers. I shrank from the 1 1/2" to a (approximately) 1" (Watts LFA-785 instead of the suggested LFA-786).



With this setup, everything tightens up well with just one washer on each side, but with the downside that the valve arm doesn't quite go all the way to the closed position. It hits the side of the cooler before getting fully closed, but it does close sufficiently to stop flow, and it did not leak one drop for me. I'd definitely recommend this setup instead of the original suggestion. I'll probably go back to Home Depot soon in search of a short brass extension piece to extend the valve away from the cooler a bit further and allow it to fully close.

 

[DurtyChemist]

SUPER helpful. Only thing easier would be the SKU #'s. The only thing I DONT see is the valve you purchased. Any possibility of you posting a photo of the closed valve interference?

View attachment 218818



Here's what that looks like on my Home Depot receipt. I'd imagine if you hand this to an employee, it would make shopping a LOT easier. The washers were not sold individually, so I purchased them in the form of the "nuts and washers" kit, which contained four washers for $3.92.



So the above was the recommended set of goods from the original post. However, I found that even after adding 3 washers to the outside, the setup was still very loose, so I ended up going back to Home Depot and getting a different-sized nipple instead of continuing to stack washers. I shrank from the 1 1/2" to a (approximately) 1" (Watts LFA-785 instead of the suggested LFA-786).



View attachment 218822



With this setup, everything tightens up well with just one washer on each side, but with the downside that the valve arm doesn't quite go all the way to the closed position. It hits the side of the cooler before getting fully closed, but it does close sufficiently to stop flow, and it did not leak one drop for me. I'd definitely recommend this setup instead of the original suggestion. I'll probably go back to Home Depot soon in search of a short brass extension piece to extend the valve away from the cooler a bit further and allow it to fully close.

 

[mrgrimm101]

Would there be any advantage or disadvantage to using a rectangular cooler instead of a round cooler? I've found rectangular coolers for much cheaper than the round and they seem to be comparable in its construction and durability.

Were I to get a rectangular cooler, would I need any other parts than what is listed on this post? Would just the 12" bazooka screen work, or should I look into building a manifold?

 

[fosaisu]

Would there be any advantage or disadvantage to using a rectangular cooler instead of a round cooler? I've found rectangular coolers for much cheaper than the round and they seem to be comparable in its construction and durability.

Were I to get a rectangular cooler, would I need any other parts than what is listed on this post? Would just the 12" bazooka screen work, or should I look into building a manifold?

Here's one of a number of threads with discussion on round vs. square coolers:
https://www.homebrewtalk.com/f36/mash-tun-round-vs-square-poll-148575/

I've got minimal experience but my take-away from that and other threads is that square vs. round doesn't matter if you're batch sparging, so if that's your plan there's no reason not to go with the cheaper square cooler. You'd probably want to do some searching though to confirm that the parts you are looking at will fit the specific cooler you buy.

 

[Wingnutt73]

So I Just built this two weeks ago. I got the a round and a square cooler. The round build went great hardest part was removing the tubing from the steel mesh. Now the square cooler build was much harder. The walls are thicker and the spout is at a downward angle. I had to cut away some of the plastic to make the bulkhead flush on the outside. The bulkhead and the connecting piece are also to small for the whole in the square cooler I got. I would suggest going a size larger.
Since the walls are thicker also I was not able to use as many washers or tighten it as tight as I would have liked. Now it doesn't leak but if you were to bump the bulkhead it will. Other than that all went well and they work great. I am going to look into replacing the bulkhead and conecting pieces to make sure it will never leak.

 

[Maxham51]

I eliminated these parts
- brass square head plug (Watts A-737)
- ½” x 12” (or larger) braided stainless steel '

and added this part
1/2" Male x 3/8" Female NPT Reducer Bushings
This is used to tighten the inside and can be used to attach a standard bazooka type filter. Much better then a the braiding from a hose.

 

[Keith_O]

What is this bazooka filter?
Can you post a pic?

 

[OakPond]

I bought all the parts for this, and put it together. For some reason I couldn't fit the washers on very well, so I just said screw becuase it was holding water fine, and then just reinforced it with a butt load of teflon tape. Works perfect.

 

[mrclean]

What is this bazooka filter?
Can you post a pic?

http://www.amazon.com/dp/B003ISY2DC/?tag=skimlinks_replacement-20

 

[OakPond]

Just want to throw in a satisfied post. This design worked better than I possibly imagined. My first all-grain experience was amazing! Don't think I'm ever going back to extract. This process is so much fun and more invovled.

 

[Crucial-BBQ]

Not sure if I posted in this thread or not...

...I found the - 3/8” MIP x 1-1/2” brass nipple (Watts A-786) to be too long. Not to mention it was the pits trying to get the nipple and the valve ends to screw in all they way. Instead of buying more washers I just got a shorter MIP.

...The stainless steel hose clamps from Home Depot rusted rather quickly (after first batch). Yes, they were clearly stamped as being "stainless". Ended up replacing them with clamps from LHBS.

...Ended up replacing the screen with a Bazooka tube...the braid that is suggested works good but the ends fray too easily, didn't want any bits to break off.

...I was going to build a second one then realized that I could get all stainless steel parts from my LHBS for only a couple dollars more...and that they "should" have been sold with the specific use of home brewing in mind...not plumbing.

...Also, be careful when you buy ball valves from a hardware store. Some of them contain a teflon grease inside to lubricate the ball/valve.

 

[Baldy246]

I crafted my MLT over the past week and did my first all grain brew today. Everything was going great until during my sparge I was just getting drips. Finally when I got all the grain out, my supply hose was flat as a pancake.

Did I do something wrong? Is this normal? What should I do differently?

Thanks!

 

[day_trippr]

Take the braided tube to the hardware store and find some stainless steel springs to stuff inside...

Cheers!

 

[RuckingBrewer]

I can not get the flex hose inside the braid to move by pushing it with needle nose. Anyone have some advice?

 

[badlee]

If you bunch up the braid,it will be easier to remove.
Problem is,when you pull on it,it tightens around the inner plastic.

 

[CGVT]

Soap

 

[juggabrew]

I can not get the flex hose inside the braid to move by pushing it with needle nose. Anyone have some advice?

Push one side of wire mesh towards the center and pull the other end in the opposite direction. It will slip out in no time

 

[ctbrewer227]

Finished my build today on my new MT, everything went good as planned, got all the parts at home depot, only thing I notice when done is the whole assembly spins but it passed the leak test and holds water perfectly with no leaks

 

[cdoebler]

Getting ready to do my build with a 10 gallon igloo but I'm concerned about the hose getting crushed eventually. I was thinking of doing a plastic manifold. Has anyone done this and has any tips on shape or tubing size to use?

 

[KLAAYHAUS]

Getting ready to do my build with a 10 gallon igloo but I'm concerned about the hose getting crushed eventually. I was thinking of doing a plastic manifold. Has anyone done this and has any tips on shape or tubing size to use?

If you use copper conduit inside your ss braid you'll be fine, that's what I used. I had a problem with twisting the braid when I stirred the mash (with a paint stirer on my drill) so I just bought a small SS pork rack in the grilling section at Meijer and use that as a cage around my braid.

 

[bigwigg]

I put galvanized steel wire inside of mine wrapped kind of in a spiral like a notebook spiral. Have only had one stuck sparge but it fixed itself.

 

[cdoebler]

If you use copper conduit inside your ss braid you'll be fine, that's what I used. I had a problem with twisting the braid when I stirred the mash (with a paint stirer on my drill) so I just bought a small SS pork rack in the grilling section at Meijer and use that as a cage around my braid.

What is a pork rack?

 

[Stealthcruiser]

I put galvanized steel wire inside of mine wrapped kind of in a spiral like a notebook spiral. Have only had one stuck sparge but it fixed itself.

Find you something else, and swap it out with that galvanized crap, something a little more "inert".............

 

[KLAAYHAUS]

What is a pork rack?

It's a rack to cook pork tenderloins on your grill. I put the copper conduit inside the braid and then the entire thing is protected by the "cage."

 

[KLAAYHAUS]

I put galvanized steel wire inside of mine wrapped kind of in a spiral like a notebook spiral. Have only had one stuck sparge but it fixed itself.

You may want to use copper instead: http://www.ehow.com/info_8620608_dangers-cooking-galvanized-steel.html

 

[bigwigg]

Thanks

 

[OrangesOfCourse]

I decided to try and build this but it seems that the new Home Depot coolers are a little different. The spigot assembly is 3/4 inch instead of the old style. Should I size up everything to a 3/4 inch size or is there a different solution?

 

[Baldy246]

I recently purchased 2 and followed these directions and it worked fine. You really have to torque them down to prevent leaking. I mean you really have to put some stank on it! They work great!

 

[adbuett]

I decided to try and build this but it seems that the new Home Depot coolers are a little different. The spigot assembly is 3/4 inch instead of the old style. Should I size up everything to a 3/4 inch size or is there a different solution?

Oranges, I have just found this out as well. I was able to get a good seal after putting a lot of torque on the bulkhead fittings, but the assembly just ended up too flimsy for me. The wiggling I was able to accomplish leads me to think I'm going to end up with leaks down the road.

This issue is actually the exact reason I moved from lurking to joining the forum. Not because I am searching for a solution, but because I believe I have found one. I will make a new post detailing my procedures and edit this one once complete.

Andrew

edit: https://www.homebrewtalk.com/f257/10gal-home-depot-cooler-mt-big-hole-fix-519025/

 

[mejtkt]

Baldy246 what directions did you follow?

 

[Baldy246]

The ones at the beginning of the thread. Only difference is I used more washers on the outside to achieve clearance from the body of the cooler. I think on one I used 5 and the other 4.

 

[skepace]

Any way to use ½ inch ball valve? I have a lot of those already.

 

[barrooze]

Any way to use ½ inch ball valve? I have a lot of those already.

All my plumbing is 1/2". The biggest concern is the size of the hole in the cooler. If you already own the cooler, remove the spigot and measure the hole. See if a 1/2" nipple pipe can go through. If not, see if you can open the hole to fit the larger pipe.

As for the rest of the parts, just use the 1/2" counterpart. Obviously, try putting them together before purchasing to make sure all fits well (washers included).

Good luck!

 

[markpace]

Just used these instructions to make a 5 gallon mush tun. Worked perfectly. The one thing that bothered me is that the whole thing will rotate a little when opening or closing the valve one handed. But it doesn't leak, so no big deal.

Thanks for the pictures and most importantly the part numbers. Even with them it took me quite a while at Home Depot to find what I needed.

 

[markpace]

When I was doing a test to see what volume of wort I'm going to lose I found out that when I went to push the drain tube on the ball valve that the whole thing could move enough to leak. So I went to Lowe's, Home Depot did not have any more 5/8 fender washers. Apparently these are actually kind of scarce because Lowe's didn't have them wither. So what I got was a 5/8 runner washer, it is quite big. 2 1/2 by 1/8. I put this between the 3 fender washers and the cooler and tightened it up. Now the ball valve does not move at all when I'm opening and closed the valve and I don't seem to have any issues with leaks.

 

[Sunward33]

Hey FlyGuy, I know its been a long time since you posted those instructions, but just in case you're still out there, thanks for the photos and parts list. I built a 5 gallon mash tun this last weekend and will christen it next weekend with a chocolate coconut stout. Everything fit perfectly and no leakage. Can wait to brew!

 

[jcom87]

I read this post a while ago and finally got around to making it. The instructions were crystal clear and gathering the material/assembling it was starting to seem like it was going to be a breeze. Where I ran into problems was screwing in the ball valve. Like many others I found it was extremely loose, so I sought out to space it with some washers. Then I went further in the thread and saw people were having issues with the SS hose clamps, so I threw that in the back of my mind. Then I saw multiple posts about how the screen flattens like a pancake, so I looked for some springs to put inside to make it more solid. Another thing I noticed from reading was that many ball vavles have some kind of grease to lubricate it, and I don't want that in my batch.
Finally I said enough is enough and I took a trip to my LHBS. After talking to the owner for a while I came to the realization that I just need to do this the proper way, bite the bullet, and spend a few extra bucks.
I was much more satisfied with the results. I picked up a bulkhead valve with a barb adapter, a nipple and lock nuts with built in o-rings, and a torpedo tube that came with a threaded coupling to connect it to the nipple.
It all went together nicely but I did a leak test and was getting a few drips. I decided to then modify my build a little, adding a few washers to make a tighter fit. The downside is the area around the hole in the cooler is too small for the washer, so my solution was to use the side of a step bit to widen that area slightly to make a tight fit.
After another leak test I noticed it was tight, but there was a very small leak coming from the connection between the bulkhead and the lock nut. So now I need to throw a little seal on that, so I'm thinking maybe a little bead of duct seal or something and she'll be nice and tight. What do you all think? Here are some pictures of where I'm at now. Notice the plastic around the bulkhead isn't perfect after I widened it, but it still works.

View attachment 1429669847708.jpg

View attachment 1429669948841.jpg

 

[shigadeyo]

Has anybody seen any deals lately on 10 gallon Igloo water coolers. The cheapest that I have found is $50+tax at Lowe's. After adding the cost of a false bottom and all the fittings, it's just as cheap or cheaper to buy a pre-made mash tun from BREW International, Midwest Supplies, etc. What am I missing as it just seems that the cooler cost has gone up dramatically over the years.

 

[msa8967]

Has anybody seen any deals lately on 10 gallon Igloo water coolers. The cheapest that I have found is $50+tax at Lowe's. After adding the cost of a false bottom and all the fittings, it's just as cheap or cheaper to buy a pre-made mash tun from BREW International, Midwest Supplies, etc. What am I missing as it just seems that the cooler cost has gone up dramatically over the years.

If you want to safe on the building cost of a mashtun instead of buying a premade system with a false bottom just convert a rectangular cooler that has a drain plug using a ball valve and a piece of stainless steel braided hose. To improve the filtering of the grain cut the end off of a voile curtain and use it as a sleeve/sock over hose braid. Secure the end closest to the ball valve with a zip tie and either sew the other end shut, tie it in a knot or secure it from opening with a zip tie. The voile cloth is the same material that is used in the brew in a bag system and is perfectly safe to use in mashing. You can buy a panel at Walmart for $5 or find one in a thrift shop. Try to use white color cloth and boil prior to first use. With this single layer voile cloth screen I have never had grain particles in my wort and never had a stuck mash.

If you want to stay with the circular drink cooler idea you can have Weisenbrewer make you a voile cloth bag to fit the inside of the cooler and still use the stainless steel braided hose. I have made over 50 mashtuns with this system for members of the brew club and general public. Only one came back to me because they decided they wanted to go bigger in size. The insulation helps make the deal of the empty space of the cooler a non-issue. Many of the mashtuns I have built only lose 1-2 F for a 90 minute mash. I am only giving you this as a possible alternative to doing the traditional false bottom method. I started with the false bottom idea and then eventually moved toward doing this as I became more experienced with brewing.

I have found used coolers in good shape for $5-10 on Craig's list or at thrift stores. The other parts can be bought for less than $30. I add some foam insulation (Great Stuff) to the inside of the lid by drilling small holes on the outside of the lid and filling this with insulation. Be very careful not to overfill (fill about 1/2 the space and spritz some water in there at first to help the foam cure.) You can buy screw caps for bookshelves to cover the end of the screws if you like after the insulation has cured. I use a silicon based adhesive or a gel type glue to secure them in place.