3/4" Stainless Coupler

[George]

My wife says that I can be long winded, so I appologize in advance.

For years I have been doing 10 gal all grain batches in converted half barrels with only two outdoor propane burners. I recently commissioned a local metal fabricator (bartered with homebrew of course) to build me a MoreBeer-ish stand and also purchased a third burner. No more lifting 12 gallons of extract from the ground to the now vacated mash burner and stand. While I am at it, I have decided to go ahead and have thermometers installed in my mash and hot liquor tanks. This will be a giant advantage to using the one floating thermometer that is currently in service. (I did have a dial therm previously, but it disappeared. I think that in a semi-drunken brew session, I may have thrown it out with the spent grain)
I have chosen More Beer's thermometers to grace my improved brewhouse. They have a 1/2" mpt connection and 6" long by 1/4" diameter stem. This is fine for the hot liquor, but I feared that while I am stirring the mash, I will surely destroy the thermometer in the mash tun.
I googled thermowells, and ended up at St. Pat's. They have them and they are cheap. I chose the thermowell that would fit my thermometer. 6" long and receives a 1/2" mpt. All that is required is a 3/4" fpt coupler welded to the mash tun.
See, I'm terribly long winded.
So all I need to know is where I can find a reasonalby priced, i.e. not $30, 3/4" fpt coupler.
Thank you in advance
g

 

[El Pistolero]

Welcome to the forums George...I look forward to tapping your years of experience.

Your lovely wife is a master of understatement...thanks for the warning.

 

[Boston]

George, I think what you're looking for is referred to as a "nipple". Check your local plumbing suppy houses (maybe even Lowes/HD) or do a search on Grainger.com. I converted my keg about 10 years ago and, as I recall, the nipple is a $5-10 item. The tough part is finding a welder who will work for beer.
Jeff

 

[Brewiz]

Hey George, check these guys out, I have used them and they have a great selection and the shipping charges won't kill you.


http://www.mcmaster.com/

 

[parasonic]

Where did you get your thermowell? I'm looking for three of them for my 1/2" NPT 9" Ashcrofts, and I can't seem to beat $60-ish

 

[George]

www.stpats.com. The 9" are $25 a pop. They were very fast getting them to me, and use UPS. As a UPS guy, that's a big plus.

 

[parasonic]

www.stpats.com. The 9" are $25 a pop. They were very fast getting them to me, and use UPS. As a UPS guy, that's a big plus.

Thanks. I just ordered three.

 

[parasonic]

I got my thermowells in, and the thermometers fit nicely, but there is a larger gap between the wall and the probe than I thought there would be, so I will need a lot of thermally conductive paste/gel. I've heard of graphite+glycerine being used. What did you use?

 

[George]

Perhaps it's not the most precise way of going about this, but I've decided to simply thread the thermometer to the thermowell, relax, and have a homebrew (which, thanks to a vacation, I'm doing right now).