Cooler Mash Tun, how do I know it's not leaking into the cooler?

[JMan551]

I just received my fittings from bargainfittings.com (super fast, nice and clean product) and immediately began putting the finishing touches on my Rubbermaid mash tun. The pre drilled hole for the factory spigot appears to be a bit bigger than the nipple provided, and when I put the whole apparatus together it seems that the silicone ring may be just big enough to make a seal, but I can't be certain because I can't really get a good view.

I managed to get the whole system together with the washers and valve (wish I could get one more washer in there) and finally got it snug. I was afraid to tighten too much as to crack/warp the cooler, but I got it pretty tight. I gave it the old water test and I had zero water seeping out. My concern is if the seal was just too small for that hole that water/wort could get in between the inside and the outside of my cooler and damage it.

Does anyone have any experience with this fitting? Do I have a valid worry? Any way to test this? I'd hate to take this apart more than a couple of times, I don't want to stress the cooler.

JER

 

[worksnorth]

LOL
RDWHAHB
I'm betting It's gonna be fantastic!!! MASH!!
Cheers!

 

[barryfine]

If you're worried about the seal, it probably couldn't hurt to apply some silicone caulk before tightening.

 

[kh54s10]

Weigh the tun, fill it with water and wait a while then weigh it again. If it weighs more then water is getting between the inner and outer shells.

 

[JMan551]

LOL
RDWHAHB
I'm betting It's gonna be fantastic!!! MASH!!
Cheers!

I know, I didn't want to sound like a whiny little noob but while I was looking at it it seemed like a valid possible issue. I'm sort of RDWHAHB'ing...i'm drinking a La Folie

The weighing option seems easy enough. I'll probably give that a shot tonight. Then i'll take it apart and check it out, then reassemble for the final time.

Next issue on my plate is figuring out a way to connect the steel braided pick up I made. I used the steel braid and made a circle using a T connector, I need to connect the 3/8" to the 1/2" coupler...hmmmm

Thanks guys, between HBT and The Brewing Network I feel like I have all the home brew answers!

JER

 

[TyTanium]

Weep hole. Bobby_M suggestion. Drill a small 1/8" hole on the outside cooler wall just below the bulkhead.

 

[magnacasa]

Fill it with water, empty through the valve, pour the rest of the water out over the side opposite the hardware. Then shake it and listen for sloshing,

 

[Bobby_M]

Weep hole is right. 1/8" hole right in the bottom of the outside shell, directly under the drain area. That bottom insulation will hold a ton of water before you ever notice it otherwise.

 

[Boomer]

I'm not familiar with Bobby's kit because I bought mine from home depot, but I took the original white rubber piece from the cooler and shoved my assembly back through it. It was already water tight, now it's just different pieces going through that seal.

 

[IrregularPulse]

Good idea on the weep hole.

 

[Bobby_M]

I'm not familiar with Bobby's kit because I bought mine from home depot, but I took the original white rubber piece from the cooler and shoved my assembly back through it. It was already water tight, now it's just different pieces going through that seal.

It's actually more complicated than that. Some bulkhead designs have flaws that can allow liquid to snake through the threads and bypass even the stock seal. A weep hole catches all errors.

 

[rico567]

I've never had any issues with my identical setup in 3.5 years, but that weep hole idea is great..and it's also no-fault. So what if it never leaks? That means you made a great seal to begin with. I'm headed for my drill as soon as I'm done with this......

 

[JMan551]

So will the insulation eventually release the water it absorbs? In my mind, the insulation will hold onto the water/wort, and anything extra will drain through the weep hole.

Bobby_M and TyTanium...thanks for the suggestion. I'll definitely do the hole and just hope for the best!

Bobby...how do you suggest putting a thermometer into my cooler mash tun? I'm paranoid about getting water in between the layers.

JER