Finished my MLT

[Blitzkrieg]

Hey all, just finished building my MLT out of my Coleman extreme cooler ( I think it's the 52 quart one). I went with a copper manifold and decided to drill holes in the bottom side instead of cutting slots. I drilled 1/16" holes every 1/2" (my smallest drill bit). The copper is 1/2" spaced 1" from the outside walls and 2" between pipes. I had a huge PITA to get the bulkhead to seal since on these coopers the drain hole is drilled into a radius on the inside. After trying every gasket I could find, I bought some aquarium silicone and caulked the whole thing solid. No more leaks. An hour long leak test with water at 127.4°f proved no leaks and a total loss of 1.8°f. The total deadspace I measured at just over 8 ounces with no grain. And here's some pics:

The manifold; yes it is completely soldered (lead free), and I know it will be a pain to clean, but as I was soldering certain joints to hold the elbows on, the tubing kept deflecting and changing shape, making it impossible to put together. So I just soldered it all, luckily it fits in the dishwasher...

Total deadspace.

Next test will be with water at mashing temps to make sure it has no effect on the seal. Anybody foresee any problems resulting from the drilled holes instead of the usual slots?


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[wit2003]

i used holes as well and have not had any issues whatsoever

 

[Blitzkrieg]

Good to know, I was a little worried about that. I just really didn't feel like hacksawing a bagillion slots with a dull hacksaw blade.

 

[iijakii]

The manifold; yes it is completely soldered (lead free), and I know it will be a pain to clean, but as I was soldering certain joints to hold the elbows on, the tubing kept deflecting and changing shape, making it impossible to put together. So I just soldered it all, luckily it fits in the dishwasher...

Eh, pre-boil. Rinse it out with water and let it airdry. Whatever. Only weirdos do more than a simple rinse.