Plug oak barrel spigot hole b/c it leaks , how?

[Sballe]

So I have this 2 gallon oak barrel, brand new, for aging some ice cider

For some odd reason it keeps leaking around the spigot. A have had two replacement spigots already and the issue persists. And yes - it has all been soaked in water for 36+ hours before use.

Since I really don’t need the spigot I am thinking the best and easiest quick fix is to seal the hole completely. But how ? Can I simply sand down a wine cork to fit the hole and hammer in? It is 10 mm in diameter, and unfortunately I cannot seem to find any silicone bungs in this size…

Any suggestions?

 

[FloppyKnockers]

Sounds like you have a bung hole problem. I like the cork idea. If possible, I would go at it from the inside. I thinks it's odd though that you can't find a 10 mm silicone/rubber one. They come in so many sizes.

 

[camonick]

10Pcs Solid Tapered Rubber Plug Stopper Bungs Flask Tube Bottle Lab Supplies
Robot or human?

Don’t know if they’re food safe, but a google search produces several results for 10mm stoppers.

 

[Sballe]

10Pcs Solid Tapered Rubber Plug Stopper Bungs Flask Tube Bottle Lab Supplies
Robot or human?

Don’t know if they’re food safe, but a google search produces several results for 10mm stoppers.

Unfortunately Wal-Mart doesnt operate in Scandinavia yet

 

[Brew_Dude41]

Did someone say bung hole?

 

[camonick]

Unfortunately Wal-Mart doesnt operate in Scandinavia yet

Sorry… didn’t realize you didn’t live in the US.

 

[Sballe]

But anyway - let’s say I find a 10mm stopper, would that even work? There is no Way i Can plug it from the inside, so I will hammer it in from the outside - but will the liquid eventually push it out? I saw some of the rubber-bung had a “only for top-use” on them …

 

[IslandLizard]

The cork may do it. Reshape it?

Most rubber/silicone stoppers are conical, so yeah, chances are they'll work themselves loose over time.
Now if the rubber/silicone stopper goes deep enough, protruding to the inside of the barrel, the back end should bulge out to its original diameter, preventing it from popping out.

You may need to take a closer look at the geometry of that hole. Is it straight through, or conical?
When "hammering" the plug or bung into the hole, does it perhaps open or widen gaps or cracks?
Look at the spigot that used to be in there, especially the part that goes into the barrel's head.

Not sure if a thin layer of silicone ("RTV" stuff) can help anchoring the spigot, while sealing any gaps. Or how that would fare over time. Realize, wooden barrels have been around for millenia, working perfectly, without caulks, silicone, and rubber stoppers.

Just thought of something. There are expandable "plugs" around, the back will expand when tightening the bolt, making a positive seal, and they won't pop out. Don't know if they are food safe, though.

 

[Sballe]

New plan — hopefully this will work! I will just get a wooden dowel; maybe just a fraction too big; sand it to fit. Soak in water. Hammer in the hole. Add beeswax around the edge…

 

[bruce_the_loon]

If you say two spigots are leaking, then I'd suspect the hole is to blame, not the spigot. It might be just out of round enough that the spigot shaft leaks.

The dowel might work, but a shaved down cork certainly will. It's compressible, so would expand to fix any roundness issues. Maybe get one of those smaller corks from a port bottle and shave it down if needed.

 

[Sballe]

If you say two spigots are leaking, then I'd suspect the hole is to blame, not the spigot. It might be just out of round enough that the spigot shaft leaks.

The dowel might work, but a shaved down cork certainly will. It's compressible, so would expand to fix any roundness issues. Maybe get one of those smaller corks from a port bottle and shave it down if needed.

Great idea ! Will try that First

 

[IDMaynard]

If you are not worried about a spigot, get a piece of round oak rod and sand it down so that you have a tapered plug and pound it in, I believe that is how whiskey makers do it when they do it.

 

[IslandLizard]

If you are not worried about a spigot, get a piece of round oak rod and sand it down so that you have a tapered plug and pound it in, I believe that is how whiskey makers do it when they do it.

And perhaps true up the hole in the keg too.

 

[mac_1103]

If you are not worried about a spigot, get a piece of round oak rod and sand it down so that you have a tapered plug and pound it in, I believe that is how whiskey makers do it when they do it.

I think they just buy wooden bungs that are already tapered. Sanding it yourself just means that it's likely to end up not round and therefore leaky.

 

[Broken Crow]

ust thought of something. There are expandable "plugs" around, the back will expand when tightening the bolt, making a positive seal, and they won't pop out. Don't know if they are food safe, though.

That right there is likely the easiest.. I've made up plugs before and it's pretty simple:
Get a silicon bung that fits the hole, 2 Stainless washers the same diameter, and a stainless bolt and nut; File or hacksaw, dremel (whichever) a slot into the thread end of the bolt, put the bolt through the washer and then through the inside end of the bung, put the other washer on the outside and finger tighten the nut over it, insert the bung and hold it in place with a straight screwdriver in the groove you made and use a wrench to tighten the nut.

EDIT: I forgot!! It also needs a soft washer between the head of the bolt and the SS washer..you can just use something like a diptube o-ring as long as it squashes nicely into the gap between the bolt and SS washer.

 

[Sballe]

UPDATE: (in case someone else runs into this issue)

Quick-cheap-fix:
Took a regular natural cork from a wine bottle. Sanded it down by hand to fit the bung hole - slightly connical. This I very easy b/c of the porosity of cork.

Soaked in warm water for two hours with added campden for sanitizing. This softens the cork a bit.

Then squeezed it in the bung hole by hand - carefully, cork breaks easily.

Then I dripped some melted beeswax around the edges for added seal. Made a huge mess - first time handling beeswax, not easy to work with!

So far 48 hours in, and still no leaks at all…

 

[Sballe]

UPDATE: (in case someone else runs into this issue)

Quick-cheap-fix:
Took a regular natural cork from a wine bottle. Sanded it down by hand to fit the bung hole - slightly connical. This I very easy b/c of the porosity of cork.

Soaked in warm water for two hours with added campden for sanitizing. This softens the cork a bit.

Then squeezed it in the bung hole by hand - carefully, cork breaks easily.

Then I dripped some melted beeswax around the edges for added seal. Made a huge mess - first time handling beeswax, not easy to work with!

So far 48 hours in, and still no leaks at all…

UPDATE again — a week later; still bone dry. Seems to do The trick