Rubbermaid 10 Gallon Cooler MLT Conversion

[MrStrangeBrew]

let me know where you find false bottom. i have false bottom with 3/8 outlet. looking for one with 1/2 outlet

 

[trl2112]

So I got all the pieces put together. Leak tested it yesterday and its holding good. No leaks. Here are some pics.

Sorry for the blurry picture but this is the pieces that I used that I got from bargainfittings.com (from right to left) :
- 1/2" NPT Street 90 Elbow
- 1/2" SS Camlock F style
- 1/2" SS Camlock B style
- 1/2" SS 2-piece ball valve
- 1.5" SS Nipple
- 2 SS Flat washers
- Silicone O-ring
- Lock Nut
- 1/2" Female NPT X 1/2" Hose Barb

All assembled and working great.

So did you piece this together yourself or buy the cooler kit? If so did you get the soldered bulk head kit?

I got the same cooler from Lowes price match from HD + an extra 10% off and a nice color red. My false bottom should be delivered tomorrow. I took advantage of morebeer $10 coupon they had last week. They were 1 of the only vendor that had the 12" FB in stock. It seams to be sold out everywhere even my LHBS.

 

[ctb6760]

I got the cooler kit with 1.5" nipple. I checked to see if piecing it together was cheaper but it is cheaper getting the kit and they just took $2 off today. And no i didn't get the soldered kit, I don't think that it is long enough to go through the cooler and put everything on it.

What size false bottom/barb fitting did you get, 12" with the 3/8" barb?

 

[trl2112]

It's 3/8" barb on the FB. I talked with bargainfittings requesting 1/2" Female NPT X 3/8" hose barb, he said he could probably source it for me but suggested heating the 3/8" and stretch it over the 1/2" barb fitting.

I have not made a decision on which way to go yet.

 

[ctb6760]

Yeah thats what I did so far. Don't have the false bottom yet but I got the 3/8" tubing for it. You don't even need to heat it up to put over the 1/2" barb, its a snug fit.

 

[MrStrangeBrew]

I got the cooler kit with 1.5" nipple. I checked to see if piecing it together was cheaper but it is cheaper getting the kit and they just took $2 off today. And no i didn't get the soldered kit, I don't think that it is long enough to go through the cooler and put everything on it.

What size false bottom/barb fitting did you get, 12" with the 3/8" barb?

yeah 12'' with 3/8 brass hose barb. and then i have 1/2 MPT x 3/8 barb fitting going into my ball valve. but i want to have 1/2'' on false bottom and on ball valve. so you have 1/2 barb fitting on valve and are going to have 3/8 barb on FB? and your goin to use 3/8 tubing to connect the 2 of them?

 

[ctb6760]

Yup. As of right now I have 1/2" barb going into the valve and 3/8" tubing going to 3/8" barb on the FB. I haven't gotten the FB yet so if I find one with 1/2" i will get that, but so far all I have found is 3/8" so I'm probably going to go with that unless I find 1/2".

 

[MrStrangeBrew]

Yup. As of right now I have 1/2" barb going into the valve and 3/8" tubing going to 3/8" barb on the FB. I haven't gotten the FB yet so if I find one with 1/2" i will get that, but so far all I have found is 3/8" so I'm probably going to go with that unless I find 1/2".

cool. i got FB from northern brewer and the thing sucks. doesnt even sit flush on the bottom of my cooler. probably just going to end up with using braided hose. cheaper and seems to be working for everyone else. or maybe ill try different place for FB.

 

[trl2112]

cool. i got FB from northern brewer and the thing sucks. doesnt even sit flush on the bottom of my cooler. probably just going to end up with using braided hose. cheaper and seems to be working for everyone else. or maybe ill try different place for FB.

Doing some research I will surround mine with siphon tubing slit down the middle to help the seal.

I found this:

http://www.austinhomebrew.com/product_info.php?cPath=178_33_82_449&products_id=12793

There is a nice install pix if you click the "Click to View Images" link. I could not get it to show-up well in the thread without some work.

 

[MrStrangeBrew]

Doing some research I will surround mine with siphon tubing slit down the middle to help the seal.

I found this:

http://www.austinhomebrew.com/product_info.php?cPath=178_33_82_449&products_id=12793

There is a nice install pix if you click the "Click to View Images" link. I could not get it to show-up well in the thread without some work.

very nice! only problem is mine is pretty bad not sure if this will be enough. but def worth a try thanks