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DIY Mash Tun - Need Help

Roust56

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I followed the following Mash Tun tutorial: https://rivercrewbrewingcompany.wordpress.com/2011/03/30/building-my-10-gallon-mash-tun-cooler/

Only to find out that since 2011, the size of the hole left behind when you remove the spigot on a 10 gallon Home Depot cooler is much larger than 3/8.

Step 4 states that inserting the nipple through the hole with the gasket in place should be difficult, but doable. Well there is plenty of room, so much room that if I let go of the metal piece it just falls right out, there is maybe 1/4 inch between the gasket and the nipple. I put it together anyway as best I could following the instructions up to where the ball valve is attached, and I cannot get it tight enough to where I can't spin the entire ball valve assembly around. I put some water in it and, as expected, there is a slow leak that appears to be coming from behind the washers you see in the 2nd picture under step 5.

Considering I just spent more than I probably should have on all the parts in 3/8, is there any simple fix for this? Should I put replace the 3/8 nipple with 1/2 inch and then put 3/8 adapters on both ends?

Any help would be greatly appreciated.
 
I tried getting some gasket rubber and cutting a piece to wrap around the nipple for a tighter fit. That did not work.

Any suggestions?
 
I would simply find an o-ring that tightly fits the pipe you have and sandwich that between two stainless washers inside the cooler. Otherwise, what you need to do is find a pipe nipple and washers that fit that hole better and use a couple of bushings to reduce the size to fit the valve and screen nipple.
 
I'm a veteran of many leaks caused by trying to make the wrong part work. If you try to adapt the under-size components you're liable to cause a leak by bumping the fitting or just from attaching hoses. From my experience the leak will appear in the middle of a mash session. I'd buy the larger nipple and the adapters.

For others considering a similar build, have a look at the instructions for installing a spigot on:    http://www.theelectricbrewery.com/
I used their system for a 10-gallon Igloo and it's worked perfectly for years. You won't need all the tools they specify.
 
Please disregard the second paragraph of my last post! I DID NOT use The Electric Brewery's valve system on my cooler mash tun. I used a close nipple (not an "all thread" nipple) for the bulkhead with a tight-fitting o-ring against the inner surface of the cooler, topped by two stainless washers and a stainless nut on the inside and a tight-fitting o-ring against the outer wall of the cooler topped by a large neoprene washer and two stainless washers on the outside. The additional washers were required to keep the o-rings on the unthreaded portion of the nipple.

Sorry for the poor memory.
 
If it doesn't fit don't try to macgyver it. Pipe fittings and fit need to be exact for this critical setup of a mash tun.  Wow,  thats a lot of work to recreate a bazooka screen inside and a homemade bulkhead... I see this original article came out before bazooka screens.Now that they are available  it's easier to buy one at $20 along with  a 1/2" or 3/8" bulkhead  for installation. Also made of sturdy stainless screen instead of flimsy mesh which can collapse under weight of mash, and finally easy to clean and remove later. I bought weldless bulkheads from OBK but I'm sure morebeer or other suppliers have them too.
bulkheads made for plastic coolers, 1/2" or 3/8" here:


http://www.ontariobeerkegs.com/product_p/cooler-bulkhead.htm
 
I have some challenges when I built mine from a 50 qt rectangular cooler.  I had to get creative to secure the fittings and to hold water.  Here is a fun little post about my project http://www.jomebrew.com/2009/08/inuendo-enginering-homebrew-mash-tun.html

 
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