Building A Mash/lauter Tun

[mikem108]

oooh yeah, some good samaritan at work was bringing in 20l containers that kalamata olives were imported in and offering them as fermenters.
I don't think anything will get rid of that pickling smell and we've tried everything including some nasty stuff that melted the plastic but did not remove that olivey smell!

No trick other than brute force for getting the pipe out of the SS braiding, I used pliers as you have suggested

 

[Batz]

I just cut the ends off with an angle grinder and cut off wheel
Put the rubber hose in the vice , pull it out , I 've done heaps and it always been a snap , you can push the braid together this will increase the diameter of it making it easier to pull out the rubber inner hose

Batz

 

[NRB]

The trick is to smear diswashing liquid onto the braid. The rubber insert will then come out with finger pressure.

 

[wee stu]

The trick is to smear diswashing liquid onto the braid. The rubber insert will then come out with finger pressure.

[post="49179"][/post]​

Maybe it's just me, but I read that and look at NRB's avatar, and the connection with beer seems to escape me

 

[NRB]

Beer and tits; our 2 favourite things. Sorry to go OT, but I felt it necessary to explain h34r:

Just make sure you wash all the soap out of the braid Trevor.

 

[deebee]

Well I made a manifold for my 45 litre esky today and went the stainless steel braided route despite having access to lots of free copper pipe. It was extremely easy even for a total unco like me. I am so glad I didn't spend hours measuring, sawing and slotting together a copper manifold (and it would have taken ME hours). If you are tool-challenged and wondering which way to go, the S/S braid is the go.

Now the copper pipe can all be dedicated to my chiller!!

For the manifold, I attached the ends of the braided wire to a t-shaped compression fitting that I had bought for the copper manifold option. Looks the goods and fits nice and snug through my esky's bunghole. Lucky esky! Just need a silicon washer to give a seal.

I nearly went the rubber washer option but don't really like the idea of rubber in the wort. The other thing I baulked at was galvanised washers inside the tun.

Question: what sort of washers do you use on the threaded pipe that goes through the esky wall? For the hard one I am guessing just plain steel? I couldn't find brass washers and galvanised washers seem wrong to me. For the soft one, I also couldn't find silicon washers and rubber doesn't seem right in beer.

Any thoughts on this?

cheers
dee(getting-close-to-AG)bee

 

[GMK]

I use Stainless Steel and fibre washers...

 

[ausdb]

Question: what sort of washers do you use on the threaded pipe that goes through the esky wall? For the hard one I am guessing just plain steel? I couldn't find brass washers and galvanised washers seem wrong to me. For the soft one, I also couldn't find silicon washers and rubber doesn't seem right in beer.

[post="59167"][/post]​

Hi deebee
Does this mean we can look forward to a Bludgeon AG Ale in this years Sandgropers case? yum

Don't worry about looking for washers, just make sure you get the brass nuts which have a flange on them (Bunnings have them). If you are coming to Goats brewday I will bring my portable mash tun screen (fits a 45 or 54 qt esky) and you can see what I mean

Cheers
Ausdb

 

[Guest Lurker]

Don't worry about looking for washers, just make sure you get the brass nuts which have a flange on them (Bunnings have them). If you are coming to Goats brewday I will bring my portable mash tun screen (fits a 45 or 54 qt esky) and you can see what I mean

Cheers
Ausdb

[post="59170"][/post]​

Exactly, those flange nuts are great. Plumbing suppliers (Reeces) tell you they dont exist cos they only sell the small hex nuts. Its about the only useful plumbing piece that you need to go to Bunnings for. Before I found them I tried both a galv and a steel washer, both corroded incredibly fast and flaked crap into the beer.

 

[deebee]

ausdb, Yes I will be there on Saturday and keen to see what a flange nut is. And an Blunt Instrument Ale MkII (AG) for the Chrissie Case might be a nice touch.

 

[big d]

its only a drawing but you will get the idea of what a flange nut looks like deebee.

 

[deebee]

Thanks for the pic bigd, that clears it up. I actually have these at home. I just wasn't sure whether it would cover up the hole in the esky wall and wanted a larger washer to make sure. I'll check.

I am still presuming that this won't seal and I will need a fibre, silicon or rubber washer between the flange nut and the esky wall.

 

[RobW]

I am still presuming that this won't seal and I will need a fibre, silicon or rubber washer between the flange nut and the esky wall.

[post="59245"][/post]​

You may not. I have the same setup & if you snug the flange nuts up firm but not over tight they seem to seal OK. Caveat is you need to disassemble & wash it after each mash because a little bit always seems to end up between the tube & the sides of the hole in the esky wall. Only a couple of minutes though & well worth the effort - you can imagine what's likely to grow there between brews if you leave it.

 

[ausdb]

I am still presuming that this won't seal and I will need a fibre, silicon or rubber washer between the flange nut and the esky wall.

[post="59245"][/post]​

You may not. I have the same setup & if you snug the flange nuts up firm but not over tight they seem to seal OK. Caveat is you need to disassemble & wash it after each mash because a little bit always seems to end up between the tube & the sides of the hole in the esky wall. Only a couple of minutes though & well worth the effort - you can imagine what's likely to grow there between brews if you leave it.

[post="59249"][/post]​

One neoprene O-ring between the inner flange nut and esky and a bit of teflon tape around the threaded pipe does the trick for me. As for taking it apart both of my eskys still get used as eskys and my partner does not approve of the stainless ball valve hanging out of the side in that mode so I clean mine routinely anyway.

 

[sosman]

Question: what sort of washers do you use on the threaded pipe that goes through the esky wall? For the hard one I am guessing just plain steel? I couldn't find brass washers and galvanised washers seem wrong to me. For the soft one, I also couldn't find silicon washers and rubber doesn't seem right in beer.

[post="59167"][/post]​

 

[Torsion]

Question: what sort of washers do you use on the threaded pipe that goes through the esky wall? For the hard one I am guessing just plain steel? I couldn't find brass washers and galvanised washers seem wrong to me. For the soft one, I also couldn't find silicon washers and rubber doesn't seem right in beer.

[post="59167"][/post]​

(pic of Sosmans fitting removed for brevity)

[post="59274"][/post]​

Sosman, where did you get the S/S all thread in that pic? also, did you cut it down or get it in that length?

Cam

 

[TidalPete]

Just ordered mine from www.geordi.com.au . They have 150mm lengths of stainless 1\2" BSP parallel all-thread for $15 each + postage ($12.50 to SE Qld) or can get longer lengths made to order if required. Also got SS BSP nuts if you want them.

 

[TidalPete]

[/quote]
Exactly, those flange nuts are great.
[/quote]

Flanged nuts are the go alright. Got mine from Bunnings too. Am still looking for the stainless steel version if it exists. May eventually have to get a ss nut & washer welded together & re-tap the thread.

 

[Torsion]

Just ordered mine from www.geordi.com.au . They have 150mm lengths of stainless 1\2" BSP parallel all-thread for $15 each + postage ($12.50 to SE Qld) or can get longer lengths made to order if required. Also got SS BSP nuts if you want them.

[post="59349"][/post]​

Ah! will be ordering a couple of those somtime soon. Thanks for that.
Cam