Nelby
Member
Has anyone modified the tap of a mangrove jacks stainless fermenter? The ‘bottler tap’ annoys the hell out of me when transferring to the keg. Looking to replace it with a 1/2” ball valve. Anyone done something similar?
Mangrove Jacks Stainless Fermenter tap mod
- Thread starter Nelby
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Markbeer
Well-Known Member
I responded in the other thread. You want a 3/8 inch ball valve.
Basically it's a 3/8 inch nipple/threaded pipe through the hole. On the inside, a stainless nut, silicone washer, fermenter wall, silicone washer, stainless washers, ball valve, nipple, hose.
I sourced stuff from eBay and Blackwood's.
Since it's cool side you will want a 3 piece ball valve so you can clean it well. I toss as all the fittings and silicone washers into a pot and boil the lot before assembling each time.
And use lots of plumbers tape.
Most importantly remember to buy BSP thread types. That's what we mostly have here
Nelby
Member
Thanks for the reply. I’ve got an IPA in at the moment but once the fermenters empty, I’ll pull the tap and have a closer look. I bought a 1/2” ball valve off kegland.... was hopeful that would work... too big?
Markbeer
Well-Known Member
Yes. Too big. You would need to drill/file out the hole.
There is a guy who sells 3/8 inch 3 piece out of Melbourne on eBay. Get a 3 piece as you want to be able to clean it. It's cold side so everything should be sanitary. The hole is already the correct size.
I ended up sourcing my fittings from Blackwood's and eBay.
There is a guy who sells 3/8 inch 3 piece out of Melbourne on eBay. Get a 3 piece as you want to be able to clean it. It's cold side so everything should be sanitary. The hole is already the correct size.
I ended up sourcing my fittings from Blackwood's and eBay.
Nelby
Member
A 3 piece like this female to female? Then I assume you sourced a male to male to pass through the fermenter wall and a nipple for the other end?
Markbeer
Well-Known Member
Yes. Threaded male eto male though the pot and silicone washer and nut on the inside of the pot.
If I knew a welder who could do stainless, it would be worthwhile to have the pipe welded to the pot. Then all you do is put the ball valve straight on the pipe. Then add a nipple and hose and your done.
If I knew a welder who could do stainless, it would be worthwhile to have the pipe welded to the pot. Then all you do is put the ball valve straight on the pipe. Then add a nipple and hose and your done.
Nelby
Member
Thanks for your help mate, appreciated
Kenf
Well-Known Member
I just enlarged the hole in mine to take 1/2 inch fittings! I didn’t bother with a 3 piece. If you moved the valve from open to closed and open it will get sanitised
Nelby
Member
Did you use a tap and die or literally just drilled it out? Any leaks? Washer either side?
Kenf
Well-Known Member
Conical grinding stone (after I tried to use a plug cutter), yep it has a washer each side.
Do you know if it’s possible to put a pick up tube on the inside of the original tap? I was thinking a push in snug fit pipe which allows you to extract more of the wort when bottling. The tap seems too high to me.
Kedron Keith
New Member
I bought a Mangrove Jack's SS 25 litre fermenter off Hoppy Days ($179) just before they went into COVID close down mode. After 4 or 5 brew cycles I can say that its good value - but poor valve ! Compared to plastic vessels, the outlet tap is surprisingly high above the base. There is no 'upsuck' tube on the inside, it just does a horizontal drain. My plastic bottle filler wand is not a good fit in the outlet tap, it falls out unless I deploy plumbers tape. Worst of all, that outlet tap is v easy to accidentally knock open - it only has to go slightly off vertical and most of your brew is gone through the deck and down the garden path - it happened to me last week !
I have rarely heard complaints about these products, except for the retail price. You might want to look around for a bottle wand with a larger OD then, all of the standard coopers-style bottling wands should fit the plastic tap - mine was $3.
However, as this thread is about the tap being modified from stock, maybe you want to consider that instead. If you wanted to add a pickup tube that would be simple (to stock or modified tap), though frankly I wouldn't bother with the additional moving parts to clean as you can gently tilt the fermenter forward (chock it up on the back edge with with something an inch or two thick) as people do with the plastic fermenters too.
I picked up my MJ SS fermenter off gumtree for $85 or so and use it exclusively for sours that I add fruit to, which are predominantly bottled. The tap shape is well-designed for moderating filling speed through bottle mouth contact without touching the tap - push the bottle up firmly and it makes a good seal to stop the flow!
Having this FV separate to my other SS gear works well as it allows longer conditioning and eliminates any potential lactobacillus infection with other ales (through the vessel and racking equipment). Also the KL 35L brewery bottom screen fits perfectly above the tap drain so I get high utilisation of the infusing fruits without any sediment issues racking/bottling.
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