Some Pics Of My Latest Diy Job

[Brizbrew]

I went down to Bunnings this morning and bought what I needed to make a filter for the bottom of my mashtun (Which I have not got yet!) and while I was there bought a ball valve type tap so I can get on with it as soon as I get my esky, just waiting for my tax rebate to hit the bank and there will be no stopping me!

How does this look? Do you reckon it will do the job?

I had some trouble getting the rubber hose out of the inside of the SS braid, it took some gentle persuasion and a few expletives but it came out eventually, I have a copper "T" and just connected both ends of the braid to it by use of SS hose clamps. I am going to get a few inches of copper and build an extension so the thing will sit in the middle of my mashtun.

The tap is a work in progress at the moment, I am not even sure if I have bought the right bits but I will get there in the end, it has a nylon olive so I am pretty sure it will all go together when the time comes

 

[Brizbrew]

I went down to Bunnings this morning and bought what I needed to make a filter for the bottom of my mashtun (Which I have not got yet!) and while I was there bought a ball valve type tap so I can get on with it as soon as I get my esky, just waiting for my tax rebate to hit the bank and there will be no stopping me!

How does this look? Do you reckon it will do the job?

I had some trouble getting the rubber hose out of the inside of the SS braid, it took some gentle persuasion and a few expletives but it came out eventually, I have a copper "T" and just connected both ends of the braid to it by use of SS hose clamps. I am going to get a few inches of copper and build an extension so the thing will sit in the middle of my mashtun.

The tap is a work in progress at the moment, I am not even sure if I have bought the right bits but I will get there in the end, it has a nylon olive so I am pretty sure it will all go together when the time comes

[post="67450"][/post]​

Not sure what happened there with the pics, also seem to of posted this topic twice :blink: how do I delete the other one?

I will try to post the pic again.

 

[Dunkel_Boy]

That will work as long as:
a) it seals against the mash tun wall well
B ) the ball valve clears the mash tun wall (is able to be turned on and off easily)
c) the manifold is located fairly centrally and doesn't float

I have a SS bolt in the end of mine so it stays down.

I think you should get an 8" piece of 1/2" copper pipe and make a (|) shaped manifold... so a 4-way piece on the output side, and a t-piece on the other end of the mash tun. Maybe cut some slots into the copper pipe, up to you. This would keep it down and stop it floating in the mash.

 

[Brizbrew]

That will work as long as:
a) it seals against the mash tun wall well
B ) the ball valve clears the mash tun wall (is able to be turned on and off easily)
c) the manifold is located fairly centrally and doesn't float

I have a SS bolt in the end of mine so it stays down.

I think you should get an 8" piece of 1/2" copper pipe and make a (|) shaped manifold... so a 4-way piece on the output side, and a t-piece on the other end of the mash tun. Maybe cut some slots into the copper pipe, up to you. This would keep it down and stop it floating in the mash.

[post="67457"][/post]​

I will have to get some sealing type washers yet, I am looking into that and will get them before the trial run, the ball valve opens outwards so no way it will hit the mash tun (Is this what you mean?)
I am going to locate the manifold centrally, I just need to get the esky dimensions and go from there, I will probably end up with a bit of threaded pipe nipple to get through the esky wall and attach a copper pipe to this.

I did not consider the floating thing, I just guessed it would stay down due to the weight of grain on top of it but I will get a few heavy duty SS nuts and incorporate them into the design to be sure.

Cheers.

 

[Dunkel_Boy]

Yes, I just mean the direction the ball valve swings. I would imagine if you had 40L of mash and you found your valve handle jams against the mash tun and can't open, you'd be pretty pissed off.

 

[Brizbrew]

Yes, I just mean the direction the ball valve swings. I would imagine if you had 40L of mash and you found your valve handle jams against the mash tun and can't open, you'd be pretty pissed off.

[post="67460"][/post]​

Yeah, I would imagine that would be a real bummer.

I will use the bits I bought yesterday for my converted keg, the wall is obviously much thinner and these should butt up nicely, the mashtun will be the same but with a long pipe nipple to make it through the thick esky wall.

I am still building up the courage to take a drill to my kegs, you only get one chance after all. :excl: :unsure:

 

[shmick]

I did not consider the floating thing, I just guessed it would stay down due to the weight of grain on top of it but I will get a few heavy duty SS nuts and incorporate them into the design to be sure.

Cheers.

[post="67459"][/post]​

I got sick of mangling mine while stirring so I run a length of heavy guage copper wire (3mm dia) inside the braid.
Keeps it down, in position and lets you make all kinds of fun shapes to entertain the kids.
I have a rectangular esky with 1.2m of braid configured something like the ABC logo without it crossing over itself. I could never keep it in place before the wire.

 

[Dunkel_Boy]

Brizbrews...

If you have a mallet/hammer and centrepunch, make a nice big dent where you want to drill the hole. Make it 1.5" or so above where you think the bottom mates to the sides. Drill a... 3-5mm, give or take, then bump it up to the diameter you want. Too easy. Stainless is quite hard, but a powerful drill, a mark to begin, and staging up the drill you should get through it in 5-15 minutes.

 

[Brizbrew]

Brizbrews...

If you have a mallet/hammer and centrepunch, make a nice big dent where you want to drill the hole. Make it 1.5" or so above where you think the bottom mates to the sides. Drill a... 3-5mm, give or take, then bump it up to the diameter you want. Too easy. Stainless is quite hard, but a powerful drill, a mark to begin, and staging up the drill you should get through it in 5-15 minutes.

[post="67546"][/post]​

I have been thinking about this quite a bit and intend to have a bash at it at the weekend. I have a hammer and centre punch but a bit lacking in the drill bit arena, I don't want to spend a fortune on high quality drill bits that will drill 100 kegs all I want is to drill through the 2 that I have, should I just go for mid range type bits or will I be going back to the shop and buying good ones after the crap ones snap/chip/blunt?

Also, a bit of an obvious one, but maybe I am overlooking something. As I am going to use a few inch length of pipe nipple should the hole be the same as the outer diamater of the pipe nipple or should it be tight/loose? I would of thought snug would be the go but just want to run this by the collective?

:beerbang:

 

[sosman]

Yes, I just mean the direction the ball valve swings. I would imagine if you had 40L of mash and you found your valve handle jams against the mash tun and can't open, you'd be pretty pissed off.

[post="67460"][/post]​

Not speaking from experience are you?

 

[Coodgee]

I just have a 50cm bit of stainless braid, but it is 3/4" in size. it just sits in there like a dogs tail. I want to get a couple of those white opaque plastic cutting boards and fit them into the esky so they form a v, with the pipe running down the middle of the esky at the bottom of the v. The v will even slope down towards the tap end. I can then screw the manifold down to the v-bottom so it sits right in the bottom.

I reckon this is ace.. the only problem is I need to find a food-safe silicon that will take heat and acidic conditions. The other option is to get some styro and fit it in the bottom.


p.s. you are either very busy, very cautious or very lazy brizbrew! I already have two brews down with my new ag setup!! now that I have worked out my efficiency and evaporation rate.. the good brews should flow !!

 

[Guest Lurker]

I have been thinking about this quite a bit and intend to have a bash at it at the weekend. I have a hammer and centre punch but a bit lacking in the drill bit arena, I don't want to spend a fortune on high quality drill bits that will drill 100 kegs all I want is to drill through the 2 that I have, should I just go for mid range type bits or will I be going back to the shop and buying good ones after the crap ones snap/chip/blunt?

Also, a bit of an obvious one, but maybe I am overlooking something. As I am going to use a few inch length of pipe nipple should the hole be the same as the outer diamater of the pipe nipple or should it be tight/loose? I would of thought snug would be the go but just want to run this by the collective?

:beerbang:

[post="67570"][/post]​

Cheapest and simplest if you dont have a large enough drill bit is use a drill bit a fair bit smaller than the nipple but large enough for a file, buy a half round ******* file for $3, put on some hearing protection, file it out to be a good friction fit to the nipple, takes maybe half an hour, but have a look at the price of a good large diameter drill bit and 30 mins seems easy.

 

[warrenlw63]

You can pick up a reasonable bi-metal holesaw and arbour for about $20. Makes the job a piece of piss. Will drill through in under a minute. You want a 21mm saw for your standard 1/2 inch pipe thread. :super:

I'd rather fork the 20 bucks ergo a lot of stuffing around. If the money seems daunting. Just buy it to drill the kegs you need and sell it to another needy brewer for $15 and put a low mileage, slightly keg-soiled sticker on it. :beerbang:

Warren -

 

[Dunkel_Boy]

Yes, I just mean the direction the ball valve swings. I would imagine if you had 40L of mash and you found your valve handle jams against the mash tun and can't open, you'd be pretty pissed off.

[post="67460"][/post]​

Not speaking from experience are you?

[post="67583"][/post]​

No, honestly. I just have supreme lateral thinking skeelz.

 

[Brizbrew]

I had the day off work today so i decided to have a bash at this drilling and tap fitting so off I went to the local drill bit shops, I tried 4 different places but could not get a bit and arbor for less than $60 in the end I bought it but really wretched giving over the cash for one poxy drill bit but I justified it to myself because I got the kegs for free - Ying/Yang.
When I got home I got straight into it and I could tell straight away where the money had gone, it sailed through the SS kegs so easily it took longer to plug the drill in and set up than the job actually took! If anyone needs to drill a keg and just wants to get it done invest in one of these, you will not regret it, although the minister for finance might have a word or two if/when she finds out the price.

While I was out and about I bought a 6" length of pipe nipple the holesaw that I bought was 20mm so it was a bit tight and needed to be "screwed" in through the hole but it was not overly tight or anything just snug.
I also bought some el cheapo tap washers that I intended to use to butt up inside and outside the keg between the keg and the flange nuts to form a water tight seal, this failed so it is back to the drawing board on the sealing.
Do you need a specific kind of washer to form a seal with the hot water/wort?

Another place the water I tested was leaking from was where the pipe meets the tap (See the picture, the arrows show where it was leaking) Should I use some plumbers tape here or just tighten it even further, I did not want to over tighten today because it was mainly a dry run to make sure the bits fitted together and I had all that I needed.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v516/downunder73/hb31.jpg

Here is a pic of the inside of the kettle.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v516/downunder73/hb36.jpg

Does the amount op pipe sticking through matter? I wouldn't of thought so but want to get some opinions on it.

I will be doing AG soon now, I can almost taste it. :beerbang:

 

[Brizbrew]

I am hoping to wrap this up over the weekend so I was hoping someone who knows what they are doing would help me stop the keg leaking.
Should I wrap the nipple in plumbers tape or is it in need of a washer between the flange nut and the rubber washer or do I need new washers?

A mixture of all three?

Pleeez help a dimwit when it comes to plumbing things.
:huh:

 

[Dunkel_Boy]

Try using welding compound, or food-grade silver solder. I'm pretty sure that fibre seals will do it, but I haven't looked for them so can't tell you anything about them.

EDIT: If you can, fibre washers/seals between the keg and the nut/flange. That will do the job admirably.

 

[Brizbrew]

Try using welding compound, or food-grade silver solder. I'm pretty sure that fibre seals will do it, but I haven't looked for them so can't tell you anything about them.

EDIT: If you can, fibre washers/seals between the keg and the nut/flange. That will do the job admirably.

[post="67887"][/post]​

Fibre washers :unsure: Can I get those at Bunnings or is a trip to a plumbing store in my future?
How long do they last, have any of you brewers found they need replacing after X amount of brews? :unsure:

 

[Batz]

You may need to put tape on the thread that passes through the kettle.
If the hole in the washer is not small enough to compress the rubber around the threaded tube,then you will get leakage from around the thread itself.
The nut will not seal
I always put tape on this and never have leaks.

Batz

 

[Borret]

The red fibre washers are suitable for hot water and can be bought at bunnings, proably the next isle to the one you got the nuts etc, where all the tap seats and seal replacements stuff is. Comes in a blister pack of 5.
I used one inside and out and have no leakes but I also use threadtape wound on a few times so that the outer nut actually jams up with it and hence a damb tight seal.
I again used thread tape on the tap with maybe a little overlapping the end. What you could do if you have no luck with it sealing with tape is insert one of the nylon compression olives into the joint between the tap and the threaded pipe. It may sound stupid but it does work.

Borret