Cooler mash tun: prevent leaks from faucet

I've add some mishaps with my standard Coleman-based mash tun, and I'm now left with a hole where the faucet was (some wort went inside the insulation, but I'd like to believe it won't impact temperature conservation). I'm using a braid as filter. I'm not a very bright handyman, hence:

Question: How can I put a faucet back in such a way that there is no chance wort can leak into the insulation? How can I ensure that even when the braid is moved a bit when stirring the mash, no space will be created allowing wort to leak? I don't have the original plastic piece that fitted the hole.

My previous solution included some O-rings that got smashed by being on parts that were screwed too tight.

Topic mash-tun equipment homebrew

Category Mac

1
answered at

You can use my method. Take a look at www.dennybrew.com. I've used it for 17 years and 475 batches and it works perfectly. You use a minikeg bung and a nylon valve. I've found it much easier to build and more effective to use than a bulkhead.

interior

exterior

1
answered at

You want too look into the design of of a "weldless bulkhead". The instruction/installation guide (PDF) has a great breakaway view of the approach: using nipples, couplers, washers, orings and a locknut to compress the orings against the cooler walls to create a watertight seal. The trick is to get all the pieces appropriately sized, and to use a locknut that has a groove for the outer oring, such that it's evenly compressed rather than being squished. From outside to inside:

[locknut] [oring] [cooler wall/threaded nipple] [oring] [washer] [threaded coupler]

It sounds like you do have an oring involved, so perhaps the nut was over-tightened, pinching or squishing the oring, rather than compressing it? Hard to say.

About

Geeks Mental is a community that publishes articles and tutorials about Web, Android, Data Science, new techniques and Linux security.