It's Finished!

[Brownbeard]

I got my mash tun built this weekend. I used the Denny's cooler method in the Jan/Feb issue of BYO. I had a cooler to use, and parts combined to cost me about $12. I decided to seal the drain plug area with Silicone sealant. This will take 5 days to set up,allowing me to give it a test run before I brew with it this weekend. I also opted for a brass ball valve instead of the plastic valve to go in the tubing. I will try to get some pictures posted.

[Fast_Eddy]

Cool - you'll love AG'ing it.

[Moondoggy]

Oddly enough, I did the same thing this weekend except I did not silicone mine together.

I could not find any food grade silicone locally so I had to order it and it was delivered today.

I will be brewing all grain sooooooon!

[Brownbeard]

Well, I am brewing on Thursday, so yesterday i decided to put the mash tun through a test run. I put 3 gal of 120 degree water in it. It did not take long to realize the seal was not good, and then white liquid started seeping through. The silicone had not set after 8 days. I pulled the whole thing apart and cleaned it all up. Cleaning that silicone out of the drain plug hole was a PITA to be sure. I went to the hardware store and got some plumber's putty, the epoxy, not stainless. I reassembled the cooler and sealed with the putty. I did it in layers, allowing each layer to set before doign the next. After 20 minutes, this stuff is "hard as steel". Last night, I filled it with hot water again, tight as a drum. So, I am back on for thursday. I am going to have a digital camera, so I will photograph the process.

[Moondoggy]

I almost went the putty route myself. But there was no data on a food grade application on the packaging. I figured it would work since it is for water pipes but I am paranoid.

I applied the silicone to my cooler last night with the food grade stuff and it should be good to go for this weekend.

The silicone I used was food grade Ge RTV-108 and it purported to handle 400 degrees.

I will run a test with boiling water and report back.

[Caffinehog]

Look at the hardware store for rubber grommets. If you get one that's the right size, it will be a tight fit, but seal nicely.