Bung for Mash Tun

[Swifty]

What have other people used?
I was going to use a rubber one from the HBS but they didn't have any with 10mm holes.
What are my choices? Thinking a piece of threaded bar then putting nuts and washers either side and connecting to it, or just drilling a hole a putting a bit of 10mm hose through and using fish tank silicon for sealing?
Any idea's appreciated. Was wanting to keep it simple and cheap.

[rwh]

My local HBS gave me a bottler (you know, one of those things that fits inside your tap with the valve on the end for bottling). I cut a bit off the end; it's the right size for the hole in the bungs, and the 10mm food grade PVC tubing fits over the outside, and seals without having to use any clamps or anything. On the inside I have a stainless steel braid from a toilet water attachment, like this.

The leftover bits are good for attaching tubes to taps, joining tubes together etc etc.

[Swifty]

That's not a bad idea at all. Pity I didn't think of that because I was at the HBS about 1 hour ago and am now stuck at work for the rest of the day. So the little bottler is the same size as airlocks? Damn it, back to the HBS after work I thinks. Is the hose you buy from bunnings ok to use??

[rwh]

Dunno if it's the same size as airlocks, but it'd be close. It's best to use food grade hose, my HBS has it by the roll. You can get two types: vinyl and silicone, with the silicone being able to withstand hotter temps (boiling). The vinyl is fine for mashing temps tho.

Non-food-grade hose might leach chems into your beer; I'd avoid it if possible.

[Ed]

Swifty, I just used a reticulation fitting. Very simple, cheap, and hasn't let me down.

Cheers, Ed

http://i40.photobucket.com/albums/e245/ ... 2_0347.jpg
http://i40.photobucket.com/albums/e245/ ... 2_0348.jpg

[yardglass]

Swifty,

have a look here, MASH TUN

cheap but effective, not sure if it's what you're after but it worked for me.

Yard

[Swifty]

Yard, where did you get the bung to fit the pipe. It's exactly what I wanted to do but the local HBS didn't have bungs with 10mm holes. Didn't really want to drill it either. I figured I would just drill a 10mm hole and use the non-toxic aquarium silicon.

[yardglass]

Swift,

from memory i think it was the bung that came with the Malt Shovel Fermenter, it holds the airlock.

i would go with the bung idea mate, a lot less hassle imo.
it's a piece of p!$$ to drill it out, if you've got 3/8 (10mm) copper pipe just go slightly undersize with the bit and it'll seal perfect, buy a couple if you f@(k the first one.

maybe Ross at the Craftbrewer Website could help you out

Yard

[Swifty]

The guy at my HBS reckoned the rubber bung imparts a flavour, admittedly this was when he was making spirits but thought it may do the same thing. I would prefer the bung, then atleast I wouldn't have to wait for the silicon to dry (I have grain sitting there waiting to be used).
I'm not using copper though, was going to use hose through the bung. I can't find a piece of copper a few inches long or I would, so I thought that I'd try the hose through a bung.

[yardglass]

if there was any adverse taste from the bung i never picked it, not too sure about the hose idea mate, could have a drama with it sealing.

have a look at my brewery below, for a few extra bucks you can setup a proper Tun in no time, happy to help out with some advice if you run into troubles.

cheers

[Swifty]

What fittings did you use there? Is it just threaded pipe with a nut either side and a tap on the end?
I was going to do something like that but went to Bunnings (yeah I know, it can be a waste of time) and couldn't get flat or normal nuts to fit the threaded pipe.
I'm going to use braided hose and if I could get a short piece of copper I could slip the copper through the bung and connect the braided hose and tube no probs. I just don't want to buy a metre of copper for a few inches.

[rwh]

Just buy a bottle capper (a la my post above) and cut a bit off it. It's not copper; it's rigid PCB pipe. Works fine for me.

[Swifty]

I think for the price I'm gunna give that a go. I did read your post rwh and gave the HBS a call and he said it wouldn't fit but he didn't have much of a clue anyway. For the bits and piece's I've already got it would be perfect too.

[rwh]

Yeah, it's pretty tight, but I managed to get it through. Just needs a whole lot of forcin'!

[Swifty]

But atleast it would seal good!!

[yardglass]

What fittings did you use there? Is it just threaded pipe with a nut either side and a tap on the end?
I was going to do something like that but went to Bunnings (yeah I know, it can be a waste of time) and couldn't get flat or normal nuts to fit the threaded pipe.
I'm going to use braided hose and if I could get a short piece of copper I could slip the copper through the bung and connect the braided hose and tube no probs. I just don't want to buy a metre of copper for a few inches.

have a look at the original thread on the tun and it gives you all the info for the Braid etc, you just cut the nuts off, pull the rubber insert out, crimp one end and fit to your pipe with a hose clamp.

[Swifty]

That's half my problem, I bought a cheapie esky with no existing tap. So I have to drill a hole to fit whatever I do. That's why I thought the bung idea was the easiest. Less problems with hole size then.

[yardglass]

Sorry dude, i got a bit confused there for a minute

your question regarding the tap, nuts etc for the tun, i thought was in relation to the original tun F@(% what a day i'm having !

anyhoo, i've still got the receipt for all the brass gear for the new tun so i'll post the part numbers later if it helps.

right, time for another beer, i'm just finishing the last of my Kit Beers, brewed 23rd of Oct '05, not too shabby either.

Yard

[illywhacker]

I just used a reticulation fitting

hey ed.

what the friggadig is a reticultaion fitting and where did you get it?

i'm currently trying to solve the problem of how to attach my ss braid, which in turn will be attached to a copprt 't' junction, to the same esky you feaure in the photo (willow 15L). I had that exact black fitting in my imagination, but couldn't make it appear in bunnings

do tell!

[Tourist]

I just used a reticulation fitting

hey ed.

what the friggadig is a reticultaion fitting and where did you get it?

i'm currently trying to solve the problem of how to attach my ss braid, which in turn will be attached to a copprt 't' junction, to the same esky you feaure in the photo (willow 15L). I had that exact black fitting in my imagination, but couldn't make it appear in bunnings

do tell!

Yes, I read Ed's post a while back, went to the hardware store and said to the good man, "One reticulation fitting, please.". He had me escorted from the premises. Does it have another name?