Mash Tun

[Ian Grant]

I got my cooler and also the braided hose for the filter..  Now for the other fittings i need what to get and look out for.  I see a lot or videos on youtube are using brass and then there is a lot of comments about brass not being food safe.  Any help would be great.

thx
Ian

[Richard]

brass can be made food-safe by coating it, much like anodized aluminium is. probably best to avoid if possible, as a precaution.

Where did you get the cooler + hose btw? I'm looking for both...

[Ian Grant]

I got the cooler at the Woodstock walmart it was there last coleman Xtreme they had and the hose at Kent.

[Richard]

cool; I'll probably go pick some up this weekend. As for the fittings, I'll keep you posted if you haven't already taken the leap first (in which case, let me know what/where you get).

Time to replace my ghetto mash-tun (winekitz bucket + sleeping bag).

[JohnQ]

John Palmer says...

Cleaning Brass
Some brewers use brass fittings in conjunction with their wort chillers or other brewing equipment and are concerned about the lead that is present in brass alloys. A solution of two parts white vinegar to one part hydrogen peroxide (common 3% solution) will remove tarnish and surface lead from brass parts when they are soaked for 5 minutes or less at room temperature. The brass will turn a buttery yellow color as it is cleaned. If the solution starts to turn green and the brass darkens, then the parts have been soaking too long and the copper in the brass is beginning to dissolve, exposing more lead. The solution has become contaminated and the part should be re-cleaned in a fresh solution.

That's what I did.
JW

[Kyle]

if you have the patience, you can order stainless steel cooler fittings from Austinhomebrewsupply, in Texas. They have great stuff, and if you go with a package brokering service, John knows more about this, the shipping is low, but you'd have to drive accross the US border to pick it up.

I picked up some really good stuff from that store

[Richard]

Are there really not any non-brass fittings that could be used? O_o

edit: didn't see kyle's post; am guessing no such thing is available on this side of the border?

edit 2: John, can you post the details of the broker you've used in a separate post, along with a quick summary of the rules regarding tax + allowance. That would be most awesome.

[Dave Savoie]

You can buy Plastic fittings at Canadian Tire or at WineKitz I have a plastic tap on mine

[Ian Grant]

So have u had any problems with the plastic fittings? Also what size should i look for or can I walk into winekitz and ask for cooler mashtun fittings?

[Richard]

I rather doubt they'll have any idea what you're asking for unless you have a list of more specific components.

Dave: what parts did you get for your mash tun?

[Thomas]

Here is the link to the mash tun conversion I followed

http://www.homebrewtalk.com/f51/cheap-e ... ion-23008/

Treating brass is not hard at all, and very easy to do. I followed the instructions from John Paler's book

http://www.howtobrew.com/appendices/appendixB.html

[Ian Grant]

Thanks Thomas I hope i'll be able to get the rest of the stuff this weekend and i'll be all set for equipment.   Oh where to get a barley crusher and whats a good price?

[Richard]

Oh where to get a barley crusher and whats a good price?

I'd start a new thread...

[Tony L]

There is a MoB order in place now for $125 local plus shipping if needed, for MoB members from the Canadian distributor for Barley Crusher.

[Ian Grant]

I ordered 1  last week from the main site.  But it was a lot more than   $125..