Ball Valve Conversion - Nordic Optical 38.5l Thermo Box

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adm

Ball Valve Conversion - Nordic Optical 38.5l Thermo Box

Post by adm » Sat Sep 20, 2008 4:05 pm

Well, in a similar, but slightly smaller vein to brewzone's 80L mash tun thread, I present my 38.5 litre version!

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First of all, here's the standard tap assembly that came fitted to the ThermoBox

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And here's it taken apart. Most of the bits get reused except for the tap assembly and the rightmost hex nut.

I bought a half inch stainless balvalve from my local plumbing supply shop - it screws straight into the "barrel" type piece that the original tap screwed into, and I just used the same silicon washers and other sealing bits and just put that back into the ThermoBox in the same way it came out. Instead of securing the assembly with the hex nut, I used a 3/8 female to female coupler, followed by a 3/8 to 15mm compression adaptor. This all worked great and sealed perfectly.

Next, I took the original manifold from my Coolbox mashtun and shortened it by about an inch so it fitted into the ThermoBox. I had to replace the centre piece as it was bent at the wrong angle for the new tun, but no big deal!

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So here's the manifold fitted into the tun. Fits really well. I filled it up and drained it to measure the deadspace, and I was amazed that it's less than 300ml. The slots in the manifold fit really flush on the tun bottom, and the siphon effect just sucks all the liquid out of there. My Thermos Coolbox deadspace was about 700ml, so this is great.

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Here's the outside view of the ballvalve.

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And here's the finished unit ready to go. My first shiny all ready to brew with. I can't wait to test it out....

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Andy
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Post by Andy » Sat Sep 20, 2008 4:30 pm

Good work that man! 8)
Dan!

brewzone

Post by brewzone » Sat Sep 20, 2008 5:06 pm

Nice work ADM!

I think Jim was the first on JBK to add a ballvalve to a TB mashtun.

If You don't mind Me asking, what is the gap between the inner and outer skin on those 38L jobbies?

The 50L and 80L is about 25mm.

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Garth
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Post by Garth » Sat Sep 20, 2008 6:39 pm

tidy work there fella!!

nice one and good helpful piccys

adm

Post by adm » Sat Sep 20, 2008 6:46 pm

BZ,

It's about 25mm as well. It's the full depth of the steel "barrel" piece. i didn't measure it, but it looked to be a good inch.

They're nice pots aren't they? Mine was sitting in the box when I got home this morning and I was well impressed with it. Couldn't resist fettling with it, but haven't had time to run a trial yet to see how it holds temp. I was pleased to see how easy it was to replace the standard tap with the ballvalve - only took a minute or so once I had the bits.

Now I want more shinies.....

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Garth
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Post by Garth » Sat Sep 20, 2008 6:57 pm

They are better at holding their temperature than a coolbox, but still benefit from preheating, dump your mash liquor in about 10C hotter than needed, leave it cool to strike temperature and it'll be heated up
nicely.

brewzone

Post by brewzone » Sat Sep 20, 2008 7:03 pm

Thanks for the info M8!

Yes they are very nice looking and very good at holding their temperature.

Hoping to brew in the latest project if all the bits arrive early enough to

give Me a chance before I have to post it off!

I want to use a full 25Kg sack of Pale Malt in the 80L TB and will probably

batch sparge using 3 27L runnoffs.

Bongo

Post by Bongo » Sat Sep 20, 2008 7:09 pm

Shine on

vipergreen

Post by vipergreen » Sun Sep 21, 2008 7:42 am

I've just brought one of these for my first AG attempt.

I was thinking of trying a no sparge method for simplicity on my first attempt using a Mashing bag as I was unsure how to make a Manifold.

Does the Manifold simply push together, if so do I simply need a bit of 15mm tube some 90o bends and some T's and then cut slices into the tube.

Also I thought that if using a bag you could simply lift it up and let it drain into the mash tun, what material should the bag be made of as I'm not convinced that the ones for sale would be big enough.

Apologies if I appear simple with these questions

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Garth
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Post by Garth » Sun Sep 21, 2008 8:53 am

vipergreen wrote:do I simply need a bit of 15mm tube some 90o bends and some T's and then cut slices into the tube.
that's basically it vg, don't bother soldering it, it's easier to clean after a mash, if you find the manifold is coming apart just very slightly 'oval' the end of the pipe in question with your hand so it still fits into 90 or T piece but it should be a stiffer.

adm

Post by adm » Sun Sep 21, 2008 9:23 am

Just like Garth says - no soldering needed. It's simply copper pipe and fittings assembled to suit. you'll find that after a brew or two it all tightens up a bit anyway.

I wouldn't bother with the bag - just dump the grain in. The bag will make it harder to give it all a good stir anyway.

As for sparging, the simplest way to go is batch sparging - just do your mash, top up with water, give it a stir and drain off. Then top up with more water, stir again and drain off again. It's really easy, and you can use this calculator to work out the volumes needed:

batch sparge calculator

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Post by edit1now » Sun Sep 21, 2008 9:30 am

Viper - you can make a grain bag from some net curtain fabric if you have access to a sewing machine. If you buy a length of cheap made-up net curtain, as I did in that post, then you get the casing for the draw-string already done for you.

vipergreen

Post by vipergreen » Sun Sep 21, 2008 12:14 pm

Right

Been to Wickes and now have my manifold together.

2 questions,

Wickes didn't have either a 3/8 female to female coupler or a 3/8 to 15mm compression adapter, cant find on Screwfix site either, any suggestions ?.

I havn't cut or drilled holes yet, do these just go on the underside ?

I'm getting there ,,,,slowly

brewzone

Post by brewzone » Sun Sep 21, 2008 12:26 pm

The number of times I've gone in B+Q or similar and got that blank look

when I ask for something even slightly out of the ordinary.

I've found My local plumbers merchants have everything I need.

If they don't have it they order it and it's always worked out cheaper.

You also get the experience of someone Who has worked in the trade

for years rather than someone who just sticks price labels on things!

adm

Post by adm » Sun Sep 21, 2008 1:21 pm

brewzone wrote:The number of times I've gone in B+Q or similar and got that blank look

when I ask for something even slightly out of the ordinary.

I've found My local plumbers merchants have everything I need.

If they don't have it they order it and it's always worked out cheaper.

You also get the experience of someone Who has worked in the trade

for years rather than someone who just sticks price labels on things!
BZ is exactly right - go into your local trade plumber's merchants, take the original tap assembly, so you have the thread you want to couple to and explain that you need to convert that to a 15mm compression fitting. They'll have what you need and you can assemble it all there to make sure. Shouldn't cost more than a quid or two either.

They may just have a single piece 3/8 female to 15mm male thread adaptor, which is what you really need. Mine didn't, hence the fem-fem adaptor piece...

B&Q/Wickes etc....seem to only keep the popular stuff, but the local plumbers supply shop will have all kinds of weird and wonderful bits....

As for the holes - my manifold has slits cut with a junior hacksaw on all the straight pieces of pipe (apart from the main piece to the tap of course!). They are about half an inch apart and go just under halfway through the pipe.

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