Pipe fittings - where to find?

[Martin Bridges]

I'm in the midst of converting a chilly bin to a mash tun so I can go all-grain. I've managed to track down most of the parts I need at Bunnings or Mitre10, but I'm struggling for hose connectors. Specifically I'm looking for:
- 1/2" female hose barb connector (to connect my bulkhead fitting to my braided hose)
- 1/2" male hose barb to connect my ball valve to an output hose

Any ideas where I might be able to track these down in the Auckland area, preferably North Shore? Am I looking at specialist plumbing stores?

Cheers,

Martin

[Tony]

Hi Martin

I eventually had to get a Hanson fitting, I think it's about 25-30mm tube with a flat washer/head on one end. It had thread both inside and out of the tube. I screwed it through the chilli bin, applied a nut/washer to the inside and screwed the fermenter tap fitting from the outside. I hope that makes sense. I know I had hell of a problem as well, finding fittings to go through the bin walls. If you have any problems give me a call or come and check mine out. I got my fittings at mitre ten, but Bunnings should have them too? I used a standard Fermenter tap fitting from bewcraft. Just make sure you get the hanson fitting that fits the tap guage.

[Martin Bridges]

I've got a half-inch nipple (ooerr!) which fits just nicely through the chilly bin, and a ball valve which screws on to the outside. I just need a way of connecting the braided hose I intend using to strain the wort onto the nipple.

Got your phone message thanks Tony - unfortunately I'm struggling for time a bit this week.

Cheers,

Martin

[Tony]

love those nipples, oooeerrrr! I have just used a length of pvc hose, drilled with 3mm holes along it's length (oooeerr), which then just slips into the fitting (oooheerr). I find the grain filters itself anyway, and I don't have any problem with cleaning. The holes are facing down and I usually only have to recycly the wort 2-3 times before it is clear. Good luck with your nipple, oooherrr!!

[Dan]

Im a bit worried about the ooherrr's ! Dont get too attached to your brewing gear! just drink the beer! save the oooheerrr's for the missus!

[James P]

It's not in Auckland, however www.aircontrols.co.nz.

They also stock a full range of John Guest fittings which I have used several times.

[vdog]

I'll check with my brother-in-law and let you know Martin - we did our chillybin conversion a few weeks ago with steel braid as the lauter manifold too, so should be able to let you know where the bits came from. Works beaut, by the way - usually only takes about one 2-litre jugful to be recirculated before it runs totally clear.

[vdog]

Got the answer - we used a "hose clip Galve Moo 11-16mm Cd2 (clamp for steel sheath over coupler inside chilly, just cable tied floating end)" according to my b-i-l which was under $5 at Mitre 10 Mega.

Good luck with the setup - hopefully it'll work as well for you as it does for us.

[Martin Bridges]

Thanks for the response - sadly I have no clue what that means!

Martin

[Simon]

You could try MasterTrade, a plumbing/electrical store. They have a North Shore branch. Not sure if they will have what you are after - are barb fittings used much in domestic plumbing? Might be worth calling before making a journey. You could also try a garden centre - the garden might be somewhere this sort of fitting is used? Or maybe some sort of tool shop that sells pressure washers, compressors etc.

[Sinykill]

I got my fittings (hose barbs) at plumbing world in rotorua. Look in the gas fittings section for the brass hose barbs

[Haish]

I got all my fittings from Chesters in Ellerslie (there's one in Albany too). They're a specialist plumbing store and have everything you need, except maybe not a 1/2" female pipe thread to hose barb. I went to HCD flowtech in Onehunga for that http://www.hoseandcoupling.co.nz/, but any hydraulic/air tool shop should have something similar. Hose barb, hose clamp, braid and some means of plugging the other end sound like an easy solution.

I made a copper manifold that attaches to the nipple pipe by a compression fitting in my MLT. I have tried various solutions for my boil kettle because I use a plate chiller. One iteration was a copper tee connected to braid by hose clamps which would work quite well in a MLT as well

[denimglen]

How well does the braid work out in your kettle? What type of hops are you using?

I'm halfway through making a kettle (that will be connected to a plate chiller) and wondering if the braid will be too fine and just get clogged with hop pellets and hot break. And thinking a whirlpool with dip tube will create too much DMS and pick up too much crap and clog my plate chiller.