Zinc Washer?

[wh4tig0t]

I decided to make one of these today (bored) but after buying everything and making the filter hose I realized that the diameter of the brass fittings I bought (the exact ones in the wiki) were smaller than the hole in the cooler.

I bought 2 zinc flat washers and some garden hose gaskets and managed to sandwich the cooler between the zinc washers and gaskets with no leaks. My question is will the zinc coated washer mess up my beer? I would have bought stainless, but there weren't any in the size I needed.

 

[Yuri_Rage]

Don't use zinc plated hardware anywhere that wort will be present. The acidic nature of wort will rapidly erode the zinc, resulting in high zinc levels in your beer (potentially unhealthy amounts) as well as corroded hardware that won't last long.

 

[wh4tig0t]

OK what if I use two pieces of plexiglass and some silicone caulk?

 

[CodeRage]

You can pick up stainless fender washers at your local big box stores. you may have to hog them out a bit to pass the coupler through. I used some for my 1/2" nipples. Its about 4 or 5 bucks for 2.
Edit-
What I have found to work out the best is the lock washers from bargainfittings and a silicone o ring.
Thread the valve on a couple threads, put the nipple through the cooler wall, then sandwich the silicone washer between the lock nut and cooler wall. Shouldn't have to tighten the lockwasher more than hand tight.

 

[wh4tig0t]

OK silicone and plexi didn't physically work that well regardless of if it was any better then the zinc washer or not. I ended up ordering some SS washers from fastenal.com.

In order to avoid this in the future, The Igloo Legend 2 Gallon cooler has too big of an opening for the 3/8's inch fittings. 1/2 may work better. In other words check the cooler before buying fittings.

 

[Revvy]

You can pick up stainless fender washers at your local big box stores. you may have to hog them out a bit to pass the coupler through. I used some for my 1/2" nipples. Its about 4 or 5 bucks for 2.

Actually if you read the rubbermade cooler thread you will see repeatedly that it is nearly impossible to find the 5/8 SS washers at big box stores...back when I was doing mine, I hit every big box DIY/hardware store including autoparts ones and marine ones, to no avail...Zinc coated yes...by SS...no...I finally managed through an old guy at one of the big box stores to try fastenal...turned out there was one in my town..but youy can order through mail as well.


5/8" x 1 3/4" 18-8 Stainless Steel Flat Washer | Fastenal

 

[CodeRage]

Actually if you read the rubbermade cooler thread you will see repeatedly that it is nearly impossible to find the 5/8 SS washers at big box stores...back when I was doing mine, I hit every big box DIY/hardware store including autoparts ones and marine ones, to no avail...Zinc coated yes...by SS...no...I finally managed through an old guy at one of the big box stores to try fastenal...turned out there was one in my town..but youy can order through mail as well.


5/8" x 1 3/4" 18-8 Stainless Steel Flat Washer | Fastenal

Hmm, found them right away in the specialty SS fastner drawers at Lowes. Lucky I suppose. Would hate to send some one on a wild goose chase.

 

[Revvy]

Hmm, found them right away in the specialty SS fastner drawers at Lowes. Lucky I suppose. Would hate to send some one on a wild goose chase.

Not in my town 2 years ago...nor at the HD right across the street...Not in 5/8th anyway. DIfferent cities may stock their stores differently...dunno...Never thought it would be so difficult until it was...as it evidently is for a lot of folks on the cheap and dirty hd cooler thread. That seems to be the biggest posting in the thread...

*shrugs*

 

[Synovia]

Not in my town 2 years ago...nor at the HD right across the street...Not in 5/8th anyway. DIfferent cities may stock their stores differently...dunno...Never thought it would be so difficult until it was...as it evidently is for a lot of folks on the cheap and dirty hd cooler thread. That seems to be the biggest posting in the thread...

*shrugs*

None at HD or Lowes near me either. Checked a couple stores.


Menards had them though :rockin:

 

[HairyDogBrewing]

I drilled out an Eisenhower dollar.