# how to cork this hole



## smack (Nov 9, 2012)

This is a sweet 15 gallon crock. I love using my 6 gallon crocks as primaries, but this one has a hole at the top and bottom. it has this wooden spigot, which (not surprisingly) does not make a water tight seal with the enamel. i gave it a few good raps with a mallet, but any harder and i fear i'd crack the stoneware. any suggestions on how to improve this connection or easily plug the hole (as the spigot isnt really all that useful to my purposes) in some manner that i wouldnt have to worry about it unplugging while full of wine?


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## Bartman (Nov 9, 2012)

If you don't plan to use the spigot in the future, can you remove the spigot and plug the hole with a cork? That would be the simplest solution I think, otherwise trying to make a watertight seal from the inside around the spigot with some food-grade adhesive/caulk (does it exist?) would be the next option I can think of.


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## Rocky (Nov 9, 2012)

Smack, if it were I, I would get about a 1/2-3/4" long piece of tubing with an OD the diameter of the hole and that will fit over the stem of the spigot, slide it on and tap it in with a mallet. The tubing would better conform to the irregularities in the hole and may stop the leaking. It is worth a shot. I like having spigots on my primaries for racking.


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## smack (Nov 9, 2012)

yeah, i'd like a simple cork solution, but it would have to be pretty big. the hole is 1.25" diameter, and i think i would need to invest in a hand corker, since my floor corker wouldnt quite do the trick.


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## smack (Nov 9, 2012)

hmm, thats a great idea for a quick gasket. i think i'll go looking for some 1.25" OD tubing.


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## Brew and Wine Supply (Nov 10, 2012)

A #7 rubber bung (same as a carboy) measures just under 1 1/4 on the small end and 1 1/2 on the large end. Heat it up to soften it some and push it in as far as you can.


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## smack (Nov 10, 2012)

i wondered how much swelling would form a wooden gasket, so i filled it and just let it sit. as it turns out the spigot swells up enough to completely stop the leak. now i have to let it dry out again so i can remove it and sanitize it, and the real question is, how comfortable am i with "sanitized" wood in constant contact with whatever is in the primary fermenter. i'm thinking i might make some of grandpas malt liquor in there, go straight from the crock to the bottles in under two weeks. the settled yeast might still be too thick in the bottom and i'll be draining it right into the bottles though. . . maybe if i rig us some more tubing to snorkel from an inch higher in the crock. . . yeah this is ridiculous. i'm going to do it.


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## smack (Nov 12, 2012)

i soaked it overnight in kmeta. any other sanitizing suggestions for this ill fated idea?


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## RegionRat (Nov 25, 2012)

*Rubber Expansion Plug plug*

http://www.amazon.com/Rubber-Winterizing-Expansion-Plug-Fitting/dp/B002XKHJQS


Just figure what size you need. Put it in and turn the wing nut and it expands. They are made of natural rubber, nylon and stainless steel. If you are worried about banging the wing nut install it from the inside....


RR


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## Runningwolf (Nov 25, 2012)

RegionRat said:


> http://www.amazon.com/Rubber-Winterizing-Expansion-Plug-Fitting/dp/B002XKHJQS
> 
> 
> Just figure what size you need. Put it in and turn the wing nut and it expands. They are made of natural rubber, nylon and stainless steel. If you are worried about banging the wing nut install it from the inside....
> ...


 
I wonder if the rubber giving an off taste would be a concern?


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## offdagrid (Nov 25, 2012)

canadian tire sold them things to replace a blown out frost plug on an engine


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## RegionRat (Nov 25, 2012)

Runningwolf said:


> I wonder if the rubber giving an off taste would be a concern?



I really dont think the rubber would add any foul taste, afterall we are using rubber stoppers already to hold airlocks. 

I goggled " food grade plugs" and this came up:

http://www.usplastic.com/catalog/item.aspx?itemid=25432&catid=701

RR


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## RegionRat (Nov 25, 2012)

offdagrid said:


> canadian tire sold them things to replace a blown out frost plug on an engine



The ones to fix blown freeze plugs in and engine are of the same design. They are made of galvanized steel and rubber, not stainless and nylon though.


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