# Leaky barrel spigot



## Stressbaby

I bought a small 10l barrel and the spigot is problematic.
The barrel sealed up just fine after I got it. However, the spigot leaks a lot every time I fill it or top it up.
Is there a way to seal it? Or do I just need to remove it and seal with a cork or other stopper? 
Same question for the cork on top, should I just replace it as well?
What kind of stopper/replacement should I use?


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## Johnd

Stressbaby said:


> I bought a small 10l barrel and the spigot is problematic.
> The barrel sealed up just fine after I got it. However, the spigot leaks a lot every time I fill it or top it up.
> Is there a way to seal it? Or do I just need to remove it and seal with a cork or other stopper?
> Same question for the cork on top, should I just replace it as well?
> What kind of stopper/replacement should I use?
> View attachment 46812



Regarding the spigot, if you desire to have one, try getting a new wooden spigot to fit the hole that’s already there, most seal well by the pressure created by tapping the tapered end of the spigot firmly into the hole. As an option, you could consider a plastic spigot like the ones on bottling buckets, just a few bucks. You probably can’t tighten it from the inside without taking the head off, but could seat it in a bed of food grade silicone. If you don’t need a spigot, tap a tapered oak plug firmly into the hole to seal it up. 

As for the top bung, these can be closed off with any number of closures, bung and airlock, solid bung, vented waterless bungs, tapered wood bungs, etc. My personal preference are the vented waterless silicone bungs, but the others work just fine too.


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## ibglowin

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00838TAW0/?tag=skimlinks_replacement-20




Stressbaby said:


> I bought a small 10l barrel and the spigot is problematic.
> The barrel sealed up just fine after I got it. However, the spigot leaks a lot every time I fill it or top it up.
> Is there a way to seal it? Or do I just need to remove it and seal with a cork or other stopper?
> Same question for the cork on top, should I just replace it as well?
> What kind of stopper/replacement should I use?


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## Stressbaby

Johnd said:


> If you don’t need a spigot, tap a tapered oak plug firmly into the hole to seal it up.



Thanks. Maybe this is a stupid question, but where do you find these sized for a 10l barrel? The only ones I see online are for full sized barrels.


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## stickman

If the spigot hole was drilled by someone other than the cooper, it probably wasn't cauterized which seals the edges preventing the seeping. As glowin suggested, wax may help regardless of what plug or spigot you use.


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## Stressbaby

stickman said:


> If the spigot hole was drilled by someone other than the cooper, it probably wasn't cauterized which seals the edges preventing the seeping. As glowin suggested, wax may help regardless of what plug or spigot you use.



It's not leaking around the spigot hole. It's leaking right out of the spigot.


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## sour_grapes

Stressbaby said:


> It's not leaking around the spigot hole. It's leaking right out of the spigot.


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## Stressbaby

sour_grapes said:


>




lulz


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## Johnd

Stressbaby said:


> It's not leaking around the spigot hole. It's leaking right out of the spigot.



I’m sure you can find an appropriate wooden spigot by calling barrel makers who offer them, I do not have a ready reference list of this product. If an oak plug is what you desire, the same sources above should be checked, or you can make one starting with a simple oak dowel from Home Depot, Lowe’s, etc. Just make sure it’s not red oak....


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## Stressbaby

Johnd said:


> I’m sure you can find an appropriate wooden spigot by calling barrel makers who offer them, I do not have a ready reference list of this product. If an oak plug is what you desire, the same sources above should be checked, or you can make one starting with a simple oak dowel from Home Depot, Lowe’s, etc. Just make sure it’s not red oak....



I just need a damn plug. The ones I've found online are those kind which are wrapped in leather, I don't think I want that kind. I'll call the manufacturer, and if they can't help I'll just make one.


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## Johnd

Stressbaby said:


> I just need a damn plug. The ones I've found online are those kind which are wrapped in leather, I don't think I want that kind. I'll call the manufacturer, and if they can't help I'll just make one.



The original manufacturer is probably the easiest solution, but making one from an oak dowel that's just a hair larger than the original hole shouldn't be too challenging, just a little sanding to taper it should do the trick. Good luck!!!


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## ibglowin

Why does it need to be oak? Why not silicon?


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## balatonwine

Are you aging in this barrel or just using it as a serving vessel? If just aging, I would remove the spigot and just insert a silicon bung (you can also hammer in a oak plug, that would take a bit of fitting to get it right). Move the wine out of the barrel with a plastic hose from the top. If you need the spigot, then you just replace the existing problematic one. On small barrels like this, where you can not get "inside" to attach a nut attached spigot, you can get either a wood tap in or brass tap in or screw in spigots. The wood ones you tab in (maybe wrap the end in Teflon plumber's tape or a bead of wax before tapping in to improve the seal). The brass ones screw/tap into the wood to make the seal (and a rubber washer on the outside also helps). Be aware: once you use a brass screw in you can not go back to tap in without re-drilling the hole.


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