Sweating Copper Joints?

[WillySixGun]

I finished my 48 quart picnic cooler lauter tun.
I built a forked manifold that sits in the bottom
of the cooler. All the joints are loose. Can I
solder them together or will the solder cause
trouble with the brewing? What are the concerns
with soldering the joints?

Thanks, Willy

[WillySixGun]

The B3 forum says that I can solder with standard water line
material. Thier advice is to leave it loose for easy cleaning.
I think I will try it loose once and see how it does. Willy

[gene]

I agree. leave them unsoldered. you may need to squeeze or pinch one(just a little tiny bit) to make it a little tighter.a small resulting opening will be just like a saw cut.my2

[BillyBock]

Willy: If you friction-fit them together without solder, you're biggest concern will be when you stir the mash. You have to be careful, otherwise you'll knock your manifold apart.

If it were me, I'd solder it together for stability. If you solder, use the lead-free stuff. I've also found it easier to use the water-based flux rather than the typical flux. It cleans off SOOO much easier.

Let us know how it works out.

v/r
Bill