I've brewed Maris otter and First gold SMaSH. Turned out quite lovely.
Never tried any hop tea. Just got an idea of hop "lemonade" could be quite refreshing summer drink..
All the connectors are insulated so I'd say gorilla tape is good enough temporary fix if you need to use it now. Wouldn't go poking around with my fingers when plugged in tho.
If you not in rush either of those solutions mentioned
Can't agree more. I used to drink Guinness before I started home brewing. Had one recently and it tasted like dirty water compared to tasty stouts we brew at home