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Mash tuns
At work they have been having employee auctions. I went for $1, LOL. Actually they auction off excess materials such as tools or tables, carts etc.
I got four 5 gallon Igloo coolers for $20 total. Sold one right away so still have 3. insides are fine, outsies are dirty but simple green will clean them up nice.
I was wondering if anyone has converted one to a mash tun and the parts they used? I found a web site and copied the parts down and went to a local fleet supply and it owuld come to about $25 each cooler to convert to a mash tun. But looking for all options that might be cheaper. I will keep 2 of the coolers and either sell the 3rd as is or convert it and sell it as a mash tun but want to do it within reason money wise.
thanks for any advice.
DC
Here's the build that I followed when I built my mash tuns. It works for 5 and 10 gallon round coolers
HBT - 10 gallon Rubbermaid MLT
The SS braid is OK but I have a few issues with it. I plan on switching over to a copper manifold once the braid gets beat up enough.
you would be hard pressed to find somthing better than the braid. The good thing about the braid is that even with very fine grinds of your malt, you can always get it going again with a few pokes and prods. With other tun options, Copper manifold, fasle bottom, pvc pipe, you will at one time or another have to dump out the whole mash to get it going agan.
And what's not to like, it's stainless steel, it's cheap, you can find them anywhere. Switch if you want to, but you know as well as I do that deep down inside you love your stainless steel braid mash tun.
I use a bazooka screen in mine. same kind of principle as the ss braid, but it doesn't get all beat up. I've never had to dump all the grain out to get the runnings to flow either, just a little stirring and it starts back up.
My issue with the braid is the increased dead space and loss of efficiency. First, the braid floats and second, it pulls in liquid through all 360 degrees of the tubing which loses suction sooner than a copper manifold that only pulls from the bottom of the tubing.
I'm utilizing a 5 gal Igloo cylindrical cooler as my mash tun as well (found in my parents garage). I wanted to go simple, and took a cue from the brew in bag proponents. I found 5 gal paint strainer bags at Home Depot. Also found a couple small metal grill like things that keep the bag about 3/4 inch off the bottom. I installed a drum tap in place to the spigit. There you go, batch sparge tun for about $8 ($5 for the drup tap, $2 for the bags, $1 for the grill things). Works great! And you can also use sanitize paint strainer bags to screen out hops and break material when going to bucket fermentor. Place the strainer bag in the bucket, dump your wort, pull out the bag that's then captured all the stuff!
TSchoolman wrote:
I'm utilizing a 5 gal Igloo cylindrical cooler as my mash tun as well (found in my parents garage). I wanted to go simple, and took a cue from the brew in bag proponents. I found 5 gal paint strainer bags at Home Depot. Also found a couple small metal grill like things that keep the bag about 3/4 inch off the bottom. I installed a drum tap in place to the spigit. There you go, batch sparge tun for about $8 ($5 for the drup tap, $2 for the bags, $1 for the grill things). Works great! And you can also use sanitize paint strainer bags to screen out hops and break material when going to bucket fermentor. Place the strainer bag in the bucket, dump your wort, pull out the bag that's then captured all the stuff!
I use the 5 gallon paint strainer bags also but I use them in the mash and for hops during boil.
cheap and works great.
DC
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