Mash tun insulation

[Cain Harland]

I am almost ready to convert my old kettle/HLT pot into a mash tun, just waiting on bulkheads to convert my second keg into the new kettle then I can say good bye to the old rectangular chilly bin mash tun.

I'm thinking about insulation and although finding a bigger vessel to put the mash tun inside and filling the gap with expanding foam would be my preferred option every thing I can think of for the outer vessel is expensive and/or ugly and/or really heavy. So now I'm thinking yoga mat.

How good is the insulation you get from wrapping a pot in a yoga mat?

What do people use to stick the mat to their pots? I'm thinking maybe liquid nails, obviously it has to not melt in the heat.

I might put some wood on top of the yoga mat at some stage If it doesn't look like adding too much weight.

Any suggestions for alternatives welcome. Its a 50L pot 400mm diameter and about 400mm tall.

[Nathan]

Looking good mate......I didnt even attempt to drill through my kegs with cheap bits I went straight to carbide tipped hole saws like a hot knife through butter perfect holes......Your going to want to add elements and timers next, Trust me you will hahahahaha

Can you explain exactly how this setup works from HLT to boil kettle with all those extra valves im a bit lost

[Cain Harland]

So HLT just one valve.

Sparge and strike water will go in the top valve on the mash tun the hose on the inside will just sit on top of the grain bed. I will do a little recirculation out the bottom and in the top at the start of mash to even out the temp and at the end to clear the wort. I could have just stuck the hose in the top of the of the mash tun but this way is more secure, I always worried about my hose falling out and spilling my precious beer when I did.

The top valve on the kettle is attached to a whirl pool arm and the bottom to a side pickup (see photo). While cooling, the wort if will flow out the bottom through the pump and counter flow chiller back in the top creating a whirlpool which both cools the whole lot evenly and helps the trub settle in the center.

I'm not sure which valve I will use to fill the kettle. I will still use gravity to shift liquids between vessels and recirculate with the pump.

Your right about elements and timers I'm happy with gas for HLT and kettle but may add a RIMS tube to the mash tun.

[Nathan]

Damm it now I want/need a pump why oh why do I look at stuff like this?

[Darren Andrews (Daza)]

HLT is that Hot Liquor Tun?

[Cain Harland]

Yes

[Cain Harland]

So short answer the top valve in both cases is for recirculation

[Nathan]

Got it is there any potential for stuck sparges by recircing the mash??

[Cain Harland]

I've never had a stuck sparge but it probably does increase the risk. I think the trick is to keep it slow so your not pumping out any faster than the grain bed would naturally drain.

[Nathan]

So do you just use a valve to throttle the pump??....Wouldn't that potentially damage the pump?

[Cain Harland]

Magnetic drive pumps are fine with being throttled by back pressure. At least i think they are. Some folks seem to worry about wort thrashing in a throttled pump but others run the recirculation the whole time with RIMS or HERMS with no probs. If I do upgrade to RIMS or HERMS at some stage I will probably look at using a combo of timer and thermostat to keep the pump off when not needed and limit wort thrashing/stuck sparge risks or maybe build a grant.

[Tom]

I'm planning on using Neoprene with Velcro sewn to it. should work ok and is removable for cleaning.

[Cain Harland]

Neoprene should be mint, like one of those wetsuits to keep your beer can cold. I considered it but have very little faith in my ability to produce something functional with it.