New Mash Tun

[Slingshot]

My foray into AG brewing is one step closer now that I've got my mash tun sorted, helps having a plumber in the family :)

I still need to cut the slots and fit a tap, but was so excited I just had to post it.

Next thing to do is find a big stainless steel pot or keg.

[Ralph]

Nice work! Looks like the same model of chilly bin that i have as a mash tun... but I just have stainless braid. 

Yours looks flasher!

[MrC]

Looking good, nice job!!!

It's hard to tell from the photo, but if you can manage to get the manifold to sit right on the bottom of the tun you'll get slightly better efficiency when fly sparging.  It won't make much difference if you're batch sparging buy with fly sparging you may get the more dense higher gravity wort sitting in the dead space below the manifold.  I'd also recommend cutting the slots or assembling the manifold with the solts on the bottom, again for increased efficiency when fly sparging.

[Slingshot]

It's a Rubbermaid 48qt chilli bin ($21 off TradeMe).

It didn't have a pre-installed tap or bung but it did have a flat spot molded into the plastic so I drilled through that to make sure the washer would seat properly.  It does mean that the manifold sits about 20mm off the bottom but I'm going to fill the dead space with a plastic chopping board.

I was planning to cut the slots on the bottom, I read somewhere that it makes no difference hydraulically if they're in the top, bottom or sides.  I'm still going to cut them on the bottom...if nothing else, at least gravity won't be trying to force the grains into the slots :)

[Slingshot]

Now that I've finally cut the slots and fitted the manifold I've decided it is sitting too high off the floor of the cooler, and filling the space with a plastic chopping board is going to create a headache when cleaning.  So, now I'm thinking I'll cut the outlet pipe and attach it with plastic tube so the manifold will sit on the bottom.

My concern is that the exit tube will be higher than the manifold...but there'll be a siphon created when lautering right???   So will it matter???

[Matt Smith]

It will be sweet as !

You might just have to start the siphon when you first run off, which wont be a big deal. It might even start on its own anyways, given that the wort level will be above the height of the tap

[Ralph]

Yup. My tun has the same problem. I have my stainless mesh sitting on the bottom of the tun, but it comes up to the outlet. I solve the deadspace problem by getting a piece of wood and and propping up the other end of the mash tun once most of the wort has been drained. Tipping it up means I might be left with 0.5L of dead space... which I can live with.

You can measure the dead space by tipping the tun up and pouring some water in. Simply measure how much water wont drain out of the tun via the tap.

[Grant R Baker]

The Coleman Xtreme (34l I think) chilliy bins have a draing trench in the bottom... so there is almost no deadspace between your SS hose (false bttom etc) and the valve.

 

Extremely easy to convert to a mashtun.

[Richard Oliver]

Nice work. Looks good. I also have a chilly bin with a drain below the base. I simply have a piece of perforated stainless to act as a false bottom. Hey, How did you get on finding a pot? My brother-in-law alerted me to these a day or two ago: http://www.trademe.co.nz/home-living/kitchen/pots-pans-bakeware/pot... Has anyone had any experience with these? They claim a 6 mm base and they are cheap - very cheap. It seems to good to be true...

[Slingshot]

Picked up a stainless steel keg off TradeMe - cut the top out of it with an angle grinder and I'm really pleased with it.  Just want to mount a thermomter and sight glass now.

 

There's some discussion about those pots on the TradeMe thread. Others are questioning the 6mm base too...regardless, they'll probably ok for the purpose.

[Richard Oliver]

How much did you get the keg for out of interest?

[Slingshot]

Was $70. Bit more than I wanted to pay...

[Richard Oliver]

Yeah, it's a bit of cash. I have my hands on some scrap SS sheet, I've been considering learning to tig weld and build my own. I'd say buying one is less effort :-)