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.

[Crusader-Rob]

I assume your running an electric system?
I use Campin/yoga mat. and it works well, i lose maybe 2-3 degrees over an hour. I'm gas, so I just add mine once i turn the flame off.
If your looking to invest, then talk to forman insulation, and get hold of some of their 25mm thick sticky insulation, normally used to attached to fans/ducts etc. in commercial situations.

[Cain Harland]

I'm gas for HTL and kettle at this stage no heat on mash tun, might get RIMS tube in future but if I can minimize heat loss maybe not, just add some boiling water in with recirculation if I need to.

[Cain Harland]

I'm looking fro a cheap solution, my home brew equipment spend is getting a bit out of control. If I could get down to 2c heat loss over an hour I would be pretty happy. By my calculation with 12kg of grain and 28L strike water 1.6L of boiling water gets me a 1 degree raise in temperature, I would be happy enough to boil the jug a couple of times during a brew and the new mash tun is quite a bit bigger than the old one so should accommodate the extra liquid easily.

[Sam DT]

Probably cheaper than you're aiming for but a sleeping bag works a treat. I get about a 1.5 degree drop over a 60 minute mash for a single batch or about 1 degree for a double batch

[Cain Harland]

Nothings too cheap for me I have been thinking maybe I will glue a yoga mat on and make basically a big sack out of an old blanket to go over the top during mash

[IPeeAye]

That Forman insulation stuff looks like just what I am after.  I am about to launch into a Mash Tun project where I will plan on  wrapping my entire 100L Mash Tun (500mm x 520mm solid stainless pot) in cedar planks with two stainless or copper bands around it to make it look the part. Under the planks I plan on using something along the lines of that forman stuff for added insulation - I wonder how much it is?   Anyone with experience in insulating their mash tun with cedar or similar wood?  pls post your experiences.  cheers

[Crusader-Rob]

definitely, its the tits man. the 25mm sticky stuff is the way to go.. its notthe cheapest, but its damn effective.

[Cain Harland]

$5 yoga mats and $7 liquid nails at the warehouse today so that's layer one sorted. The mats are an ugly green and too light/soft for a yoga mat but should make really good insulation.

[Peter Smith]

put up a photo keen to see it, I am going to insulate my keg mash soon.

[Cain Harland]

I've done the lid but won't do the rest till I get those bulkhead for the keggle so I will probably have to mash in the chilly and boil in the mash tun pot for another brew and the yoga mat won't like being on the gas burner.

[Cain Harland]

Heres the mash tun, the black things are old inner tubes holding it together while the liquid nails sets.

And 2 keggles just waiting on new step bit to drill thermometer holes. Center pickup in HLT and side pickup + whirlpool arm in kettle.

[Cain Harland]

Finished now. I take back all my recommendations for cheap Chinese step bits, they are fine for a fridge door or thin pot but rubbish for kegs. I did it but went through 2 sets, probably damaged my drill, it was hard work and made a mess inside the keg that took the angle grinder to clean up. Can't wait till next brew day.