20l Mash Tun

[ham2k]

Hi all,

From April I have moved from kits then to a couple of extracts and now hopefully into partial mashing. I have fashioned a mash tun after speaking to my LHBS and i was wondering if I have cocked up in any major way. Minor ways I can probably handle. I plan to mash 2.5kg of grain first up.

I got myself a 20 litre catering bucket and false bottom with tap.

Then I insulated the bucket by utlising my father-in-laws PackSend business.
http://www.packsend.com.au/packing_foam.shtml

To create the outside insulation layer we wrapped the bucket in bubble wrap and plastic. Then we placed the 20 litre bucket into a standard plastic garbage bin, and sprayed the foaming liquid. After the foam set we removed the garbage bin, cut a hole for the tap, cut a lid and tape the whole thing with duct tape.


I have got probably too little room cut out for the tap but I can just carve some more room out.

Other than that I suppose my key concerns are:
1. is the insulation adequate?
2. whats the maximum amount of grain that i can do with a 20L bucket?
3. Problems with approach?

 

[sstacey]

Ham2k,
You only have a single plastic tube to drain the liquid from your mash tun. Are you using a bucket in bucket system, with holes drilled into the top bucket, or will the grain sit directly on the tube? If the grain is on the tube, it will probably block up pretty quick and wont drain the wort well.

It's big enough for partial mashes. Too small for all grain. Insulation should be fine.

 

[DJR]

It's big enough for partial mashes. Too small for all grain. Insulation should be fine.

Bull... i use a 20L bucket just like that. You'll be fine. Just do 2 batch sparges or fly sparge. People will say that you need a 35L+ system but i've made award winning beers with a setup like that.

I get about max 6.5 kg of grain in there with a very thick 2L/kg mash ratio, then i just add a couple of litres of boiling water to get the temp up before sparging.

Insulation looks OK, i just use a camping mat and foil around mine and it's fine.

I'd look into using stainless braid at the bottom rather than a plastic tube - mine is a comp fitting on a brass all-thread with some copper pipe, a t-piece and a couple of staino hose clamps to hold the braid on with. THen i can use a brass ball valve and not worry about long term survivability of a plastic outlet.

 

[jaytee]

You only have a single plastic tube to drain the liquid from your mash tun

Look carefully, there's a white plastic false bottom in there.

Bull... i use a 20L bucket just like that. You'll be fine. Just do 2 batch sparges or fly sparge. People will say that you need a 35L+ system but i've made award winning beers with a setup like that.

Spot on DJR :beer:

I use a 20 litre tun too and have done half a dozen AG's with 4 to 4.5 kg of grain. They're certainly not award winning but my tattered old tastebuds can cope with them

Don't limit yourself to a partial Ham2k, go the whole batch !

 

[Fents]

DJR Knows

Except he knows you can really squeeze in 7kg of grain if he wants hahaha.

Mate i had to bail on the bucket, it was just getting all too much, mashing them sparging to within half a centimetere off the top hahaha

just ripped my braid out last weekend and slapped it in a 55l esky. Truuuuust me so much easier!

but the bucket is great for starting.

teh buketz

 

[Steve]

I started off AG with the EXACT same set up. It was donated to me. It was perfect and worked very well. Im sure you will be happy with it. I used to mash 5kg in it (just). You will need a long spoon though to get to the very bottom for stirring. Mine was a tad too short and I would always burn my fingertips. I started off with the plastic false bottom but it warped so upgraded to a stainless one. Mine didnt have insulation on the lid. I just put a towel on top. Your insulation is probably a bit over the top....but hey...it'll work. Mine just had strips of polystyrene down the sides wrapped tight/stuck in place with that same grey metallic gaffer tape. From memory mine kept the temp very well over 60 mins. Have fun...you wont be doing partials for long I can guarantee it.
Cheers
Steve

P.S. When I upgraded to bigger esky I donated it to Fingerlinkin_B on here. From all reports he too is also very happy with it...until he got into that BIAB nonsense!!!!! ha ha