Building A Mash/lauter Tun

[wedge]

I work at a Hardware like store and talk to the suppliers of the easy hookers as i was planning on using these as my piping the brewery. The problem is they are rated for water up to almost boiling, however they are not rated for anything acidic, ie hot wort. This would ware away at the hoses. I was pretty keen to use them but thought better of it.

I saw tonight snowys has a 10 gallon esky, tubular not square, for $120. Pretty damn good. Coleman though not rubber made. It may not be cool but it will do the job.

As for the manifold i did something similar to Doc manifold using polyethylene piping and brass fitting the same stuff their starting to use in houses now. Only because the price was similar.... maybe even cheaper and ifts much easier to cut and drill poly then it is copper. However copper is just as good. As for the slotted drilled arguments i live by the saying....Different Strokes for Different Blokes Provided you put in enough holes their should be no probs.

 

[RobW]

I work at a Hardware like store and talk to the suppliers of the easy hookers as i was planning on using these as my piping the brewery. The problem is they are rated for water up to almost boiling, however they are not rated for anything acidic, ie hot wort. This would ware away at the hoses.

They are OK in the mash tun though because you remove the rubber hose & the mash pH won't worry the stainless components.

 

[Doc]

As for the manifold i did something similar to Doc manifold using polyethylene piping and brass fitting the same stuff their starting to use in houses now.

My god that pic looks very deja-vu
Wedge, I also put a mesh filter bag over my manifold. Makes the runoff clearer quicker and helps avoid a stuck sparge when doing big beers and wheat beers.

Looks the buisness.

Beers,
Doc

 

[dicko]

I was just talking to Dave Stewart from Goliaths and apparently on Sat 24th there is a guy doing a mash at the shop with a grain bag of shade cloth like material in an esky and from all reports it works really well.
A different approach to manifolds.
Might be worth a look for the Adelaide guys. :blink:

Damn it !!!!!
I dont think I can make it to the brew session unless my daughter in Adelaide can give birth to her first child about a week early and then the missus will be there for the birth of course. Well I might as well just tag along as well.
Not my scene - childbirth. :unsure:
But brewing with a new technique, yep!!! sounds good.
Could wet the newborn babes head. Yep! Any excuse. :chug: :chug: :chug:
Cheers

 

[lou]

Ok I think I got this sorted out now

I think for my proper mash lauter tun I will get a nice big 25-30L esky with drain hole. the only thing I'm not sure how to get is the 1/2 inch threaded pipe. My local hardware store has the taps/washers etc but the only threaded pipe they had was brass and brass isn't food safe. think i may have to go to an engineering place to get a SS one made up. if it isn't too expensive

Question

how hard is it to take out the tap of an esky - ive seen the screw piece on the inside but what is the hole size - is it threaded,

lou

brew on B)

 

[lou]

Ok I think I got this sorted out now

I think for my proper mash lauter tun I will get a nice big 25-30L esky with drain hole. the only thing I'm not sure how to get is the 1/2 inch threaded pipe. My local hardware store has the taps/washers etc but the only threaded pipe they had was brass and brass isn't food safe. think i may have to go to an engineering place to get a SS one made up. if it isn't too expensive

Question

how hard is it to take out the tap of an esky - ive seen the screw piece on the inside but what is the hole size - is it threaded,

lou

brew on B)

 

[Jazman]

well brass is ok doenst need to be fod safe as u boil the wort and that is sanitized

 

[dicko]

Lou,
You can buy Stainless steel bulkhead fittings and nuts.
Try the Brisbane branch of Tube Fittings. ( I thinks that is what they are called )
Lots of people use brass with no ill effect.
Some US suppliers offer their systems with brass and stainless as a more expensive option.
Cheers

 

[Crispy]

Here is my Mash Tun, picked it up earlier this week

36 Litre "Keep Cold" Cooler - $85+gst


Cheers,

Crispy

 

[JSB]

Same for me Crispy $77+GST

Cheers
JSB

 

[Crispy]

and here is the manifold,

I used grade 18 pressure pipe, which should handle the temp and is food safe (grade 12 presure pipe is not food safe, due to the higher lead content).

Slots are cut halfway through at about 10mm spacing on the underside.

(yes GMK it is a square, not a bloody octagon) :lol:

Have'nt tested it out yet,


Cheers,

Crispy

 

[dreamboat]

I never heard anything about a differing lead content before - in fact I find it very difficult to believe. CLass 18 PVC has a thicker wall than Class 12.... etc. Outside diameters stay the same, just smaller bore for higher pressure rating. All PVC is considered safe for potable water.
All fittings down at these type of small sizes are Class 18 rated, unless you can find some of the cheap and dodgy stuff imported from the USA.


dreamboat

 

[dicko]

I think I read in John Palmer's book about lead in brass, and from memory I think you treat it with vinegar or at least some sort of acid to make it safe.
I am not sure and anyone thinking about using brass might do some reading.
Cheers

 

[Crispy]

hmmmm,

difficult as some may find it to believe,

I spent good hour at a reputable plumbing supply store yesterday, when they were unable to answer my questions about the temp ratings and food grade compatibility of PVC piping, they called the manufacturer, who apparently said, and which was then passed on to me, "Do not use grade 12, because the lead content is too high and it is not food safe"

Now, this is just a wild guess, but I'm tipping that the company that makes this stuff, may just have a fair idea of the chemical composition of their own product.

I chose to take a gamble, and believe them.


Cheers

Crispy

 

[dicko]

My apologies Dreamboat and Crispy,
I thought you were talking about the lead that is in brass.
I wasn't aware that there is lead in PVC.
Cheers

 

[Kai]

Non food grade PVC may use lead as a stabiliser. Use it if you can accept the risk that one day you might want to marry your horse.

 

[sosman]

I think for my proper mash lauter tun I will get a nice big 25-30L esky with drain hole. the only thing I'm not sure how to get is the 1/2 inch threaded pipe. My local hardware store has the taps/washers etc but the only threaded pipe they had was brass and brass isn't food safe. think i may have to go to an engineering place to get a SS one made up. if it isn't too expensive

Question

how hard is it to take out the tap of an esky - ive seen the screw piece on the inside but what is the hole size - is it threaded,

lou

brew on B)

I have used a 26 litre esky for a mashtun a few times and it is not really big enough for a full grain (can be done though). If you are buying a new one consider something over 36 litres (I have 48L).

There are pictures here of the bits that I took out of my esky YMMV depending on brand.

brewiki: allgrain #2

The inside of my bunghole (actually my esky's) is not threaded.

I used brass pipe and dissolved the surface lead according to John Palmer at howtobrew.com. Ie 1 part hydrogen peroxide and 2 parts white vinegar (check his site for more details).

 

[johnno]

I was just talking to Dave Stewart from Goliaths and apparently on Sat 24th there is a guy doing a mash at the shop with a grain bag of shade cloth like material in an esky and from all reports it works really well.
A different approach to manifolds.
Might be worth a look for the Adelaide guys. :blink:

dicko or anyone else that may get to see this. I would be interested in trying this method. I brought this up on a thread here previously and not much was said about it.
http://www.aussiehomebrewer.com/forum/inde...hl=calico&st=30
It would be very interesting to try this method I reckon.
Hopefully some body that goes will post some feedback.

cheers

 

[sosman]

well brass is ok doenst need to be fod safe as u boil the wort and that is sanitized

Boiling the wort does not remove lead.

 

[Jazman]

weel read palmers book he is a metualugest and from brass there is bugger all lead to be worried about ine the components i use brass in my tun like lots of other brewers and i got stainless in my kettle cause i can get it but a lot of other brewers also use brass in thre kettles like Jovila Monk i personlay dont see a big problem with it but take a bit of caution from the brass to stainless as being disimailr metals