Esky Mashtun Conversion

[user 1153]

This line has me a bit concerned, Troy. Does that mean that the beer is getting aerated as it's going into the fermenter, still hot? :unsure:

Yes it does aerate and yes I do get chill haze. I figured I always was getting chill haze with KK's anyway and I've never been bothered by the appearance and it tastes the same (to me).

I have a kettle side filter planned to avoid this but for now it is working ok.

 

[Stuster]

I was referring to hot side aeration (HSA) as Steve guessed. It's not mythical, but it seems from a long thread on one of the US boards, that for homebrewers it's not that relevant for most beers. I've not heard of it leading to chill haze (anybody else?) but it's often given as leading to staling, carboard/sherry tastes. The homebrewer who did the experiment in the US found it staled after a few months, so it's no problem for you of course, Steve.

I wouldn't worry too much about it, but for beers you are planning to store for more than a couple of months, it'd be worth avoiding it. More info here.

 

[deanelliott]

Does anyone have any pics on the net of their magical EskyTun's setup and working?

(I'm with Adamt and doing 12L batches so that l can get into brewing at a reduced cost & so l can experiment more. I was planning on setting up an Esky in the next couple of months anyway so this topic is gold for me.)

Stealth

 

[user 1153]

Does anyone have any pics on the net of their magical EskyTun's setup and working?

(I'm with Adamt and doing 12L batches so that l can get into brewing at a reduced cost & so l can experiment more. I was planning on setting up an Esky in the next couple of months anyway so this topic is gold for me.)

Stealth

I'll resize mine and put them up tonight. They are up in an internet accessible place at the moment but weigh in at over 2Mb per photo.

 

[domonsura]

THanks for all your replies guys, much appreciated ... I do have transport problems atm alas, so that curtails too may long distance form leederville expeditions with two 50 liters stainless vessel things ...

ill have to attack the actual boilers and HLT a bit later I think, I cant even et this stupid esky converted!! I told you I was useless at this stuff!!

I took the bulkhead apart to put it in .. promptly have forgotten which bit goes into where, which bit is suposed to be on the outside .. oh, and it also looks like the bulkhead that I got wont even fit thruogh the esky, unless I am doing something really wrong, which is most likely!!!

.. can anyone point out the (probably obvious) place where I am going wrong? Am I going nuts? Is the actual thread that goes through the esky piece too short?? The sky isnt even really all that thick ...
Meh. Tell me to overhaul an entire windows network and I can do it in a flash ... but put actual tools in my hand, disaster.

uhhhhh....that looks like one of mine :huh:

The bit with the short thread goes on the inside, with the brass kingco nut on that on the inside of the esky (with the blue seal between the esky wall and the washer/plate. Do the locknut up on the outside, attach the ball valve to the stub that's left on the other side of the locknut (you might want to use some teflon tape here...), close the valve, test for good seal....and use! You don't have to use all the seals that were provided with it - just one or the other, the blue ones are high heat resistant (for use as a weldless fitting in a kettle for example) and the white softer ones are so you can obtain a seal without having to tighten too much if there is not much structural strength where your hole is drilled (ie, an esky that doesn't have a solid bulkhead point). I'll have to make a point of sending out a little diagram with future bulkheads I think.....incidentally, 55ltr Willow brandy eskys can have the entire plug removed and put aside, and the bulkhead fitted with no damage at all (can be put back later), which is perfect if you have to try to justify the purchase to your significant other with the lure of 'proposed dual use'.......(remember that one guys...and note that I said proposed dual use....:lol
Did that make sense?

 

[Enerjex]

Here's a couple of quick pics of my tun on my phone. Very basic 60litre ice box. No flashy tap yet just some hose fittings, these work well as the drain hole is bigger than normal eskies and has the right thread in it. The manifold cost me all of $15 to make it needs a couple of design improvements which include shortening the piece of copper from the drain hole so it doesnt sit so close to one of the walls, and I will also add another tube down the middle. But as is still works well. Oh yeah on the underside of the manifold it's been slotted half way through with a hacksaw. These cuts are at 1/2" intervals

 

[facter]

uhhhhh....that looks like one of mine :huh:

The bit with the short thread goes on the inside, with the brass kingco nut on that on the inside of the esky (with the blue seal between the esky wall and the washer/plate. Do the locknut up on the outside, attach the ball valve to the stub that's left on the other side of the locknut (you might want to use some teflon tape here...), close the valve, test for good seal....and use! You don't have to use all the seals that were provided with it - just one or the other, the blue ones are high heat resistant (for use as a weldless fitting in a kettle for example) and the white softer ones are so you can obtain a seal without having to tighten too much if there is not much structural strength where your hole is drilled (ie, an esky that doesn't have a solid bulkhead point). I'll have to make a point of sending out a little diagram with future bulkheads I think.....incidentally, 55ltr Willow brandy eskys can have the entire plug removed and put aside, and the bulkhead fitted with no damage at all (can be put back later), which is perfect if you have to try to justify the purchase to your significant other with the lure of 'proposed dual use'.......(remember that one guys...and note that I said proposed dual use....:lol
Did that make sense?

Aha! Are you the guy I got this stuff off? hahaha

Yes, it does make sense .. I'll be attacking it tonight. Doh, now I'm lamenting not getting the 55 liter one, I just thought it would be a bit big for the mashes im doing and that heat retention wouldnt be great .. mine is a willow though, but its the 44 liter.

Hmm, so I could use this same fitting with say, a boil tun and a HLT as well? Using the blue bits? Guess I'm going to be needing two more then!

I'll cut away the extra outside biut and the insulation tonight - really want to do a partial with it tomorrow!

Does anyone use any extra insulation than what the eksy provides? Will it lose heat if its such a large surface area and its a smaller mash?

Also, if I buy a roundy roundy cutty thing .. how do I make the actual hole round??

As to the question of only making smaller batches .. I dont bottle, ang keg! And a half filled keg is ... well, a half filled keg. lol

 

[facter]

Actually when you say "you might want to use some teflon tape here .."

I believe i have it all fitted, but there is a very small leak through the bulkhead/tap fitting itself .. is this what you mean? wrap some tape around the actual thread to seal it correctly instead of bare metal? plumbers tape or something?

I have some insulation tape .. if i wrap the thread in that this will it be adversely heat affected? ... that is all i have and i have to mash in the morning hahaha


am i on the right track? if not, please note the time ... its late, and ive been at the belgium beer cafe all night hehehe

 

[Guest Lurker]

Yes plumbers tape, that white stringy stuff, on the thread itself. Don't use insulation tape. To mash today, just pull everything up tight, and if it still weeps it will probably seal itself with malt during the mash.

 

[domonsura]

lol, searching for the belgian solution?
Yep I'd be the guy you got it off, and you can use them for either a bulkhead in the kettle or mashtun .
Yep, plumbers tape around the bare thread where you are attaching the ball valve, not too much just a 2 or 3 times around the thread. That should take care of the leak, I wouldn't use insulation tape, however plumbers (teflon) tape is only about 60 cents a roll if you have a bunnings around you anywhere or other hardware store. Wouldn't even be suprised if coles had it in the hardware section.
If you are concerned about heat loss because of doing a smaller mash, just lay a piece of neoprene (foam camping mat) sheet on top of the mash during the rest, that will make a huge difference, and don't sit the esky directly on the concrete or out in the wind. Raise it off the ground a little, and if you can, put it in the sun....(well, somewhere warmish).
As for ordering them, you'd need to just email me at the moment, with every other bulkhead I've made, I've sent the blasted thing before I've taken a photo of it so I haven't been able to add it to the website...(dumb eh?) but I will remedy that this coming week when I make some more.
Enjoy the brew today!
Wayne

 

[facter]

aaahhhh. Great, thanks guys!

Damn, dont have any plumbers tape handy so Ill just do this one without, even if it leaks a little bit ,... shouldnt really lose much anyways, its only a tiny tiny leak ...

No hardware in my general area, and i woke up late so i have to get stuck into it.

Mmmm, I will remember that neoprene idea is a good one... ill just add hot water today if it drops too much and look into that for the next one.