Help Making A Mash Tun

[Wortgames]

Hasn't HSA been debunked??

Quite possibly. To be honest I don't really care either way, as I don't think there's any advantage in HSA nor any particular disadvantage in avoiding it - but maybe I'm spoilt because I've already moved to a stage where I've got some decent equipment and HSA won't really happen anyway. Certainly plenty of AG brewers have been splashing their runoff into buckets for years, and my first AG brews involved colanders and plenty of splashing, and I thought they were fantastic.

I should make a correction to my earlier post though, there is of course another potential problem with having airspace under the mash, which is that it makes a compacted grain bed more likely to happen. Ideally you want to keep the mash somewhat 'suspended' within the liquid wort, and just gradually draw off wort from the bottom. But you have to work with what you've got, and I think the truth is you can still make excellent beer even if you break all the 'rules'.

Most of the 'rules' lead to slight improvements here and there, and represent 'best practise', but there are very few that are absolutely essential. To quote Tangent:

porridge... drain... boil with hops.

 

[PistolPatch]

I don't get this efficiency thing? Is the '7' key broken on your key board? :huh:
Should it be 75% to 79%?? :unsure:

Mornin' Brau,

What I meant here was that the increase in efficiencies have been anything from 5% to 9%. So, say if you batch-sparged and achieved 68% then, if you did the same brew with BIAB, you should expect anywhere from 73 to 77%. Hope that's a little clearer.

Pat

Glad you enjoyed the mash/sparge guide. I'll tidy it up soon and put it in the Wiki.

 

[Breezy]

Hi
I have already attempted a few partial "mashes" but haven't got anything to sparge in.
So I want to make something so that this year i can advance my brewing techniques.
I am keen to make a mash tun maybee a circular cooler style.
Can anyone advise me about which cooler is good to buy?
Maybe with a false bottom (mesh)?
and about changing over the tap?
An of course there is the price?
I live In Adelaide.
Any of your ideas would be greatly appreciated.
I would love to see pics of your setups.
what is the difference between a mash tun and a lauter tun?
Thanks for any advice
cheers from Toby

Hi Hoolio,
I just ordered a 38 litre Igloo round esky from Barbeques Galore and have been quoted $109.00. Not bad compared to the Rubbermaid I paide twice as much for. You will of course have to modify the tap somehow. I used a piece of half inch brass all-thread and a few more bits and pieces from the local plumbing supplier.
Good luck.

 

[PistolPatch]

An esky can do a hell of a lot more than just be a mash tun.

Eskys are expensive as Breezy has shown.

When I batch-sparged, I used a 65 litre esky which cost $120 from Bunnings 'Lower Prices.' (2 weeks later the same esky was $80 at the local supermarket - good old Bunnings!) An esky (round or square) can do a lot more than just be a mash tun used once per brew.

Before you buy one, really consider what else you can use it for. The first post of a thread I wrote tonight should get you thinking.

Even though I haven't needed an esky as a mash tun for quite some time*, this esky still solves many brewing problems. I have never regretted that money though it is a lot brewing-wise.

Before you buy an esky, think ahead and do measurements. I just got lucky with my esky - it seems to be just big enough for any task I have given it. It fits a fermenter or one keg plus soda gas bottle. Changing it from being just an esky into a mash tun, fermenting fridge or party cooler takes less than 5 minutes.

Always think multi-purpose on big-ticket brewing items.** It's not only fun but it's quite amazing what you'll dream up.

Cheers
Pat

**This sort of thinking made my esky redundant as a mash tun. *Many thanks to James Sqyre posting a great question on AHB which lead to me doing BIAB.

 

[Aaron]

MY mastun is also my lauter tun like it is for many. It is an esky and can be turned back into a regular esky with little trouble.

You can see the post I wrote on how to build a mash tun here:

http://beachbrewery.com/?p=79

 

[HOOLIO]

Hi guys thanks for all of your great responses, and thanks too for the off topic ones.
I really like the guts of Fents tun. and I really like the look of the cooler that Aaron posted a link to. I think that Aron's arrangement Is the type probably best suited to my needs but I may install stainless steel mesh tubing like Fent did.
About that mesh tubing.
Where can you get a good price on it?
is it stainless steel?
How hard is it to clean?
Is it very efficient?


And Aaron about that keep cold cooler.
How big is it?
I assume that it doesnt mind the heat? (Without warping that is?)
How much would one of those set me back?

Thanks Breezy I will have to check out BBQ Galore.
Have you tried an Igloo to see if it ill stand the heat?

Once again guys thanks for the response to my post I havent posted much on this forum yet, but I hope to get stuck right in.
I value the advice from you seasoned brewers.
So cheers.
From Hoolio

And P.S. thanks for your offer GMK
It would be great to check out your setup (brewing setup).

 

[Fents]

Hi guys thanks for all of your great responses, and thanks too for the off topic ones.
I really like the guts of Fents tun. and I really like the look of the cooler that Aaron posted a link to. I think that Aron's arrangement Is the type probably best suited to my needs but I may install stainless steel mesh tubing like Fent did.
About that mesh tubing.
Where can you get a good price on it?
is it stainless steel?
How hard is it to clean?
Is it very efficient?

Hey mate i just took my bucket into mitre 10, grabbed the first bit of mesh hose i could find and wrapped it round the bottom of my bucket to see if it would fit. It did perfectly. Any hardware store will sell it im assuming.

I too will put my mash tun "guts" into another type of tun when i get the funds. Prob buy a 55litre esky one day.

As for efficenciy i get close to 65 % on my setup. Im only knew to all this so i dont know if its me or my equipment, but someone suggested last week i can just add more grain to get a higher efficency.

Good luck with it all and keep us updated. Cheers.