How Big Is You Mash Tun? (research For Uni Assignment)

[Ironsides]

What size mash tun do you guys use? I'd like to know height and diameter to help me design a mash paddle (with built in thermometer ) for a Uni assignment.

Cheers.

 

[IainMcLean]

What size mash tun do you guys use? I'd like to know height and diameter to help me design a mash paddle (with built in thermometer ) for a Uni assignment.

Cheers.

I think most would be modified full size kegs:

http://www.micromatic.com/beer-questions/s...ble-aid-11.html

 

[Ironsides]

Yeah, i expect there will be three main groups: Modified Kegs, 20-40L stock pots, and esky's

 

[QldKev]

Agreed, that half barrel would prob be the most common.

But why have a build in thermometer? I dont think it would be very useful.


edit: Should add I'm running a 100L pot. about 490 tall, 515mm tall.

edit2: My mash paddle is overall length 915mm, with the paddle 230mm x 120mm, which is a decent size for my brewing.

QldKev

 

[punkin]

I use a 120l esky. I did have a cubic shaped one, but have gone to a rectangular icey cool 120l this week. Haven't kitted it out yet, but it will be buff when it's finished.

Dimensions on the iceytek site.

 

[Wolfy]

I'd have suggested that modified 50L beer kegs, esky/coolers (usually 60L size) and the round 'igloo' coolers would have been most popular.
But if you were going to be thorough you really should include 30 and 40L Urns for the BIAB people.

 

[hsb]

Integrate a pH meter in there too?
Jealous of study on brewing as I spend another weekend studying Business related stuff when I should be brewing.

 

[Doubleplugga]

10 gallon Rubbermaid cooler for me, works a treat although it will have its capacity tested in the next few weeks when I attempt my first Russian Imperial Stout.

 

[Ironsides]

I'd like to have the thermometer built in so that you can monitor the temp as you are stiring the grain into the strike water. I brew on the stove in small batches, so theres not a lot of thermal mass to retain the heat over a 60-90 minute mash. This means that i have to add heat. Obvioulsy while the stove is on the mash needs to be stired. If the thermometer is built into the mash paddle, then you have you other hand free (presumably to drink beer with).

 

[kelbygreen]

I have a 70lt esky its very long, narrow and not that deep. Your idea is alright but you would need to consider a few things.

1. it will have to be very accurate or be able to be calibrated. So it would have to be of good quality, although if its just for uni then you could cut corners and do it on the cheap but for a selling point you would have to consider this.
2. Main problem I see is inaccuracy from the wood (amusing its wood) in the mash paddle as it wont absorb the heat much so the prob will have to stick out of it or something. Not sure what you want to use or how you are going about it.
3. Is getting it stuck or hit on things again depending what you use and how you mount it.

 

[Ironsides]

I have a 70lt esky its very long, narrow and not that deep. Your idea is alright but you would need to consider a few things.

1. it will have to be very accurate or be able to be calibrated. So it would have to be of good quality, although if its just for uni then you could cut corners and do it on the cheap but for a selling point you would have to consider this.
2. Main problem I see is inaccuracy from the wood (amusing its wood) in the mash paddle as it wont absorb the heat much so the prob will have to stick out of it or something. Not sure what you want to use or how you are going about it.
3. Is getting it stuck or hit on things again depending what you use and how you mount it.

Cheers,
1. I agree. It will need to be good quality. I havent yet decided whether to use a digital thermometer with a probe mounted inside a thin section of the mash paddle, or a spirit thermometer which slots into the paddle and is partially exposed but protected by the structure of the mash paddle. I like the idea of the spirite thermometer because it uses no electricity and is potentially much more accurate than the digital.

2. I actually want to build it from a combination of plant derived polymers and spent grain as an aggregate. This means it could be injection moulded, or maybe compression dough moulded or similar.

3. Yeah that's going to be a problem.

4. I really wanted to do this assignment about making disposable coffee cups out of used coffee grounds and starch... but someone has already done that apparently

 

[Fish13]

15L stock pot

 

[IainMcLean]

If I were you and really wanted the figures, I'd look over the posts to date and put a poll on the thread if you can...

 

[Ironsides]

If I were you and really wanted the figures, I'd look over the posts to date and put a poll on the thread if you can...

Capital Idea, how do i go about doing that?

 

[IainMcLean]

Capital Idea, how do i go about doing that?

What degree are you doing? Industrial Design?
If I give you a chunk of help can you split the degree with me?
It'd look good alongside my Architecture one and my Psychology Grad Dip ;-)
Have a look on the top of a new topic you start... there's an option right there under the text boxes for the title/subtitle....
When's the graduation ceremony? I'll make sure I'm free ...

 

[Ironsides]

What degree are you doing? Industrial Design?
If I give you a chunk of help can you split the degree with me?
It'd look good alongside my Architecture one and my Psychology Grad Dip ;-)
Have a look on the top of a new topic you start... there's an option right there under the text boxes for the title/subtitle....
When's the graduation ceremony? I'll make sure I'm free ...

Yeah, i'm doing industrial design. I'll swap you some of my degree for a bit of your Arc degree - It would look good along side my my guitar building qualification.

Heres the brief in short: Design a hand held, manual, eco firendly kitchen utensil for food preperation. And this is the problem as i see it: Theres not much in the kitchen that hasnt been thought of, or isnt already being done well. It would be environmentally wreckless (and somewhat pointless) to redesign a potato peeler/garlic crusher when there are several good examples on the market already. Designing a better mash paddle is not much better, except that its an area that hasnt been fully explored, it fits the brief and I can do it relatively quickly.

What I really wanted to do for this assignment was turn used coffee grounds into disposable coffee cups - but some people in canada have already proposed that. Failing that I wanted to make a waterless immersion chiller that is powered by the heat of the boil (dont laugh, have a look at absorbtion fridges) but it isnt really hand held and I doubt I could build one in five weeks.

 

[IainMcLean]

Yeah, i'm doing industrial design. I'll swap you some of my degree for a bit of your Arc degree - It would look good along side my my guitar building qualification.

Heres the brief in short: Design a hand held, manual, eco firendly kitchen utensil for food preperation. And this is the problem as i see it: Theres not much in the kitchen that hasnt been thought of, or isnt already being done well. It would be environmentally wreckless (and somewhat pointless) to redesign a potato peeler/garlic crusher when there are several good examples on the market already. Designing a better mash paddle is not much better, except that its an area that hasnt been fully explored, it fits the brief and I can do it relatively quickly.

What I really wanted to do for this assignment was turn used coffee grounds into disposable coffee cups - but some people in canada have already proposed that. Failing that I wanted to make a waterless immersion chiller that is powered by the heat of the boil (dont laugh, have a look at absorbtion fridges) but it isnt really hand held and I doubt I could build one in five weeks.

Easy solution:

Think extruded wood. Blend ester resins and the waste grain from brewing mash tuns, press into mold, viola! eco-spatula/spoon/mash paddles...

I'll have 51% of the business rights thanks ;-)

 

[RdeVjun]

But if you were going to be thorough you really should include 30 and 40L Urns for the BIAB people.

And a shedload of big double ewe 19L stockpots.

 

[Ironsides]

Easy solution:

Think extruded wood. Blend ester resins and the waste grain from brewing mash tuns, press into mold, viola! eco-spatula/spoon/mash paddles...

I'll have 51% of the business rights thanks ;-)

Yeah thats what I was thinking as well (see post #11)... So i guess i'll keep the 51% of buisness rights

. Might be possible to injection mould it, but i suspect the spent grain will be too large for the die head. Compression dough moulding might be the go. I'll have to check out the prices and life cycle analysis when compared with using recycled/sustainable timber.

And a shedload of big double ewe 19L stockpots.

Yeah for sure. Currently I'm thinking that there will have to be a large and small model to accomodate the different size mash tuns. One at 45cm and one at 90cm.

 

[IainMcLean]

Research FRP - Fibre Reinforced Plastics. Polyester and Vinylester resins. The embodied energy in a typical FRP product compared to more traditional methonds of manufacturing is fractional. It's also inert - so won't pollute water courses like, say waste PVC would.