How Big Is Your Mash Tun?

[KoNG]

Cool, thanks h34r:

:chug:

 

[Stuster]

FB, I've got a rectangular 36L esky. Only about $40 IIRC. If you batch sparge, there's no advantage to the round coolers that I can see. Can mash 10kg in it which will get you nearly double batches. If you want to use to use that much grain, batch sparging is a bit tricky, but you can do two smaller sparges which should be fine with tannins. (unless you are doing a very light coloured beer.)

Of course, as Batz says, your equipment is never big enough. I'd go for something bigger than you think you want. :lol:

 

[James Squire]

Hmm, with a small tun, what about mashing the same grain twice in a row and no-to-little sparge?

Insane? :blink:

PZ.

Well? h34r:

Hi Finger,

The technique you describe is known as 'Parti-gyle Brewing.' It is a very 'old school' method of brewing that isn't used much any more but is well suited to the full volume, all in one, brewing that you intend on doing. It involves making a BIG beer to begin with using the first runnings (no sparge) to boil up for your strong beer and then mash the grain again to use the second runnings as your mid-strength beer.

A quick rummage through my bookmarks turned up this Randy Mosher article but Im sure google will turn up heaps of info.

I hope to have a crack at this soon also. :super:

Cheers, :beer:

JS

Edit- grammer

 

[James Squire]

Oh yeah....

... and my mash tun is a 20L bucket submerged in my 40L urn.

Cheers,

JS

 

[DJR]

but you can do two smaller sparges which should be fine with tannins. (unless you are doing a very light coloured beer.)

This has been my method for every batch, as my tun is only 20L so it won't fit a whole amount of sparge water in it. By the time it gets to the 2nd sparge water, which is then the 3rd water that the mash tun has seen, it's not extracting very much sugar, but since i'm batch sparging it seems to stop tannin extraction and all that crap happening and i can't say i've had much if any tannin in my beer.

Really should get a 40L+ esky one of these days but the 20L tun is enough and only loses a bit of heat (a bunnings handy pail with foil and camping mat insulation)

 

[Pumpy]

I have a 38 litre keep cold and I seem to remember thinking I will never do a double batch again , cant remember why .seem to remember the weight compacts the grain .

I was going to give it a try a Double Batch of the recipie Doc posted on 'Aidens Irish red' Sunday with the March pump and see if it makes any difference .

Anyone experience with mashing a double batch in a 38 litre Keep Cold Cooler ?

Pumpy

 

[warrenlw63]

Anyone experience with mashing a double batch in a 38 litre Keep Cold Cooler ?

Pumpy

Pumpy.

I used to use a 38 Litre round Igloo (basically same as Keep Cold). I mashed up to 10kg of grain without a problem. B)

Warren -

 

[Voosher]

Oh yeah....

... and my mash tun is a 20L bucket submerged in my 40L urn.

Cheers,

JS

I like it.
My current mash tun is a stainless steel stockpot which maintains temperature by fitting nicely in a pre-heated oven.
You've just 'discovered' double that capacity for me with temperature control.

All hail the brewing innovators.
(Insert 'Bowing figure, "I'm not worthy" smilie here)
:super:

 

[Pumpy]

Anyone experience with mashing a double batch in a 38 litre Keep Cold Cooler ?

Pumpy

Pumpy.

I used to use a 38 Litre round Igloo (basically same as Keep Cold). I mashed up to 10kg of grain without a problem. B)

Warren -

Thanks Warren,

thats all i needed to give me the confidence looks like a double batch of Aidens Irish Red it is on Sunday

was going to split it with a Nottingham yeast and a Safale S04


Pumpy

 

[mongo]

I am a no-sparger, and I mash in a 140 litre tun...
it's aluminium, and I don't bother with insulation, cause there's so much mass of water there. I spose I generally only use about 110 litres of the space for a 2.5 litre batch.
a 140 litre mash tun... am I the "winner" ?

 

[Screwtop]

Excuse my ignorance, but what exactly constitutes a "split sparge"?

PZ.

Splitting your sparge water into two amounts, equal or non equal. Some use a small portion of their sparge water like a mash out, then follow with the remainder, or just use two equal amounts. Software such as Beersmith allows for this in the mash schedule, the sparge can be set to batches that fill a percentage of the mash tun. If this set to 50% and equal batches then the sparge water is split into two sparges of equal volume. Basically designing the mash schedule around your equipment volumes.

 

[Fingerlickin_B]

Thanks Screwtop, that makes plenty of sense

PZ.

 

[Fingerlickin_B]

Hi Finger,

The technique you describe is known as 'Parti-gyle Brewing.' It is a very 'old school' method of brewing that isn't used much any more but is well suited to the full volume, all in one, brewing that you intend on doing. It involves making a BIG beer to begin with using the first runnings (no sparge) to boil up for your strong beer and then mash the grain again to use the second runnings as your mid-strength beer.

A quick rummage through my bookmarks turned up this Randy Mosher article but Im sure google will turn up heaps of info.

I hope to have a crack at this soon also. :super:

Cheers, :beer:

JS

Yeah, I thought I'd read about it before and a quick check reveals that I have...in How To Brew where Palmer refers to the process as English Sparging

I guess tannins may not be such a worry, so I'll probably try it :super:

PZ.

 

[Fingerlickin_B]

Oh, and taking a thread I started way off topic.

More grain = no need to sparge at all, as sparging is simply a way to get the most you can out of the grain tight-arse-style and for no other reason right?

Given how cheap grain is and the fact that I'm already used to other inefficient things in life (like my car), I can live with that :lol:

PZ.

 

[Pumpy]

Anyone experience with mashing a double batch in a 38 litre Keep Cold Cooler ?

Pumpy

Pumpy.

I used to use a 38 Litre round Igloo (basically same as Keep Cold). I mashed up to 10kg of grain without a problem. B)

Warren -

Thanks Warren,

thats all i needed to give me the confidence looks like a double batch of Aidens Irish Red it is on Sunday

was going to split it with a Nottingham yeast and a Safale S04


Pumpy

Hey Great mash day cool , It is amazing how the efficiency comes so close to the Beersmith , I always seem to get better efficiency with a double batch , the Ph was about 5.1

too many distractions today but ended up with my 40 litre batch of Aidens Irish red so happy

will pack them in two 20 litre batches in Poly containers 'No Chill method' for fermentation at my leisure , will get one batch fermenting Monday.

Gee the Hops smelt good Ross I love opening the silver foil packs and having a good sniff .

Pumpy

 

[Vlad the Pale Aler]

...so whats the grain bill for a 2.5 litre batch?

 

[seanmac1904]

this site

http://www.haandbryg.dk/mashcalc.html

has lots of mash info including mash tun sizing

cheers

Sean

 

[sluggerdog]

FB, I've got a rectangular 36L esky. Only about $40 IIRC.

So where do I find one of these cheap rectangular eskys? Yesterday I went to 6 different places and the cheapest I could find was at super cheap for $60 with no hole for a tap.

Need to upgrade my mash tun ASAP for double batches. It's coming into the drinking season again.