How To Reduce Esky Size

[Tony_N]

Hello

My first post. I am trying to assemble an AG set-up and want to cut costs where I can. I have a 55 litre esky which I was hoping to use as a mash tun. Only doing 19 litre batches and I think I need to reduce the interior space of the esky to about 35 litres to get optimum height of the mash using a similar process to Ed:

I live in the country and am finding it difficult to find something that I can use as a wall to partition off some of the space. If I can find a plastic breadboard (needs to be at least 30x33 cms) I figure I can find a way to shape it and glue it in there(Though they may be made of polyurethane, and I'm not sure what glue might stick that to the esky wall)

Hoping someone out there may have a brilliant solution for me - I feel sure it would have been done before, though I have done some searching without luck.

Many thanks

Tony

 

[mje1980]

I do single batches in my 47 litre esky with no problems at all. I use a copper maniflod if that helps. Though when i used an SS braid it worked fine too.

 

[mje1980]

Why are you limited to 19 litre batches? You could easily do 20,25,30 litres. Up to you. With mine, i usually do doubles, and do single batches for high alcohol, or new beers.

 

[kelbygreen]

get some thick paging foam and cut it tight to fit in the esky and then just push it down ontop of the mash. Thats what I have done. I got a 70lt one and with my doubles there is a heap of space ontop of the mash but first time I used it was lucky if I lost .5 deg. Where my old 32lt job used to lose at least 1 deg per hour. Although the new one is about 4 times thicker and has air tight seals.

 

[MaltyHops]

Could shove a pot filled with water at the mash temperature into
the tun if you have one tall enough with a good lid - give the
outside of the pot a good clean, pull it out and sit on a plate when
you need to stir the grain. Probably not convenient unless you can
get a rectangular shaped pot or cooking container to fit the inside of
the esky.

Or if you have some of those HDPE ice bricks that are filled with
water and frozen - could just fill with water a bit above the mash
temperature and shove into the tun. These bricks are often flattish
and rectangular so you could even interleave them in the grain so
you could even lauter/recirculate in between them.

Actually, maybe even use PET bottles filled with ~70C (not boiling!)
water?

T.

 

[going down a hill]

A 20l cube filled with mash temp water would be a go as well.

 

[Tony_N]

A 20l cube filled with mash temp water would be a go as well.

Thanks guys for all your replies:


Mine is 55litres. It would mean that I would have less than 125 mms of material in the mash - I'm told that 300 is optimum for good screening. However, I'll look into that further.

19 litres because I have only 2 kegs and intend to have two different beers on tap at the same time.

kelby green:

I have some foam and thought of that - but read somewhere that polystyrene emits nasty gases if it is heated -- I'm a bit apprehensive on that one.

malty hops

Yeh thought of packing it with stuff like you suggest - I'm thinking that mash will get around it and it will interfere with the proper functioning of the manifold.

going down a hill

I'm such a newb - that I don't even know what a cube is. I have seen it mentioned - but not been able to visualise it.




I went to a big W this afternoon and found a breadboard made of polyurethane which is big enough, but it cost $19 and by the time I pay for glue I'll have a 2nd rate jobby for $30 and I can get a new esky for $50. I think I'll bite the bullet and spend a little more for the tidy product ( BTW I need to make a lide for my esky as well - so it was always going to be a pain.



Thanks a lot for your input - I wasn't really expecting any replies - helpful site

Tony

 

[chadjaja]

I use the lid of of polystyrene veggie box cut to size in my 55l willow no problems. They make coffee cups out of it so that should tell you something

 

[mxd]

you could go for BIAB, as in don't use your esky, if you have a boiling pot then it's all ready to go.

 

[leahy268]

I'm only a newb here too with a 55L esky.
So far I haven't had any problems.
Acting on someone elses advice I didn't add anything to mine at all.
Seems to create pretty decent beer so far.
Heat loss only of about 1-2 deg over 60mins with a big blanket wrapped around it.
Just so long as I preheat it with some hot water. (Forgot to do that the first time).


Anyway I'd say try it first.. Just my 2c.

 

[going down a hill]

I'm such a newb - that I don't even know what a cube is. I have seen it mentioned - but not been able to visualise it.

Do a search for no chill, it's the water containers you put your hot wort into.

 

[bradsbrew]

I'm such a newb - that I don't even know what a cube is. I have seen it mentioned - but not been able to visualise it.



Tony

Cheers

 

[ekul]

+1 Make doubles and nochill!