Mash Tun From Buckets

[tangent]

View attachment 4616
Still seems to only lose a few degrees over an hour so i just top up at about 45mins

 

[BoilerBoy]

G'day Tangent,

I also use a bucket in bucket method at present and I wrap it with a polyester insulation batt and it loses about 1degree over 1hour.

I picked up 2 15 L buckets from McDonalds for $5 to do partials but added a 20L bucket to mash upto 6kg's for AG.

I also had to fit a couple of fermenter lid O rings around the joins to prevent leaking (messy buisness that still the wife says the arm will grow back) :unsure:

I guess I now have a bucket in bucket in bucket

Love to get a keep cold esky but I"m afraid pot, burner and chiller will come first,

cheers

 

[tangent]

yeah, i just did a 4.5kg mash in it
works pretty well.
bloody slow sparge tho, how long do you let yours drain for after the last sparge water?

 

[BoilerBoy]

yeah can take aprox 30-40 min, it really varies alot.

 

[WillM]

I used the bucket to mash in for a while with and aldi insultaed cooler bag cut up and wrapped around it. Worked pretty well. I have a 2nd bucket with holes drilled in it for sparging.

Now use an esky for the mash, then pour it into the bucket in bucket set up for sparging. My esky does not have a tap on it.

 

[tangent]

thats exactly what i'm thinking atm, although the 4 layers of bubblewrap from a recent ebay purchase seem to be doing a really good job! now that's tightarsed!

 

[Borret]

Buckets work fine.

The other option over bubble wrap...and cheaper, is like the borretmaid. Fruit boxes. They are taped together and covered in packing tape for a durable surface and it holds the heat 'really' well. The custom stainless false bottom was a mission but works well.
The sparge is far from slow by my thinking. As usual nothing to do with the container but the holes in it , your grain bill and your crush.

Borretmaid



Cheers

Borret

 

[BoilerBoy]

Borret,

Love the fruit box idea! Looks very neat

 

[tangent]

well it looks like my virgin AG was a 62% success!
Not bad for 2 buckets, some bubble wrap and no tap
I kinda made it up as I went along tho.
My SG is 1.056 but it's 18L.
Do you reckon I should top up to 20L?

Addition:
I just had a taste from the Hydro tube and it's awsome!
Must be way over 35ibu :unsure: