My first Mash Lauter Tun

[jbaker9]

Hi Fellow Brewers,

I have decided to make the plunge into AG brewing. I found plans online for making an MLT from a cooler with either a CPVC or copper manifold. Original plan was to use CPVC, but my local plumbing supplies store doesn't sell it, only PVC.

I think it turned out ok. Eventually I will solder the ends together, and leave the laterals free.... for the meantime I plan to hold it together with wire to put some tension on the frame. It's leaking the tiniest bit. I have a rubber spacer, but tomorrow I will get some food grade silicon to fix it up. The hose on it is high temp silicon hose.. so much easier than getting all the fittings to line up.

If anybody has any suggestions for improvements I'm open to them. I plan to add a sparge arm fairly soon.

Regards,

James

 

[sjp770]

Absolute newbie here but most ive seen have the slots facing downwards?

 

[slcmorro]

I started off using a 45L esky lined with swiss voile as my mash tun, but I find it even easier now just mashing in my keggle with a bag that the missus has sewn up for me which has a drawstring attached. I just heat up to strike temp, dough in, pop a lid on the keggle and job's done. Come back 60 mins later, hoist the bag and tie it to a beam above the keggle so I can squeeze the bejesus out of it while my boil is starting. If I don't get enough liquor into the keggle, I simply dunk sparge the bag in a big pot with pre-heated water from the stove to make up the difference. So simple, so easy.

 

[slcmorro]

I've just realised that my above post isn't helpful to you at all. I'll add something for you - When I was mashing in an esky, I found that putting a rectangle of glad wrap on the surface of the water followed by the lid, helped me keep a great temp.

 

[JB]

When I was mashing in an esky, I found that putting a rectangle of glad wrap on the surface of the water followed by the lid, helped me keep a great temp.

An alternative if available, I use a piece of styrofoam cut to size which keeps perfect temp

 

[dicko]

Absolute newbie here but most ive seen have the slots facing downwards?

Yes, it will still work with the slots facing upwards but you will have to allow for a large mash tun loss figure in your calculations.

Can you turn the slotted sections down BEFORE you solder anything.