Once my tax return arrives (thanks kids!) I will have the funding to acquire a mash tun for the 10 gallon system that I have been tinkering with for the last six months. Ideally I will be able to easily clean the mash tun, have good insulative properties, and be able to set up a recirculating mash with my pump and a hot liquor tank. Right now I have a 14 gallon kettle and need to upgrade the mash tun and hot liquor tank to bring me up to speed for 10 gallon all grain. Money is an option but not a limiting factor. I want to get some feedback on your experiences with the following types of mash tuns.
- modified coolers
- modified kegs
- modified kettles
- specific mash/lauter tuns like the minimash products.
Most interesting to me is investing for the long term. I have already resolved myself to limiting my home production to 10 gallon batches. However, I will be doing this for a very long time so I'll spend more or less if it means the equipment will last forever.
Thanks in advance!
Mike
mash tun options
Moderator: slothrob
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- Strong Ale
- Posts: 285
- Joined: Thu Oct 25, 2001 10:12 pm
Love My Keg
I use a converted 15.5 gallon SS keg with a false bottom for my mash tun and it works great. I usually mash enough grains (20-24 pounds) to collect 16 gallons of standard gravity (ca. 1045-1060) runnings, and boil that down as 2 separate beers with an ending volume of 6.5 gallons each. I have not come close to filling the tun to capacity with grain, and I'm sure I can get 30+ pounds plus hot liquor in there if I wanted to (although the bed depth might not be ideal).
My tun is insulated with several layers of foam and sealed with that greatest of all inventions, duct tape. I use a metal pizza pan cut to size with aviator snips as a lid. I do almost exclusively single infusions with no external heating of the tun. Unless it is a really cold day, I only lose about 2-3 degrees of heat during a 90 minute mash with the amount of grain I use.
I have gotten > 80-85% efficiency out of this setup since the first day I brewed with it and have no plans for switching any time soon.
Cheers,
Jim
My tun is insulated with several layers of foam and sealed with that greatest of all inventions, duct tape. I use a metal pizza pan cut to size with aviator snips as a lid. I do almost exclusively single infusions with no external heating of the tun. Unless it is a really cold day, I only lose about 2-3 degrees of heat during a 90 minute mash with the amount of grain I use.
I have gotten > 80-85% efficiency out of this setup since the first day I brewed with it and have no plans for switching any time soon.
Cheers,
Jim