I am thinking of building a 2 tier brew stand with an aluminum stock pot as my mash tun. Right now I use a blue square igloo cooler that works fine. My concern is having the cooler next to the HLT and possibly melting. Yes I know I could pull the cooler down when I heat the strike/sprage water but this old man does not like his back hurting when lifting a cooler full of grain. Aluminum stock pots are cheap, I think they would hold the heat well and can be direct fire. So any of you who have an aluminum pot as you MLT how does it work for you?
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Had one. Lost heat like crazy, it was a real pain trying to keep the temperature up. The Icecube works much, much better.
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Heating a metal MT can be tricky unless you plan on circulating the wort w/ a pump. If you are dead set on using alum, i remember a guy using two alum kettles, a 60 and 80/100 quart one inside the other and filling the void w/ foam...sort of an aluminum cooler.
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Heating a metal MT can be tricky unless you plan on circulating the wort w/ a pump. If you are dead set on using alum, i remember a guy using two alum kettles, a 60 and 80/100 quart one inside the other and filling the void w/ foam...sort of an aluminum cooler.
I think its Cape brewing who did that .
If you can insulate the pot then it shouldn't be a problem.
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I am in the process of building a 2 tier and plan on putting a heat shield directly around the close burner as well as putting a piece of metal where the opening next to my cooler is, a little overkill maybe but rather safe. That may be a lot easier and cheaper the trying to insulate and/or recirculate
Aluminum Stock Pot as Mash Tun
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