BrewSapiens

Recipes 

I am torn between using my cooler mash tun on the (HERMS)brew stand I'm building or to add a keg/falsebottom mash tun with a burner under for direct heating. The cooler has held temps very well in the past but direct fire would allow faster heat up and step mashing. HELP ME!!

the_bird

Recipes 

If you put the burner on there and use a keg for a direct-fire mash tun.... nothing says that when you're doing a simple, single-infusion mash you can't take the keg off and put the cooler in its place. I'd build for the ability to do step-mashes, even if you don't always DO step mashes.

__________________
Come join Yankee Ingenuity!

"I'm kind of toasted. But I looked at my watch and it's only 6:30 so I can't stop drinking yet." - Yooper's Bob

maltMonkey

Recipes 

If you plan on doing step mashing I would definitely go with the direct heat. You just can't efficiently step mash with a HERMS, water infusions dilute the mash, and drawing off wort, boiling it, then infusing it back into the mash is a pain.

If you don't plan on doing much step/decoction mashing and your system is working great then I'd leave it the way it is.

just my 2cents....

Boerderij_Kabouter

Recipes 

I love my direct fired Kematun (keggle mash tun).

__________________
2P-Twent-E Simple Brew DITCHES 1 DITCHES 2 Fermentolagertaporator side-by-side ferm Twelve Hopostles Labels

GilaMinumBeer

Recipes 

Theres nothing to say you have to step mash in a direct fired MLT either. I routinely do single infusions. Running a pump to recirc I've lost, at max in a frozen garage, 2 degrees in a n hour in a non-insulated keg kettle. Even that was lost through the hoses. At the end of the mash, you can kick on your heat to raise to mash out ( I wouldn't call this step mashing per se) if you want to.

Whats more, I put all of my mash water in at once and heat it to strike. No more need to worry about vol/temp issues to reach desired rest temp.

I love my DFMLT and wound't go back to a cooler tun even I got paid to do it. Seriously. I also realized a 5 pt increase in efficiency in going to the keggle MLT. Of course, I also began recirculating and that may have more to do with that.

BrewSapiens

Recipes 

Do you guys use a false bottom sanke conversion or a stainless braid/bazooka screen? For sparging do you have one of the fancy "spinna'" type spargers or a simple ring/manafold? Thanks.

Bernie Brewer

Recipes 

Step-mashing in a cooler MLT? Easy-peasy: Steam

I popped the cherry on mine last weekend. Works great!

__________________
I like to squeeze the nickle until the buffalo craps-mt rob

"Why don't we get drunk and screw?" Jimmy Buffett

Dr_Deathweed

Recipes 

+1 for direct fire keggle for a mash tun, I LOVE mine. I do lose a little heat with mine, but I will be insulating it soon.

I frequently do single infusion mashes in mine, but having the option to step mash is great. Also, being able to directly heat your mash water in your MLT is very nice.

As for false bottom/bazooka braid - I have a false bottom I use, but I just used the 10gal cooler false bottom, it was cheaper and fit just fine.

__________________
"Never ascribe to malice that which can be adequately explained by incompetence." - Napoleon Bonaparte
“An intelligent man is sometimes forced to be drunk to spend time with his fools.” - Ernest Hemingway

Fermentation Cabinet●Adding Faucets to a Tower●DIY Hopback●Portable Kegerator

Cookiebaggs

Recipes 

+1 on the steam!

It really is an great way to step mash. I just brewed back to back hefe's with 4 rests.

I absolutely love my steam system.