HOw to build a mash tun..

I am trying to convert from extract to all grain brewing. I bought a kit with a 5 gallon carboy, 5 gallon bottling bucket, siphon, etc... But now I guess I need more equipment for all grain. Could someone help me out here?

I found a 5 gallon cooler with a spigot at the bottom of it in my basement, i heard I could turn this into a mash tun? Help?

Go to Diy forum and you can find all kind of instructions on what you are looking for.

To go along with tbe DIY forum....

Go to YouTube and look for Cooler Mash Tun. There's a few real good How To's.

I hate to be the one saying this, not wanting to sound snarky as tone of voice does not go well over the net, but check through Google. Lots of good resources there. A 5g cooler will probably be too small for a batch of beer.

See this thread for sizes:

https://www.homebrewtalk.com/f11/how-big-your-mash-tun-needs-123585/

Here is the brew-wiki with some good initial info on converting a cooler:

https://www.homebrewtalk.com/wiki/index.php/Converting_a_cooler_to_a_mash_tun

Tall_Yotie said:

I hate to be the one saying this, not wanting to sound snarky as tone of voice does not go well over the net, but check through Google. Lots of good resources there. A 5g cooler will probably be too small for a batch of beer.

See this thread for sizes:

https://www.homebrewtalk.com/f11/how-big-your-mash-tun-needs-123585/

Here is the brew-wiki with some good initial info on converting a cooler:

https://www.homebrewtalk.com/wiki/index.php/Converting_a_cooler_to_a_mash_tun

Click to expand...

Actually a 5 gallon cooler works well for partial mash or AG. You can usually do up to 11lbs of grain and brew beers up to around 1.060 or so.

+1 to the DIY links for the conversion!

I second the opinion that, no matter how you do it, you'll probably want to go larger than a 5g cooler if you're doing 5 batches and plan to ever do any big beers. I'm going to do a big IIPA soon, and it's going to need close to 20 lbs of grain... I'd never get that in a 5g cooler.

I, like you have a five gallon cooler laying around. For about $13 I turned it into a tun. From what most say it'll be fine for five gal batches of normal gravity beers which is all I plan for the near future. However when I do jump up to a larger cooler it will make a decent HLT or at least I can use the fittings on the larger cooler.

I used this website as a guide for mine. it was cheap to put together and works really great

http://brewing.lustreking.com/gear/mashtun.html

The five gallon cooler can hold about 13 lbs of grain. It sounds like you already have the cooler. Which is just the right price. If you want to do some bigger beers without a bigger MLT you can always add some DME to the boil. Either way, it sounds like you're heading in the right direction. The direction of beer.

ok I am realizing that I need bigger than 5g carboy. I don't want to do extracts anymore so might as well get a mash tun that is big enough. At the local brew store, they are over 200 dollars. But my plan is to order a cooler on amazon or something for cheap and then convert it. I looked at brewing.lustreking.com/gear/mashtun but there was no picture of the finished project. Pretty silly. Im still new to the forums so when you say go to the DIY forum, I dont know what that means...

If someone has a good link with instructions how to build a mash out of cooler, post it. I will check youtube like posted, but now I have to buy a cooler so I am looking for a whole package.

i followed this guide... https://www.homebrewtalk.com/f51/cheap-easy-10-gallon-rubbermaid-mlt-conversion-23008/

parts+cooler came out to be around $65 or so. the washers are the hardest thing to find...i got em at Fastenal.

Atom has the right thread. ALSO if you want to go all Stainless and/or don't want to chase parts around I HIGHLY recommend bargainfittings.com and check out the cooler conversion kits.

If it was me and on a super tight budget I would use the 5 gallon cooler with no hesitation.

FWIW I own a 5 gallon and 10 gallon Home Depot round converted coolers that I use for MLTs and have discovered that when I use the 5 gallon with 11# of grain or less, I can get the least amount of headspace as possible in the MLT. This means I loose nearly no heat. You will see people with all sorts of insulation and stuff on their MLTs but they do not even realize that the biggest heat loss issue is the head space.

GL

Thanks!

My ONE question to you ZAMIAL, is,

-From bargainfittings.com, on the cooler kits page

http://www.bargainfittings.com/index.php?route=product/category&path=47

Do I need to buy all these parts on this page to follow the directions in the thread that ATOM posted?



__________________________________________________________________________
HockeyStud47. Can't get rid of him.

5g cooler worked great for my 3g stovetop all grain batches, but i moved to 10g cooler for 5g batches

While considering your mash tun build; keep in mind that a SS mashtun made out of a converted keggle will only run you about $50 more for 15gallon capacity,the ability to add direct heat, and will last a lifetime. Downside is that they do not hold temp worth a damn unless you insulate or use other advanced techniques like RIMS or HERMS. Good luck on your Mash Tun build and read as much as you can before you start building!

ToddPacker69 said:

I am trying to convert from extract to all grain brewing. I bought a kit with a 5 gallon carboy, 5 gallon bottling bucket, siphon, etc... But now I guess I need more equipment for all grain. Could someone help me out here?

I found a 5 gallon cooler with a spigot at the bottom of it in my basement, i heard I could turn this into a mash tun? Help?

Click to expand...

www.dennybrew.com

Sorry It took so long to post back. I had a family emergency (Mom's basement was flooding.) and I had limited internets...

What I did is bought the "cooler bulkhead kit" from bargain fittings. http://www.bargainfittings.com/index.php?route=product/product&path=47&product_id=85

After that it starts to depend on personal taste/direction you want to go.

1st ask yourself if you want a manifold (You make this yourself and you will want the coupling option)/ to buy a ss mesh braid ( http://www.bargainfittings.com/index.php?route=product/product&path=47&product_id=96 ) or are YOU going to make the SS mesh braid yourself as described in the link Atom posted by Flyguy.


IMO, I would have you get the standard bulkhead kit, w/ the 1.5" nipple, the SS 2 piece ball valve upgrade, and the hose barb for the last option for this part of your order AND order the above mentioned braid just for the ease and completeness.

But you are NOT quite done. I would add 3 to 4 foot of 1/2 silicone tubing.

Yes you can just slip the silicon tubing onto the hose barb with ease. It should not just come loose on it's own.

The reason you want the silicon tubing is when you are collecting the runnings from the MLT to the BK and the BK is being gravity feed the hose will create a siphon and pull almost all the wort out of the MLT this is optimal; of coarse gravity will also work but it will just take a bit longer.

You want the silicone tubing because vinyl is a PITA to get on and off the barb AND silicon is FOREVER (well 200 years) and you can boil the silicon to sterilize it and it is just easier to work with all around.

Once you see how all the parts go together it will be MUCH easier to design the next one. OR you can poor through that massive post by Flyguy. Yes you can use all brass parts in either 1/2 inch or 3/8 including the ball valve as described in Flyguys thread. I personally do not like brass as it contains lead, and I do not like mixing metals (aluminum, brass and copper can be a bad mix) This is all personal preference.