tmerritt411

Recipes 

I think I found the easiest way to convert a Coleman cooler into a mash tun.

Steps:
1. Take the Spigot Assembly out of the cooler.
2. With a small die grinder, remove the "spigot/valve" part (where you would push the button to drain the cooler)
3. With a 1/8 NPT tap, cut threads into the outside (smaller) portion of modified spigot.
4. With a 3/8 NPT tap, cut threads into the inside (bigger) portion.
5. Thread your favorite pipe thread fittings/valves to the outside of your newly threaded bulkhead fitting. Choose wisely though, I'm not sure how many opportunities you get screwing and unscrewing metal fittings into the plastic.
6. Replace the newly modified fitting into the cooler. Fill with water to check for leaks. I didn't even need to put Teflon tape on the threads, the torque on the brass fittings into the plastic was good enough.
7. Attach your manifold, stainless braided hose or whatever your using as a filter to the inside of the fitting.

Cost: Nothing, although I already had the taps, cooler and fittings laying around the shop.

hal2814

Recipes 

Easiest? Not by a long shot. Here's the easiest:

1. Put 5 gallon paint strainer bag in cooler.

That's strictly a mash tun. If you want to lauter with it, there is an additional step:

2. Place colander on top of cooler and place still-draining grain bag in colander.

Cost: The 5-gallon paint strainer bags are less than $5 for a 2-pack. I'm guessing everyone has a colander but if not, the cheap ones are less than $10 or you could just hold the bag the entire time or rig something else entirely.

Yours is a nicer setup and you'll probably get slightly better efficiency out of it but comparing easy I think I have the win.

sea2summit3

Recipes 

If we're talking basic, easiest, and cheapest parts, what about Palmer's basic Mash/Lauter Tun? http://www.howtobrew.com/appendices/appendixD.html No tap and die set required. Haven't tried this setup myself but it looks about as simple as it gets!

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