axp

Recipes 

Hi all. I am about to start work on my mash tun. I want to be able to direct fire the mash tun so as I can easily perform step mashes.

I also want good insulation to prevent heat loss. My idea is to insulate the sides and the top of the mash tun but to leave the bottom uninsulated so as it can take a direct flame.

My problem has been finding a suitable insulating material. I have seen on this board people recommending armaflex, is this fireproof?

Would using this material

http://www.pipelagging.com/duct-insulation-sheet-aluminium-foil-backed-09mm-p-1099.html

be safe for my purpose?

Cheers, Andrew

__________________
You want a toe? I can get you a toe, believe me. There are ways, Dude. You don't wanna know about it, believe me.Hell, I can get you a toe by 3 o'clock this afternoon... with nail polish - Walter Sobchak

david_42

Recipes 

Sounds good.

__________________
Remember one unassailable statistic, as explained by the late, great George Carlin: "Just think of how stupid the average person is, and then realize half of them are even stupider!"

"I would like to die on Mars, just not on impact." Elon Musk

axp

Recipes 

Fantastic! Looks like it is waterproof as well which will make cleaning the mash tun much easier.

I'm looking for a material that I can attach permanently that also looks pretty cool. Think this may tick all the boxes.

__________________
You want a toe? I can get you a toe, believe me. There are ways, Dude. You don't wanna know about it, believe me.Hell, I can get you a toe by 3 o'clock this afternoon... with nail polish - Walter Sobchak

diatonic

Recipes 

Doesn't it say max surface temp is 60C? Isn't that well below what you will heat to?

__________________
.:diatonic:.

1° - Ed Wort's Apfelwien (10/5/2012) — Ed Wort's Apfelwien (10/22/2012)
2° - Nuthin
Aging in a wine barrel - En Perpetuum—Solera (1/23/2011)
Kegs - Club Barleywine (4/23/2011)

My brew rig is pretty much done :)
You should follow me on Twitter - My Brew Logs

axp

Recipes 

It does say max surface temp 60C but it also says it self-extinguishes so I thought it would be alright. Now I'm not so sure...

I thought armaflex was the material people used when insulating a direct fire mash tun?

Are there better materials to use for this purpose?

__________________
You want a toe? I can get you a toe, believe me. There are ways, Dude. You don't wanna know about it, believe me.Hell, I can get you a toe by 3 o'clock this afternoon... with nail polish - Walter Sobchak

WPStrassburg

Recipes 

Any flame roll-out from the burner will melt the armaflex and probally make some nasty fumes. Unless you can protect the lower edges I wouldn't put armaflex near an open flame. Zero flame spread doesn't mean fire proof. Unless you've got a ceramic insulation or something along those lines any flame contact is going to cause insulation degredation and some sort of melt/smoke.

Bobby_M

Vendor Ads 

Recipes 

See my thread on direct fire : http://www.homebrewtalk.com/f51/direct-fire-mlt-insulation-project-154652/

__________________
BrewHardware.com
Sightglass, Refractometer, Ball Valve, Weldless bulkhead, Thermometer, Decals, Stainless Steel Fittings, Compression Fittings, Camlock Quick Disconnects, Scale, RIMS tube, Plate Chiller, Chugger Pump, Super Clear Silicone Tubing, and more!

axp

Recipes 

Your mash tun looks cool. I don't have the tools to be cutting aluminium sheet unfortunately I was hoping to find some kind of material that required minimal tools to attach and that was flame resistant and waterproof. Looks like I'll have to rethink the armaflex...

__________________
You want a toe? I can get you a toe, believe me. There are ways, Dude. You don't wanna know about it, believe me.Hell, I can get you a toe by 3 o'clock this afternoon... with nail polish - Walter Sobchak

Cliff897

Recipes 

from the link:
Maybe you should make a phone call

axp

Recipes 

There are other products on their website that state the max temp is 105C. I think they do several versions of the product that can withstand different ranges of temperature.

I sent an email to them last night but haven't received a reply yet. I ask them something along the lines of "what would happen if I placed armaflex approximately three inches away from a naked flame? Will it burn?" I hope I didn't sound like too much of a nutter...!

__________________
You want a toe? I can get you a toe, believe me. There are ways, Dude. You don't wanna know about it, believe me.Hell, I can get you a toe by 3 o'clock this afternoon... with nail polish - Walter Sobchak