insulated HLT project - Page 2

jds · 07-01-2008, 11:21 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Wortlover

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I have an igloo cooler no as a MLT. The temp drop over an hours time with that is quite a lot. I'm hoping this will work better. It is awful big, may prove to be hard to work around. I will try a test run with hot water.
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This surprises me a bit. How large is your cooler and how much grain are you mashing to see the large temp losses? I mash in a converted 5 gallon cylindrical cooler, and I'm only seeing temp losses of 1-2 degrees F over 75 minute mashes...

Wortlover · 07-02-2008, 12:30 PM

Yeah jds, you're probably right. I have a rectangular cooler. I insulated the top also with spray foam. I did a weizen this last Sunday, and temps didn't budge that much. It was hard for me to get an accurate temp reading. If I sunk the temp probe into the grain bed, that temp was different from the mash liquid that was more towards the top.

WortMonger, can I tell you, you s$ck!!

You're idea trumps mine. I got
a bunch of that foil faced bubble wrap, that really looks more practical. Awesome job.

**WortMonger** · 07-02-2008, 03:45 PM

Thanks, I love your name man, lol. That Expanded Polystyrene Foam sure cuts easily with a soldering wand, lol. I am glad I made my keg-tun lids out of it. The rigidity when covered with a plastic or latex coating is great and insulates very well. I tried both types of insulation on my lid project and the EPS lid is as tight as a drum, while the Reflectix insulated lid looks like a raisin, lol.

I really am having problems finding the correct temperature readings in a 15.5 gallon keg. I checked overnight. As insulated as I am with my new setup I didn't lose but a few degrees. However, moving the thermometer around showed significant temperature fluctuations from what I thought the temperature was. I have to find a way to get a more complete reading of my mash temperature now that I am not losing those degrees through the walls of steel like I used to. The problem with those coolers is the lid isn't insulated near enough. I mean they are made for keeping cold, not really for keeping hot. I bet the same cooler with a better insulated lid would be cheap and good. I mean, I am talking some EPS, particle board, and latex paint and you would probably not drop 2 degrees an hour.