Making the Switch (homemade mash/lauter tun

Well I finally (after a year) decided to take the plunge from extract to all-grain. Yesterday I made my mash/lauter tun from my old coleman cooler and some copper I picked up at Home Depot (see photos). Next week will be my first shot at it. I'm thinking of ordering a good Oktoberfest kit from Northern Brewers.

Nice work, I like the use of the screens over the cuts in the copper tubing.

Nice! How many gallons for your cooler?

I just used my 10g HD MT w/ copper manifold for the first time today. I did an American Wheat beer - man was it a slow running/sparge. Hopefully it'll run a bit faster w/out so much wheat in other recipes. My next wheat beer will have rice hulls for the mash for sure.

a_w_taylor said:

Nice! How many gallons for your cooler?

I just used my 10g HD MT w/ copper manifold for the first time today. I did an American Wheat beer - man was it a slow running/sparge. Hopefully it'll run a bit faster w/out so much wheat in other recipes. My next wheat beer will have rice hulls for the mash for sure.

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Honestly, I'm not sure. I believe it is a 48 qt cooler, so that's technically 12 gallons, but that would be filled to the top.

I haven't used it yet (for real) and plan on doing an Oktoberfest next Saturday. I figure with the 1/4inch piping, it won't be very fast. Lord knows the test water I put in it today didn't drain in any record time.

Tank

I'm thinking of ordering a good Oktoberfest kit from Northern Brewers.

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Hmmmn, I guess I had never even considered if there was such a thing as an all-grain kit. I've just been picking recipes I liked and putting a shopping list together and geeting the stuff separate. Got more info?

So I made this yesterday from the instructions posted on Brewwiki. I had to modify the design of the manifold based on the size/shape of my cooler, but overall, I am very pleased. Shoot me questions if you have any. By the way, it was easier than I thought it would be and I'm not the handiest guy.

Tank

Dynachrome said:

Hmmmn, I guess I had never even considered if there was such a thing as an all-grain kit. I've just been picking recipes I liked and putting a shopping list together and geeting the stuff separate. Got more info?

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They're nice for one reason, they have only what you need and the instructions to make it. Buying the ingredients separate usually means leftovers.

I ended up ordering the ingredients to make the Golden Dragon Limited Edition All-Grain brew from NB instead by the way. This caught my attention the other day I thought it would be kick-@ss to make.

Are those green zip ties? I'd be a little concerned about them at 150F +, and what is that mesh screen made of? Otherwise looks like a cool build.

I would flip the manifold over so the slits are on the bottom. With them on the top you will have the full weight of the grain pressing on them potentially creating sparging challenges. Also, with them on the bottom they will catch slightly more of the volume before losing their prime (less dead space).

I would flip the manifold over so the slits are on the bottom. With them on the top you will have the full weight of the grain pressing on them potentially creating sparging challenges. Also, with them on the bottom they will catch slightly more of the volume before losing their prime (less dead space).


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