Best mash tun insulation???

I need to insulate my mash tun and was thinking of a hot water heater jacket. Does anyone have suggestions on something better or how to best insulate a mash tun that is a 15.5 keg on a propane burner. I have a RIMS so the burner isn't on too often but I lose so much heat and it just isn't very efficient without insulation. Thoughts and suggestions would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks

Head to Home Depot or Lowes and get some Reflectix Insulation. Works great! You can also insulate carboys for more consistent temps and keeping light out.

I used a hot water heater blanket and cut it to fit using hi-temp duct tape.

Cool setup, I'll swing by the store today and get the necessary items and set this up for the weekend brew session.

Or you could check an auto supply place for engine compartment insulation. Not that the plastic on the water heater jacket is likely to catch fire, but who knows.

To help eliminate the possibility of the insulation "lighting up" I did a couple of things. As you can see it is fairly close to the burner ( right side) for my HLT so I put a strip of Aluminum foil on the back to reflect the heat, I also sealed the weep holes on the bottom of my kegs with JB Weld so that no heat/flame would make it's way thru and melt the insulation. I do know that I don't lose but a couple of degrees in temp during my mash. I just make sure that I preheat it and put a top with a towel/blanket on it.

EdWort said:

Head to Home Depot or Lowes and get some Reflectix Insulation. Works great! You can also insulate carboys for more consistent temps and keeping light out.

Click to expand...

I used to have some of this actually on the inside of my mash tun (when I first got it). But when it arrived, it was all torn and hanging off, so I peeled all of it away.

I was thinking of buying some more--right now I'm using an old afghan and some bungee cord contraption.

I was also thinking of getting one of those reflective car dash reflectors, cutting it to fit, and wrapping it around my mash tun.

Kind of off the topic of insulation, but I'm thinking for my own system that a cooler will be better than a keg. I'm in the same boat you are if I decide to go with a keg or ss mash vessel though, in that I will need insulation too.

EdWort said:

Head to Home Depot or Lowes and get some Reflectix Insulation. Works great! You can also insulate carboys for more consistent temps and keeping light out.

Click to expand...

EDWort:

How long does this insulation hold heat? Can you hold heat for the entire mash? Or better yet how much heat do you loose. I went to Lowes today and looked at this stuff and it seems fairly thin to hold that much heat but looks like it might work.
I am building an all grain system as well and that is one of my issues is how to insulate the mash tun.
Any pics?

Brewpastor uses a yogo mat and some nylon straps to hold it in place. Take a look at his pics. I don't know how much he brews in the winter, but it gets pretty cold in NM so it must work pretty well as insulation.

It's a highly dense piece of foam but thin enough to easily mold to the shape of the keg. I'm going to try one on each of the three kegs I'll use. I like the JB Weld idea Brewiz mentioned... been wondering how to keep the fire from climbing up and lighting the mats.

I never even thought of using a yoga mat.

I'll have to check that out.

Has anyone used this stuff?
http://www.lowes.com/lowes/lkn?action=productDetail&productId=28930-1410-SP50&lpage=none
I was thinking of using that, and then finishing it up with some of this:
http://www.lowes.com/lowes/lkn?action=productDetail&productId=23580-98-L203-HT