Issue concerning the Blichmann Top Tier

I almost pulled the trigger and then though of something that really concerns me. The whole point of the system is so that I do not have to lift anything. After brewing this weekend, I realized that this system would not eliminate this process. I live in Ohio and winters here get cold. Doing all grain, I have to take my mash tun into the house to keep temps correct. How do others that have this system deal with the cold weather and holding temps? Should I just look at it as something I'm going to have to do in the winter months, or do I just get a 3rd burner and add another pot? I really need to stop procrastinating and get this thing.

You could always get a pump and create a RIMS with it. What is your mash tun anyways?

I use a 70qt cooler and it holds steady even in 20F weather. Just wrap it in a blanket.

My mash tun is a 10 gallon circular cooler from Home Depot. I've heard about wrapping in a blanket, but didn't think it would work well enough. I'm going to give that a try on the next brew day.

Just make sure to preheat your tun with hotter water than your strike.

Yep I do.

dmbGator said:

My mash tun is a 10 gallon circular cooler from Home Depot. I've heard about wrapping in a blanket, but didn't think it would work well enough. I'm going to give that a try on the next brew day.

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A simple hands on process would be to pump from the bottom of the mlt to the top and turn the burner on and off (very low) as needed.

Automated options including automating the burner (which is technically a form of RIMS), a RIMS tube (pumping the worth through a tube with a water heating element that is turned on and off), or HERMS (pumping through a copper coil in the HLT, either the pump or the HLT burner can be turned on and off).

Those coolers hold heat well only if you fill the lid with spray foam ..Drill three more additional 1/4" holes on the under side of the lid and insert foam can tube ,and fill. Makes a big difference in winter.

Yeah, you shouldnt have to bring it inside, way too much work! Just wrap that guy up, much less work in the long run. Have you brewed and had a big drop in your MT?

use a blanket, a heating blanket!