Quick and easy mash tun help!!

Ok, so with my purchase of some guys AG stuff, I got 2 coolers. A 10-gal mash tun with false bottom, and some 5-gal cooler with the spigot replaced by a bung with a 3/8" copper tube coming out of it...I assume it was used as an HLT and gravity fed the sparge arm...which I didn't seem to get in his stuff.

I can't get the false bottom out of my big tun, and I don't think it would fit the diameter of my little cooler anyways.

How can I make a quick and dirty mash tun out of it? I want to brew a few small 3 gallon test batches inside using my stovetop and 6 gal brewpot instead of braving the cold and firing up the turkey fryer for just this small batch. Should I bother firing up the big 10-gal mash tun for like...8# of grain?

How can I do this QUICK and simple...IE - run to home depot after work and pick something up that will just work within minutes?

Can I just get a wire braid hose and clamp the thing down onto the little tube? Should I go PVC and drill 20 quick small holes in the bastard?

What can I do? I'd like to brew tomorrow night if possible.

Go to target, get a 9" SS vegetable steamer with the little holes in it for $4. Drill a hole and insert a 3/8" barb... tada, $6 SS false bottom in your 5 gallon tun. Expect near 80% eff.

Pol

Look at these pics... there is one of the false bottom I am talking about.

http://s168.photobucket.com/albums/u189/PolTavern/

Pol

Interesting...I may give that a run if it turns out to be the best alternative. I'm hoping to prevent as much drilling/piecing together as possible, as I doubt I'll ever use this more than 3 or 4 times.

But it looks cool!

Drill one hole, screw it in (or press in a nylon barb) and you are ready to go. Used mine for a year, I was very happy with it.

Pol

I happened to find myself at home depot today anyways, so I bought a 12" piece of braided steel hose.

How easy is it to cut the ends off and pull out the rubber inside? I'd like to get this thing done in like 20 minutes if possible....I want to brew tonight.

Its pretty easy to cut the braided hose, I made a knick in the metal mesh with a hack- saw and then cut through the entire thing with a pair of heavy duty searated scissors. Once it is cut, push the mesh off the rubber hose with a pair of plyers, do not try to pull it off, its like a chinese finger trap.

You could also use a Dremel to cut trough it.

Just use the 10 gallon cooler if it's already set up. 8# of grain would be fine. That's what I'd do, instead of modifying/building something else. Just my $0.02.