Post pics of your full-drain mash tun!

I'm looking to build a tun out of a cone-bottom (15deg) tank. Drain on the bottom, perforated plate false bottom. I'm looking for ideas from others who have done similar construction.

I will likely insulate somehow, possibly by nesting the tank in a larger one and filling the gap with polycyanurate foam.

Please post some pics so I (we!) get ideas and inspiration. Please no pics of converted coolers with the drain on the side, or similar sankes. I don't want to worry about keepin a siphon while draining the last bit - hence the drain on the bottom.

Similar to

http://www.tank-depot.com/productdetails.aspx?part=TC1840AP

but I'd look for one without the stand, and I'd prob install my own bulkhead.

As I'm kind of new around here, please take what I say with a grain of salt.

Instead of using the expensive tank as you stated, why couldn't you just use a sanke keggle with the drain in the center of the bottom. The only reason why I ask is that's what I am planning on doing in the near future. The bottom of a sanke is curved, so if you cut a hole in the middle of the bottom and weld in a male 1/2 NPT coupler so that it is flush with the inside, it will be a fully draining mash tun for far cheaper.

Nathan

You could, and that's what i mean. I'm asking about tuns that will fully drain, no siphon needed. No dead space. With side-port tuns, once the liquid level inside is below the bulkhead, you need a siphon to continue the flow.

In addition to the full-drain setup, I'm interested in fully custom tuns as well, stepping away from the conventional sankes and converted coolers. Those that have done their own insulation schemes, nested containers etc. What have yih got? !!!

storrown, I'm glad I got one reply at least!

Thx/Cheers

I personally wouldn't want a mash tun that couldn't be completely insulated or direct fired. I don't care to babysit the mash unless I'm doing a decoction mash.

Me neither. What's yer point?

StMarcos said:

Me neither. What's yer point?

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Insulating the cone section might prove tricky. Not really, but I see where he's going with it.

You can just flip a Sanke upside down, cut out the 'top' (was the bottom.)
Instant bottom draining fitting, add plumbing to suit. Also makes for a possible bigger dump valve option to help clean-in-place.

I prefer the idea of a bottom draining tun but mine is already side draining.
I've never had a problem maintaining a siphon, just make sure there's no air leaks and science does the rest.

For the 'cone' I was thinking that 15 degrees would be not too tough. If the vessel was nested and the gap filled with insulation, wouldn't be hard either.

Siphon won't start if the fluid level in the tun is below the bulkhead. This happens to me when the flow out the drain is faster than it can flow through the grain. I just wanted something that will drain the last bit without fuss. My current side port cooler tun, 120qt, doesn't do this. It will gurgle and pull air when there is plenty of wort left in the tun. I have a braid that covers a copper tube that is bent to reach the bottom.

Need a bigger tun than a sanke, so that's why I was looking away from this option. Would like to see pics though.

What do you guys think about using a commercial sink as a mt? Reason being that the bottom slopes gently to the middle. I wonder if I could find a polyethylene one.

StMarcos said:

What do you guys think about using a commercial sink as a mt? Reason being that the bottom slopes gently to the middle. I wonder if I could find a polyethylene one.

Click to expand...

Check out the latest BYO mag, there is a guy in there that built a conical unit that mashes,boils, then ferments, then transfers to his attached kegerator...it's a mobile unit on wheels...pretty incredible setup...he's a mechanical engineer which I guess doesn't hurt when it comes to DIY.

Sometimes I wonder about my comments when I see them 3 months later. I tend to stick to proven methods when it comes to mashing. It's a very scientific process and not being a very scientific person, I go with what's known. Otherwise, I'm willing to experiment more and think outside the box. I hope the OP isn't as near-sighted as me when it comes to mashing.

All I'm looking for is a tun, for batch sparging, that will drain the whole lot if I keep the valve open. Now, with my current 120qt rectangular cooler, there is a port on the side. I have a diptube that more or less goes to the bottom. So, it will siphon and drain properly, provided you don't interrupt the flow when the liquid level is below the valve. If you do, the siphon will break, and you can't get more flow, even when there is a couple of gallons left in the tun. I could install a bulkhead in the bottom of any container, but then there would be a flange that won't allow all the fluid to drain all the way. Slightly sloping bottom would minimize this effect.

I'm really interested in a container with the right geometry as a starting point. Insulation and all that would be done as diy.

I wonder if those plastic conical fermenters folks use are OK at mash temps. They would work well for this purpose after insulation added. Or just use a keggle flipped upside down.

Keggle not big enough... needs to be 30gal+. Was thinking something like:

http://www.tank-depot.com/productdetails.aspx?part=R-TC1829CA

Build a stand and insulate it. Jaybird bottom.

Or this one:

http://www.tank-depot.com/productdetails.aspx?part=TC1829CA

Just ordered the 30gal Ronco conebottom from tank depot. Called them up and got a pretty good price on shipping - had some other items and got everything nested. Will still need a stand, insulation, and a false bottom. Considering

http://www.zorotools.com/s/?q=Insul-Sheet+S2S+Insulation

For the insulation. Not sure if I want a full 18'' false bottom or will be able to make do with less than 12''.

Sorry to bring this thread back from the dead, but how have you found your conical mash tun to work?
I am busy on the same thing now and was wondering about the false bottom and what size you recommend.

https://www.homebrewtalk.com/f51/30gal-insulated-conical-mashtun-398265/

Wrote it up here. Very happy w/it.

ah awesome! thanks