Stout Tanks & Kettles - Mash Tun ??????

I am in the process of completely re-vamping my brewing setup. I am going to build a brewing stand here in a couple of weeks.

I was thinking about going with Stout Tanks & Kettles 20 Gallon Mash Tun -http://conical-fermenter.com/products/mash-tuns/

I wanted to reach out on the forum first before pulling the trigger and see if anybody has any experience with there products.

-Shane-

I work with their 2bbl brew system and it's a pretty quality build. Never used any of their homebrew sized products, but I'd have to assume its the same quality as their bigger builds. Good attention to detail, and really great and responsive customer service.

Added to the ever-growing wishlist....

Sarah.

If it's not in stock and you have to order it, be ready to wait a long damn time. Other then that they have some great stuff.

I'm planning a major brewery upgrade and have been considering their products since they entered the market. Owner reviews always seem to be positive, other than comments to the wait time.

However, my single biggest concern to these pots are the dimensions, specifically the height to diameter ratio. They seem very tall, for the narrow diameter. For the liquor tank it doesn't matter so much, but both mash & boil efficiency can be effected improperly sized tanks. I'd love to hear from some current owners concerning real-world use/experience.

As far as our system goes we're getting high 70's for the efficiency of our mash. The boil kettle can be a bit of a problem as you do have to watch it closely for boil overs. Other than that we've been getting a solid wort from it.

I have the 20 gallon mash tun, but I have had some problems with the fit of the false bottom.... The first time I used it I had a large amount of grain coming through even at the end of the sparge, because the false bottom is round, but the tank isn't totally round. I told John, and he was responsive, sent out a fermenter silicone seal right away which I used to seal the false bottom to one side of the tank. I brewed again with it, and it worked very well with the modification, but looks a little janky to me for a 400 dollar tank. I was hoping he would offer me a new tank with a better fitting false bottom, but i didnt have the heart to ask for it.

I have also noticed that the thermowell is a little too short to get a totally accurate reading. I use another handheld thermometer to check temps.

The welds are really nice, and after getting a replacement valve for one that wouldn't unscrew(John very helpful again, here) I am really happy with the triclover fittings. The tank is not very thick, but i wasnt super surprised by that, given the price The price can't be beat, but the wait for building the tank is hard to swallow.

I'm happy with my purchase, but my tank, at least, isn't perfect.