Direct fire mash tun?

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I am torn between using my cooler mash tun on the (HERMS)brew stand I'm building or to add a keg/falsebottom mash tun with a burner under for direct heating. The cooler has held temps very well in the past but direct fire would allow faster heat up and step mashing. HELP ME!!
 
If you put the burner on there and use a keg for a direct-fire mash tun.... nothing says that when you're doing a simple, single-infusion mash you can't take the keg off and put the cooler in its place. I'd build for the ability to do step-mashes, even if you don't always DO step mashes.
 
If you plan on doing step mashing I would definitely go with the direct heat. You just can't efficiently step mash with a HERMS, water infusions dilute the mash, and drawing off wort, boiling it, then infusing it back into the mash is a pain.

If you don't plan on doing much step/decoction mashing and your system is working great then I'd leave it the way it is.

just my 2cents....
 
Theres nothing to say you have to step mash in a direct fired MLT either. I routinely do single infusions. Running a pump to recirc I've lost, at max in a frozen garage, 2 degrees in a n hour in a non-insulated keg kettle. Even that was lost through the hoses. At the end of the mash, you can kick on your heat to raise to mash out ( I wouldn't call this step mashing per se) if you want to.

Whats more, I put all of my mash water in at once and heat it to strike. No more need to worry about vol/temp issues to reach desired rest temp.

I love my DFMLT and wound't go back to a cooler tun even I got paid to do it. Seriously. I also realized a 5 pt increase in efficiency in going to the keggle MLT. Of course, I also began recirculating and that may have more to do with that.
 
Do you guys use a false bottom sanke conversion or a stainless braid/bazooka screen? For sparging do you have one of the fancy "spinna'" type spargers or a simple ring/manafold? Thanks.
 
+1 for direct fire keggle for a mash tun, I LOVE mine. I do lose a little heat with mine, but I will be insulating it soon.

I frequently do single infusion mashes in mine, but having the option to step mash is great. Also, being able to directly heat your mash water in your MLT is very nice.

As for false bottom/bazooka braid - I have a false bottom I use, but I just used the 10gal cooler false bottom, it was cheaper and fit just fine.
 
Bernie Brewer said:
Step-mashing in a cooler MLT? Easy-peasy: Steam

I popped the cherry on mine last weekend. Works great!

+1 on the steam!

It really is an great way to step mash. I just brewed back to back hefe's with 4 rests.

I absolutely love my steam system. :tank:
 
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