making a mash tun

I have a 48q rectangular cooler without a existing spigot. I want to make the leap into all grain without going broke. Would it be possible to drill a hole in this cooler for a spigot so I wouldnt have to siphon out the wort? If so, what would be the best way to go about this?

Drill your hole, check out bargainfittings.com for cooler kits, then add a SS mesh braid to the inside for filtering.

In the UK plastic drum taps threads are 1 inch diameter so I drilled 1 inch and it fitted perfectly. Don't use braid, get a 12 inch length of white plastic tubing that is a tight fit in the back of the tap, drill as many quarter inch holes in it as you can, and for each brew, tie a close fitting fine muslin bag round it. You get rapid flow perfectly clear after first 8 pints of runnings. Dismantle and sterilise each time.

Yes, it will work. Drill it out.

+1 to Bargainfittings.com, their prices are great.

Here, it gets no more simple than this.

BOBTHEukBREWER said:

In the UK plastic drum taps threads are 1 inch diameter so I drilled 1 inch and it fitted perfectly. Don't use braid, get a 12 inch length of white plastic tubing that is a tight fit in the back of the tap, drill as many quarter inch holes in it as you can, and for each brew, tie a close fitting fine muslin bag round it. You get rapid flow perfectly clear after first 8 pints of runnings. Dismantle and sterilise each time.

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Wow, 1/4" is pretty large! Why mess with a new muslin bag each brew and drill a pipe several times when you can just buy a ss braid one time and just slip it on?
Mine clears well before a quart (aka less than 4 pints) and drains fast enough. You don't want to drain too quickly or you'll compact your grain bed and lose efficiency.
Also, there is no need to SANITIZE (and definitely not sterilize) anything that is pre-boil.

Thanks for the replies. I will check out that site and let you know my progress.

hoppymonkey said:

Here, it gets no more simple than this.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IGqu2jWC5mg

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I've seen simpler.

What I have is actually the Igloo Ice cube that I see in that first video. Would this be too big a mash tun for 5 gallon batches? I know for big ol' beers you want a bigger cooler to allow room for all the grains needed. It seems to be about 12.5 gallons. It is a square 50q cooler, not a rectangular 48q like I previously stated. Not that it would matter, just clearing it up!

I've got the ice cube and brew 5 gal batches. I love it, just be sure to put a blanket, towel or something on top to increase insulation. The lid is hollow, and loses much heat throught it.

I did it and it works. I sealed the spigot with epoxy. It is very good and firm. Go for it!

Right on. Did it already have a spigot or did you have to drill one?

Jewsh said:

Right on. Did it already have a spigot or did you have to drill one?

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I had to drill. You should learn from my mistakes (though it turned out ok)

1. be careful with insulating material between two "walls" of the cooler because it is falling out after you make a hole.

2. make smaller hole than you think it should be

3. do not go too low (I wanted to decrease dead space as much as possible, and almost had to dump the whole thing). if you damage the seam that is connecting plastic elements at the bottom, you're screwed


good luck

Thanks for the tip. So, if I wanted to install a 1/2 " bulkhead valve, drill a 3/8" hole and try and force/screw it in?

+1 to pksmitty. I have the 50-quart Igloo. I do five-gallon batches using as little as eight pounds of grain and consistently get good results. I plan a ten-gallon batch in the future, and I know I can do that because my MLT is big enough.

To better insulate the top, I cut a plug out of 2-inch thick styrofoam, and have that just below the lid. I also make sure the lid is closed completely and air tight. I have temperature drops of only one or two degrees F during a one-hour mash.

I drilled a one-inch hole in mine and fit it with an Italian bottling spigot, the same one that comes with the bottling bucket in a home brewing starter kit and that can be found at any homebrew store. My copper manifold fits neatly into it.

I have some styrofoam laying around so that's a plus. I was wondering about the bottling bucket spigots. Much cheaper than the brass bulkhead.


And as for my first batch. I have my 7.5 gal brewpot, in order to heat my strike and sparge water I need more. I have a 3 and 4 gal pot along with my brew pot. How would you suggest heating the water for my first. everybody says it is quite easy making the leap, but I just want to make sure I have the basic equip I needed before my brew day.

Rock!

Jewsh, here's a great link to convert the cooler to MLT: Cheap & Easy 10 Gallon Rubbermaid MLT Conversion
This is what I followed for mine. The parts list is dead on.

Since there's no drain valve or washers already in the cooler, I had to add an o-ring on the inside, but that's no big deal. Also, I don't like putting any kind of seal on the outside of the cooler. If the inside seal leaks, I don't want the wort to be trapped in the insulation between the cooler walls.