Sanke as a MLT

I've done a bit of searching and have seen several photos of guys using a sanke keg as their MLT. However, some of these show the kegs being insulated and some do not. I've been using a converted cooler as my MLT, but the heat has finally started to deteriorate the inner plastic and it is cracking...So its time for a new MLT. I've got a spare sanke keg that I could use (and it would match my sanke HLT and BK) but with the design of my brew stand, I don't think I could insulate the outside without melting the insulation while heating my HLT. I use a RIMS system, so I think that the temperature would be maintained without the insulation, but I'd like to know if anyone else is doing it this way, or if I'm gonna need to come up with something else. While a cooler would be the best for insulation, I'd rather not have to keep replacing them.

With a RIMS system, you shouldn't have to insulate it and the keg would work just fine.

krazydave said:

With a RIMS system, you shouldn't have to insulate it and the keg would work just fine.

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+1 That is what a RIMS or HERMS is designed to do.

No need to insulate if you use a RIMS/HERMS system. Of course, no harm if you do insulate either. It'll just mean that teh system will cycle less frequently since there will be more thermal mass.

Thanks guys. I pretty much assumed that this would be the case, but I figured it couldn't hurt to ask some who may have the same setup. The cooler always worked pretty well, but I figure I can have some new couplers welded into the spare sanke for less than the cost of another cooler...

ive been using a sanke keg as a mash tun. i do not use a rims or herms set up. i simply put a lid on it, and cover it with a thick blanket. it losses about 1-2 degrees per hour like that. but, if you start losing too much temp, you can always fire it right back up.

I use a sanke for mash and its a herms no problems there with the Temp's. Mine is insulated with foil bubble but I do believe its more looks than function.



God Bless
Dominus Vobiscum
Swagman

I get better performance with my RIMS set up since I wrapped the MLT with insulation. It worked fine without it, but if I want to Mash out it is faster this way. It's really the same as running a water heater with an insulated blanket vs. not having one. The only trouble I ran into was the one time I had a stuck sparge due to a broken fitting and swapped MLT for BLK. The flames destroyed the insulation as you can imagine, but the beer turned out fine.

samc said:

I get better performance with my RIMS set up since I wrapped the MLT with insulation. It worked fine without it, but if I want to Mash out it is faster this way. It's really the same as running a water heater with an insulated blanket vs. not having one. The only trouble I ran into was the one time I had a stuck sparge due to a broken fitting and swapped MLT for BLK. The flames destroyed the insulation as you can imagine, but the beer turned out fine.

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Just the cost for a fine brew......

Lol. Of course when I designed my brewstand, I designed it around the rectangular cooler that I was using, which is lower (and therefore under the flame level) than the neighboring burners. Now that I'm switching to a keg, the insulation would be pretty much right up against the wind guard of the HLT burner. I just can't see spending the money to insulate it, knowing that its gonna get melted. Hopefully my 1500W RIMS tube can keep up with the thermal loss. I do know that with the cooler, it rarely cycled once it reached temp.

swatman260 said:

Hopefully my 1500W RIMS tube can keep up with the thermal loss. I do know that with the cooler, it rarely cycled once it reached temp.

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It does on mine and lots of other RIMS brewers on this forum. Once it is at temperature, it does not take as much energy to keep it there.

I use one with a herms set up and it works well. It maintains temp more evenly for 10 gal batches. Lots of room in there on most five gal batches.