DIY Mash Tun Design, Parts list, and updated cost

I just finished making a mash tun out of a 48 qt rubbermaid cooler that I had sitting around the house. I've read about all the discussions of what's better between ss braid, copper manifold, and CPVC Manifold.

My choice narrowed down quickly to SS braid vs. CPVC Manifold because the current price of copper.

I decided on CPVC for future versatility and after reading John Palmer but it's also just personal preference.

I've seen some design and costs but most of them seem out of date on pricing. So i decided I'd post my design and updated pricing as of May 5th, 2011.

Equipment Needed:

48 qt Rubbermaid Cooler
Qty 1 - 10 ft Section 1/2" CPVC pipe - $2.60
Qty 5 - 1/2" Tee CPVC - $.19 each
Qty 4 - 1/2" 90 degree Elbow CPVC - $.29 ea
Qty 1 - 1/2" CPVC Female Coupling Adapter - $.67
Qty 1 - 3/4" ID x 1 1/2" OD Rubber Washer - $.86
Size does not matter since you can cut the hole size you want. I could not find anything above 5/16" ID
Qty 1 - 3/4" ID Flat Steel Cut Washer (I used a Rosette washer but may be more difficult to find) - $.40
Qty 1 - Brass 1/2" x 1/2" male to male nipple (1 1/2" to 2 1/2" length depending on cooler width) - $2.52
Qty 1 - 1/2" x 3/8" hosetail (can use 1/2" x 1/2" hosetail) - $2.56
Qty 1 - 1/2" brass full port threaded ball valve - $7.52

Total Investment - $20.64 + cost of cooler.
All Items were purchased at Home Depot.

There are cheaper alternatives with CPVC if you don't mind using glue.
I just didn't want any chance of contamination so I didn't do this.
You can buy 1/2" CPVC ball valves threaded or unthreaded and either glue in the pipe or try to find to find the correct fittings and adapters.

Hope this is useful and helpful to anyone considering making one instead of buying it!

I think I have a general idea of what you're looking at, but a photo of the final product would be a huge help .

smagee said:

I think I have a general idea of what you're looking at, but a photo of the final product would be a huge help .

Click to expand...

Photos will be attached tonight. I had to run back to home depot to exchange the male x male nipple for a bigger size so didn't have time to put them up with the post last night. I will post several pictures of the manifold and cooler setup.

Great thread. Posting to remind myself for next weekend when I want to start building mine.

I don't understand why the slits are facing up, when they really ought to be facing down.


Also as an FYI, my local Home Depot does not sell CPVC parts at all. Lowe's does, but their selection is quite limited. So don't just go to out to the nearest big box store expecting to find everything you need; you may need to call ahead first (although good luck with that).

Actually, I just got back from HomeDepot right now, got a little excited and skipped out of work for a couple minutes. I went through and bought everything, but because I was in a hurry, I didn't notice a couple things.

1. Did you use 1/2" pipe with bigger connections or 1/2" connectors with smaller pipe? Wasn't paying attention and connecting things in the store, but they listed the ID's for everything, when because I was in a hurry wasn't connecting to check the fit. So my connectors are the same size as the pipe, my fault, not yours.

2. Also noticed when I got back that my pipe isn't CPVC, but all of my fittings are. You can order CPVC from their website shipped to store though.

weirdboy said:

Also as an FYI, my local Home Depot does not sell CPVC parts at all. Lowe's does, but their selection is quite limited. So don't just go to out to the nearest big box store expecting to find everything you need; you may need to call ahead first (although good luck with that).

Click to expand...

My HD didnt have CPVC either. I am going to check out Lowes.

OK, some someone with some actual real intelligence regarding tell me why regular white PVC should not be used as a manifold for the MLT. Some say chemical leeching, others say it melts. I use the white regular PVC for 3 batches now with no issues and no off flavors. So why is everyone so uppity when they find out I'm not using CPVC...please, no speculations. I have seen that regular PVC just softens at temps over 160 F, but nothing else, no chemical leeching, so what gives?

Also, I regularly mash around 152, and sparge at temps reaching 170...with that said, I have seen no noticeable "melting" of my PVC.

mcaple1 said:

OK, some someone with some actual real intelligence regarding tell me why regular white PVC should not be used as a manifold for the MLT. Some say chemical leeching, others say it melts. I use the white regular PVC for 3 batches now with no issues and no off flavors. So why is everyone so uppity when they find out I'm not using CPVC...please, no speculations. I have seen that regular PVC just softens at temps over 160 F, but nothing else, no chemical leeching, so what gives?

Also, I regularly mash around 152, and sparge at temps reaching 170...with that said, I have seen no noticeable "melting" of my PVC.

Click to expand...

Just searched the forum and found your answer:

headbanger said:

Both will leach chemicals, in the case of CPVC those chemicals amount to relatively small amounts of chloramines. That said, it is doubtful that the quantities of these "leached" chemicals will affect you or your brew.

I would be much more concerned with PVC actually breaking down and releasing toxins after prolonged exposure to high temps which is why you're better off using CPVC vs PVC in your mash tun.

If you're still concerned about the CPVC leaching chloramines then you can build one out of copper instead. Of course, then you will be leaching copper into your brew instead of chloramines but the amounts are probably negligible in both cases or at least as far as home brewing is concerned.

Click to expand...

I had to switch mine from PVC to CPVC because some of the piping deformed when adding hotter water (probably 190-ish) when trying to raise the mash temp. Real PIA. I also ASSUMED that if it was hot enough to deform then it would be hot enough to leech.

CPVC is more expensive than PVC, but not more than PVC done twice...

True, but since mine is already done in white PVC I was wondering if it would really be a problem to keep using it....like I said, it hasn't deformed, melted, caused off flavors, etc. Perhaps I got super PVC>!

It seems like the consensus is that all PVC will leech some trace amounts of chloramine, but it seems to be that we have yet to come to an agreement if PVC will have actual issues when used in MLT applications...low pressure and moderate to high temps.

Sorry everyone. I haven't checked my own thread in a long time. But to summarize alot of the questions and discussions:

1.) Almost all Home Depots carry CPVC. It's not in the same area as PVC Pipe.
They are sold in 10 ft sticks back in the plumming area near some of the copper sticks. Ask an associated or visit the plumming area if no one else knows where they are located.

2.) I've continued to build these and have had no complaints about off flavors from the CPVC. The cost of CPVC is so cheap, I don't see why to take the risk and use regular PVC. I think it costs me another $1.50 or something for a 10 ft stick of CPVC vs. PVC.

3.) Slits should always face down. I sometimes take pictures of them facing upwards just so you can see the slits themselves but always turn them down for use.

4.) Doublecheck the connectors on the CPVC to make sure they match up. Grab a small section of CPVC pipe and a connector and fit them in store to make sure. I never had this issue but I could see how it could happen. It's similar to copper tubing and the dimensions vary depending on whether their named by their ID or OD.

5.) From experience, the brass nipple may need to vary between 1", 1.5", or 2" depending on the thickness of the wall of the cooler and also depending on whether or not your cooler was installed with or without a plastic drain. This can make a difference and I've had to use different lengths for different cooler types and brands.

6.) I've improved from this design by using sharkbite connections on the hose connection on the drain. It's the same price as a standard hose fitting and you can buy 5 ft of the sharkbite high temp plastic tubing for less than $5. The tubing is made specifically for the sharebite hose fitting connection so is very snug and well fitted.

Since the post, I've also constructed a 70 qt coleman extreme mash tun for the larger batches or high gravity batches.

Hope this helps and feel free to ask any questions if I left anything out.

I dunno man I have to disagree with #1. Maybe all the ones in Houston, but the ones by my house do not carry it. They reduced the amount of plumbing stuff they carry around here, and moved the whole section to a different part of the store. Which, BTW is totally stupid since the huge sign that says "Plumbing" is now nowhere near where all the plumbing stuff is.

I guess I am speaking within multiple stores in Houston.
I've been to at least 5 HDs in Houston City Limits and they're all cookie cutter.
Everything is laid out the same and in the exact same places.

Alright, just got done making mine and everything went smoothly except cutting all of the damn slits... PITA!!! I really only got one of the long outside pipes done before my hand started cramping too much. I think tomorrow I might see if I can get a dremel bit to do it a little faster. It'd be really nice if you had a power band saw.

As far as the CPVC. I went to two Home Depots around my area(Outside Chicago), 20 miles apart, and they both had it, but like Joshaw said earlier, it was not right there with all of the other PVC, it was down about half of the aisle and was placed vertical instead of horizontal like the other PVC.

So far, after getting it all in, the only problem that I see is that with the placement of the drainage hole on my Igloo cooler, that side of the manifold is about 3/4" above the bottom of the cooler, leaving a lot of lost material, so I think I am going to play around with using a flexible tube, and have the tee going to the output going vertical instead so the whole manifold can sit on the bottom.

I was thinking about making my manifold from 6' of left over 3/8" copper tubing that was from my CF chiller. Is 3/8" too small to efficiently drain the mash tun? I've only really read about people using 1/2".

I am making a CPVC manifold and I am going with drilling holes. Does anyone know what size holes I should drill?
thank you

Has anyone built this using the CPVC ball valve, rather than brass? I am looking for a cheap way to get my manifold set up and am trying to see if anyone else has tried what I have in mind. I'm assuming that if I put something together with teflon tape, it should stay fairly well sealed, and I won't need to take it apart very often anyway. I make do the through piece out of threaded brass, for simplicity's sake, but the rest will probably be CPVC.

Any thoughts/concerns?

FYI...if ya cannot find cpvc in your state its because its against building code to use it, hence the reason why they dont sell it...carry on!!

They sell a 1/2" CPVC to 1/2" stainless MPT. Works well as a bulkhead with a washer and oring.

Polarbeer said:

I was thinking about making my manifold from 6' of left over 3/8" copper tubing that was from my CF chiller. Is 3/8" too small to efficiently drain the mash tun? I've only really read about people using 1/2".

Click to expand...

should be fine. Remember, you want to sparge slowly anyway so that shouldn't be a problem.

I did a search but couldn't find an answer, is it possible to use pex instead of cpvc or copper? Could you bend the pex around the inside of a circular igloo and cut slits in it like flexible copper tubing? Or is there contaminates thatbcould be leeched from the pex?

I just built a Mash Tun from an Igloo cooler and a CPVC manifold using a great deal of this write up. Couple thing I would like to share. I found a 1/2 stainless steel to CPVC male adapter the works awesome to connect manifold to ball valve at Lowes, (see picture below). Also the 52 quart igloo I bought from Target was $20.99! (also pictured below). And once the drain spout is removed there is a perfect sized hole for the transition adapter. The gasket and plastic washer from the cooler also fit on the outlet of the transistion like they were made for each other. This cooler maintained 158* for one hour with no need to add any additional strike water.

Joshaw50 said:

I just finished making a mash tun out of a 48 qt rubbermaid cooler that I had sitting around the house. I've read about all the discussions of what's better between ss braid, copper manifold, and CPVC Manifold.

My choice narrowed down quickly to SS braid vs. CPVC Manifold because the current price of copper.

I decided on CPVC for future versatility and after reading John Palmer but it's also just personal preference.

I've seen some design and costs but most of them seem out of date on pricing. So i decided I'd post my design and updated pricing as of May 5th, 2011.

Equipment Needed:

48 qt Rubbermaid Cooler
Qty 1 - 10 ft Section 1/2" CPVC pipe - $2.60
Qty 5 - 1/2" Tee CPVC - $.19 each
Qty 4 - 1/2" 90 degree Elbow CPVC - $.29 ea
Qty 1 - 1/2" CPVC Female Coupling Adapter - $.67
Qty 1 - 3/4" ID x 1 1/2" OD Rubber Washer - $.86
Size does not matter since you can cut the hole size you want. I could not find anything above 5/16" ID
Qty 1 - 3/4" ID Flat Steel Cut Washer (I used a Rosette washer but may be more difficult to find) - $.40
Qty 1 - Brass 1/2" x 1/2" male to male nipple (1 1/2" to 2 1/2" length depending on cooler width) - $2.52
Qty 1 - 1/2" x 3/8" hosetail (can use 1/2" x 1/2" hosetail) - $2.56
Qty 1 - 1/2" brass full port threaded ball valve - $7.52

Total Investment - $20.64 + cost of cooler.
All Items were purchased at Home Depot.

There are cheaper alternatives with CPVC if you don't mind using glue.
I just didn't want any chance of contamination so I didn't do this.
You can buy 1/2" CPVC ball valves threaded or unthreaded and either glue in the pipe or try to find to find the correct fittings and adapters.

Hope this is useful and helpful to anyone considering making one instead of buying it!

Click to expand...

Great write-up! Thanks for including the parts list. Quick question. You used a brass ball valve and brass nipple whereas I have seen most using stainless steel. Is there any issue using brass vs stainless steel?