Will this work for a Mash Tun?

https://cdn.homebrewtalk.com/gallery/data/1/medium/BlueB_profiel.JPG
I bought it thinking I would use it for a fermenter but I do not think it would work. It would be great if I was wrong because it would help out a lot.
I bought the barrel from an apple company that stores apple juice in it. It is food grade plastic. I have no idea if it can handle high temps though.
Any thoughts?

That will absolutely work for a mash tun. I am looking to do this myself.

It looks like one of these, or something close to it.
Open Head Drums - US Plastic Corporation

This may be an insulation solution.
McMaster-Carr

What kinda time frame or you on? Likely, I'll be doing mine in June.

I am doing everything on "I can afford to do this one now." Time frame haha. I bought 3 of the awhile ago. I wanted to use them as a bright tank and fermenters.

If you can adequately address the insulation problem, that would make a fine MLT.

If you choose to use them as fermenters, I think keeping temps in check will be a serious obstacle to overcome.

I plant to put up a thread in the DIY forum before the build for a critique of the design. It should not be too hard to build.

Why do you think it will not work as a fermenter?

arturo7 said:

Why do you think it will not work as a fermenter?

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I didn't say that it won't work, only that you need to have a way to keep a volume of that size sufficiently cool during fermentation.

flyangler18 said:

I didn't say that it won't work, only that you need to have a way to keep a volume of that size sufficiently cool during fermentation.

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I don't think the wall thickness of this bucket is much more than a 5 gallon pail. Not significantly anyway, HDPE is not a good insulator. The same techniques that keep a 5 gal at temp would also work for this.

I was planning on using a specific room with other beers that require the same temps. Its a 10x10. I am building the room so it will house several others. I was thinking the more beer in it will help to stabilze the temp in the room, like a refrig.
I was thinking it was a bad vessel because it was plastic. Right or wrong? I would imagine if a beer were to ferment for a month it would be alright. However I am not sure and would like your thoughts. Bytheby, that was a great link you sent in the other thread thank you.

CC, this barrel is made out of the same material as the 5 gallon pails everyone uses as a primary fermentor. As for time, I'm thinking you lager in it if you wanted to.


The one I plan to buy comes with a lid. I would apply the same insulation material to the lid. For a mash tun this would work fine. If yours doesn't have a lid it wouldn't be hard to rig something up. For a fermentor you would need to find a way to get a good seal.

That sheet insulation has an R rating of 4 at 1" thick. Use one 1" sheet and one 1/2" sheet and you've got an R factor of 6. Equal to or better than a cooler.

Can't really tell from the pic, is that a 15 or 30 gal. The bigger you go, the less a factor the insulation. I would think even a 15 gal. plastic vessel would hold mash temps pretty well w/ 30 + pounds of grain.

edit...That's HDPE, Go ahead make a mash tun, fermenter, HLT...alright let's get crazy...(not really) electric boil kettle!

Its 55 gallon

Looks like it is HDPE, you can ferment in it...just have to keep the temp controlled. It will withstand heat as well. Not an open flame of course, but certainly mash temps and perhaps boil temps as well.

Definitely interested in this.. My current mash tun is a 10 gallon cooler and it's fine for up to 25 lbs of grain, but anything beyond that is too much. Would love to go bigger